Elisa van Riessen graduated in 1989 from the Toneelacademie in Amsterdam (ATKA). Since then she has played in the theater in: Freule Julie/ Strindberg (Frascati Productions), Pericles/Shakespeare (Amphitheater), Lunch/Steven Berkoff (Bellevue Lunch break Theater), Nora of the Poppenhuis/Ibsen (ELS inc) and Husbands/John Cassavetes (Frascati Productions). She played guest roles in various TV series including: Flikken Maastricht, Adem in Adem uit, Oogappels, Baantjer, Van Speijk, 12 Steden 13 Accidents, Meiden van de Wit,  GTST and Spangas. In 2022 she played a role in the American series Atlanta S3 E2 (by and with  Donald Glover)

She also works as an actress in business and organizations in various work forms: eg directing theatre. 

In 2011 she founded BEM productions with which she created the performance Beloofd!. A comic performance about negotiation between a mother and her teenage daughter. She is currently writing a film script: 'De Sponsor', a film about a middle-aged woman of 50 who is confronted with abuse of power in a self-help group.