Elsie de Brauw (1960) studied at the Toneelacademie of Maastricht. She played for Fact, Bonheur and subsequently at Theatergroep Hollandie in, among others, Prometheus, Perzen, Fenicische vrouwen, Menuet, Industrieproject 1: KLM Cargo, De val van de goden, and she made Vuile dieve together with Paul Koek. She also worked for other companies such as Het Zuidelijk Toneel (Thyestes en Decadence, directed by Dora van der Groen, Trojaanse vrouwen, Hard brood) and De Tijd(Bérénice). She could be seen for ZTHollandia in Het land, Truus en Connie and GEN.

In 2002, she appeared in the musical theatre performance Bacchanten en De Metsiers. She played a role in Vrijdag, 2003, that got her nominated for the Theo d'Or *best female leading role). She also performed in Offertorium by Gerardjan RIjnders and in Fort Europa by Johan Simons.

Elsie de Brauw made her NTGent-debut with De asielzoeker (directed by Johan Simons(. She received the Theo D’or for best female leading role in 2006 for her portrayal of Myrtle in Opening Night, directed by Ivo van Hove. This was followed by Oresteia in 2006, directed by Johan Simons, Instinct in 2007, Vergeten Straat in 2008, Gif in 2009, which earned her yet another Theo d’Or in 2011, and La Grande Bouffe in 2010. In 2011, she performed in Children of the Sun under direction of Ivo van Hove.

She performed in Angst during the Salzburger Festspiele 2010, a theatrical adaptation of the novelby Stefan Zweig, directed by Jossi Wieler.
Elsie de Brauw constrantly appeares in television series and films, among which were Antonia and Uitgesloten. At the Nederlands Filmfestival, she received the Golden Calf 2007 for best actress for her role in the film Tussenstand by Mijke de Jong.

She performed a Dutch language and German language version of Lot Vekeman’s famed monologue Zus (2005). Elsie often cooperated with the Münchner Kammerspiele in Germany. There, she performed plays such as De Zus van and Gif.

She cooperated in the making of Olifant Jezus, and she performed beside Bert Luppes in Platonov in 2013. Since September 2013 she can be seen in new creation Vals, directed by Johan Simons.

Elsie de Brauw teachtes drama at the Gent Conservatory.