Gina Gershon opens up about why she couldn’t watch “Showgirls” 'for years'
Gina Gershon opens up about why she couldn’t watch “Showgirls” 'for years'
Daysia TolentinoWed, March 11, 2026 at 9:30 PM UTC
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Gina Gershon in 'Showgirls'Credit: MGM
Gina Gershon has complicated feelings about Showgirls.
In an appearance on The Julia Cunningham Show, Gershon revealed that she couldn't watch the cult favorite "for years" because of how difficult it was to work on. She shared that she "thought it was going to be a different movie than it was," leading to multiple disagreements with director Paul Verhoevan during filming.
"I would get very tense and anxious when I thought about certain things and and stories," Gershon said.
'Showgirls' director Paul Verhoeven in 2021Credit: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage
Gershon said she had "a little bit of PTSD" from playing Cristal Connors, the star of a topless dance revue in Las Vegas and rival to aspiring dancer Nomi (Elizabeth Berkley). She recalled arguing with Verhoeven over her character's accent, the direction of the film, and the inclusion of the gruesome rape scene.
"I wanted to have 'accent, accent,' and then when you see her backstage, she has no accent," Gershon said, referring to Cristal's exaggerated country twang. "She like talks, she's like a Jersey girl or something. Everything fake. I wanted every single thing fake."
She also shared that she was "so offended" by the brutal sexual assault scene involving kindhearted seamstress Molly (Gina Ravera). Gershon said that she advocated for having it taken out ahead of Showgirls' release. However, three decades later, she said she now understands its inclusion.
"It is really a comment on like ugly America, and on capitalism and power struggles and dynamics and all those things, that of course that rape scene has to be there," she said. "It's the grossest thing in there — and the powerful men, they're all protected."
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Gershon said she was "in survival mode" while shooting Showgirls because she was afraid it would end her career if her performance was lacking. While the film was panned upon release, it has since experienced a cultural reappraisal, garnering homages from the likes of Ariana Grande.
Now that she understands the message in Showgirls, Gershon has a better appreciation for it. But she told Cunningham she would've liked Verhoeven to be more communicative about his vision for the movie.
"I wish he had just clued me in saying 'This is why this is there,'" she said.
Gina Gershon in 2026Credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty
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Despite the fact that the film was not what she expected, Gershon said it was a good learning experience that taught her to be adaptable.
"I just changed my approach to the whole character," she said. "So that was kind of interesting. It was a good lesson."
Check out a snippet of Gina Gershon's interview on The Julia Cunningham Show above.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
