‘Showgirls’ star Gina Gershon details rejecting ‘exploitative’ slasher film role

In Hollywood, Gina Gershon has always trusted her gut.

Early in her career, the actress was offered a role in “Friday the 13th Part 2,” one she ultimately passed on after discovering she would be topless. Gershon has a new memoir out, “AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs,” chronicling her rise to stardom and the many famous faces she met along the way.

“I was offered a lead in that movie,” Gershon told Digital. “And, of course, I was so excited to act in movies, but it definitely felt kind of exploitative to me and a little silly that right before she gets killed, her top has to come off.”

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In the book, Gershon wrote, “At the time, those kinds of slasher movies always had girls dying with their breasts exposed. My character would be killed by a stake through the heart, blood dripping down her t–s. That seemed pretty lame to me: exploitation 101.”

Gershon turned to her father for advice.

Ginny Field holding a pitchfork in a scene from the film “Friday the 13th Part 2,” circa 1981.  (Paramount/Getty Images)

“Listen, I was really lucky that I had a father who really taught me how to believe in my own decisions,” she told Digital. “It wasn’t like I had to rebel against my family. I remember asking him about it, thinking he was going to say, ‘No daughter of mine is going to do that!’ And he said, ‘It’s your body. If you’re comfortable with it, I’m comfortable with it.’”

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“When I sat and thought about it, I just thought, ‘I don’t really want to do this,’” she shared. “I wasn’t comfortable with it. It seemed silly to me. Not that I had anything against nudity — I grew up on European films — but only if it makes sense for the character and the story. But when it just seems silly, I don’t know. It just felt like it was something that wasn’t for me.”

After speaking with her father, Gershon turned down the role.

Gina Gershon’s memoir, “AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs,” is available now. (Akashic Books, Ltd.)

“My dad may have died too soon, but he taught me many valuable lessons in the 19 years I had with him,” Gershon wrote. “Mainly, he taught me to trust myself in making my own decisions.”

Actress Gina Gershon on the set of the Tri-Star movie “Red Heat” in 1988. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

“This theme of trusting my gut kept showing up in my life,” she added.

It’s key advice that stayed with Gershon over the years, including when she starred in 1995’s “Showgirls.” The film, directed by Paul Verhoeven, follows the rise and moral unraveling of a young dancer. It also starred “Saved by the Bell” alum Elizabeth Berkley.

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Gershon admitted in the book that she and Verhoeven fought “constantly” over creative differences involving her character, Cristal Connors.

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Gina Gershon as Cristal Connors in 1995’s “Showgirls.” (© 1995 United Artists/Murray Close /ALAMY)

“I think Paul secretly enjoyed it when we argued about the most mundane things,” she wrote. “Sometimes I suspected he was throwing things out there just to see if he could get a rise out of me. Or maybe not. Maybe it was annoying that I didn’t just roll over and do what he asked. 

“Whatever the case, our battles were becoming exhausting. And let me say this: I liked Paul. A lot! Especially when we weren’t locked in some game of control. He is a very smart, very interesting guy. A mathematician and theologian. I really enjoyed our chats about religion and philosophy.”

Gina Gershon at the Los Angeles premiere of “Showgirls” in 1995.  (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Gershon said they were scheduled to shoot a scene that took place in Cristal’s dressing room. That’s when she received a surprise.

Director Paul Verhoeven (center) poses with stars Gina Gershon (left) and Elizabeth Berkley (right) at the premiere of “Showgirls” in Beverly Hills. (Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images)

“I was in the hair and makeup trailer once again, waiting for my team to transform me, when Paul came in and said without any warning, ‘In today’s scene, I think it would be good if you showed your vagina,’” she wrote. “Whoa, that came out of the f—–g blue. Just that morning, I’d made a deal with myself that, no matter what, I would avoid all arguments that day. Oh boy, this one was going to be a doozy.

Gina Gershon attends the 40th anniversary of “Sophie’s Choice” at the Museum of Modern Art on Feb. 6, 2024, in New York City. (Dia Dipasupil/WireImage/Getty Images)

“’Why?’ I asked. And in my most sincere, calm-actress voice, without trying to provoke or sound like an a—–e, I continued, ‘I mean, what’s the reason Cristal would do that? I’m open to anything as long as it makes sense. How does it reveal my character? How does it move the story forward?’”

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In her memoir, Gina Gershon described how she would spar with director Paul Verhoeven on the set of 1995’s “Showgirls.” (TCD/Prod.DB/ALAMY)

The filmmaker pointed out that Berkley would be doing so and that Sharon Stone had also taken on an infamous scene in his previous film, “Basic Instinct.” 

Gershon wrote that she kept calm, noting that her contract didn’t require that level of nudity for the role. To avoid a tug-of-war over the scene, she defused the situation by proposing an exaggerated alternative. It prompted the director to drop the idea and proceed with the scene as originally written.

Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone on the set of “Basic Instinct” directed by Paul Verhoeven. (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

“To my utter relief, Paul slowly backed out of my trailer, looking at me like I was bonkers, and said, ‘No, it’s OK, we will do the scene as written. Forget I said anything,’” she wrote. “He never mentioned my vagina again.”

Kyle MacLachlan and Elizabeth Berkley on the set of “Showgirls” directed by Paul Verhoeven. (Murray Close/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)

In response, a spokesperson for Verhoeven told Digital, “Mr. Verhoeven has not read the memoir, and has no comment.”

“I think the real challenge was that I went into ‘Showgirls’ thinking it was a completely different sort of movie,” Gershon explained to Digital.

Gina Gershon walks the runway during the Lingua Franca NYFW Autumn/Winter 2025 Runway Show at The Bowery Hotel on Feb. 4, 2025, in New York City.  (Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

“It was very serious, and I loved the part. It was very operatic in my mind. And then when I got to the set, I realized it was a completely different film from what I had envisioned. So I think the biggest challenge was to adjust to what it was and to figure out a way to play it that made sense in the environment.”

“Showgirls” is now a cult classic. (Murray Close/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)

Despite widespread attention over its NC-17 rating and explicit content, the film underperformed at the box office, People magazine reported. According to the outlet, “Showgirls” made less than its $45 million budget and was widely panned by critics.

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But today, it’s widely regarded as a cult classic.

Gina Gershon is seen here opposite co-star Elizabeth Berkley in “Showgirls.” (Everett Collection)

“’Showgirls’ has been such an interesting journey,” Gershon told Digital. “It’s just funny to me how when it came out, so many journalists jumped on the bandwagon of, ‘This movie is horrible.’ They really ripped it apart.”

“Thankfully, I kind of came out of it fairly unscathed, but still, it’s not a good feeling,” she reflected. “You want the whole movie to do well. And I actually think it could have done well. I just thought the marketing was silly, and it never should have been [rated] NC-17 to begin with. That’s a whole other conversation.”

Gina Gershon at the Brenden Celebrity Suite in Las Vegas. (Michael Caulfield/WireImage/Getty Images)

“Now, some of those journalists, it’s like the first question they want to talk about. ‘Let’s talk about ‘Showgirls.’ It’s such a cult classic!'” she laughed. “All of a sudden, people who hated it love it now. I’m happy it’s brought so many people hours of pleasure. It really taught me not to pay too much attention to reviews. You can’t really listen to critics so much. That was my big lesson out of that.”

Gina Gershon at the Met Opera opening on Sept. 21, 2025, in New York. (Alyssa Greenberg/WWD via Getty Images)

Guided by her instincts, Gershon said her goal has always been to tell great stories.

“I just want to do something that I feel proud of or that I would like to go see,” Gershon added.