Gina Gershon's Showgirls Secrets

0:00In Durham today, March 3rd, Gina Gershon is sharing wild behind-the-scenes stories from the cult classic Showgirls in her new memoir. The 1995 film became a beloved guilty pleasure, and she says enough happened on set to fill another book. She played the veteran dancer, Crystal, opposite Elizabeth Berkley's ambitious Nomi. To snag the role, Gershon lied about her age, claiming she was 34 or 35 instead of 33, to seem like a fading star. She stuffed her bra for fake double-dees, caked on makeup, and tweaked her voice into a jaded southern droll. At her audition, she danced so intensely she tore her hamstring, cried in her car, and instantly bonded with Berkley. On set, clashes with director Paul Verhoeven heated up fast. Gershon threw a heavy makeup chair at him during a trailer argument, though it barely moved. She pushed back on lines like Crystal bragging about eating dog food, and dodged full frontal nudity by suggesting a ridiculous microscopic camera shot.

1:02From inside her body, Gershon prepped by hitting strip clubs for research, happily submitting receipts as tax write-offs. Her makeup artist, David Forrest, once played cowboy in the village people and glued rhinestones to her nipples at 4 a.m. for one scene. The goddess dance costume cost $7,000, and started as a mesh bodysuit before shrinking to a g-string. It looked fierce, but left her skin raw after hours of sweat. Today Gershon skips rewatching because her Texas accent wavers, she did it secretly against Verhoeven's orders. This episode is proudly sponsored by our partner. Some travel miles to find peace. I just climb into bed and listen.