Gina Gershon Says Watching Her Performance in “Showgirls” Left Her Feeling ‘Tense and Anxious’: ‘Like a Little Bit of PTSD’

Gina Gershon, the actress famed for her role in the controversial film “Showgirls,” has recently opened up about her complex feelings surrounding the movie. In an interview on SiriusXM’s The Julia Cunningham Show, Gershon revealed that she found it difficult to watch the film for many years, attributing part of her discomfort to anxiety related to her performance, particularly her accent.

Gershon, who hails from California, had initially intended to adopt a Tennessee accent for her character. To achieve this, she misled director Paul Verhoeven about her background. Despite her ambitions, Verhoeven ultimately decided against having her use an accent in the film. Reflecting on her time working on “Showgirls,” Gershon remarked, “You know, I couldn’t watch it for years… I was too, a little bit of PTSD, I think, in a very slight way… I never really watched it again.” The actress described experiencing tension and anxiety whenever memories of the film surfaced.

“Showgirls,” which premiered on September 22, 1995, tells the story of Nomi Malone, portrayed by Elizabeth Berkley, and her tumultuous journey through the glitzy yet seedy Las Vegas revue scene. Despite the film’s NC-17 rating and its graphic content, it failed to perform well at the box office, earning less than its production budget of $45 million and receiving harsh criticism from many reviewers.

In her candid interview, Gershon also noted some notable disagreements with Verhoeven regarding the film’s controversial elements, including a scene depicting sexual violence. However, in retrospect, she has reassessed the movie’s value and believes it was more substantial than its initial reception suggested. “Going 30 years later… a friend of mine, a writer friend, she said, ‘No, you don’t understand how great Showgirls is.’ I’m like, ‘I guess I really don’t.'”

From her current perspective, Gershon finds that the film serves as a commentary on the darker sides of American society, capitalism, and societal power dynamics. She said, “It was really a comment on ugly America and on capitalism and power struggles… and all those things that of course that rape scene has to be there.” Moreover, she added that the film, for all its controversies, ultimately delves into significant themes often ignored in mainstream cinema.

Reflecting on her character, Gershon revealed that her initial expectations of the role deviated sharply from the reality of filming. “I thought it was gonna be a different movie than it was,” she explained, noting the importance of adaptability in creative processes. This experience has imparted valuable lessons about perception and reality when stepping onto a film set.

Gershon’s reconsideration of “Showgirls” speaks to a broader trend as older films are revisited with fresh eyes, often yielding new interpretations that offer deeper insights into societal issues. The passage of time has provided her, and indeed many viewers, with the opportunity to appreciate the film in a new light, despite its initial failures and controversies.

She concluded her thoughts on the film by acknowledging the unique lessons gained through her experience, both on set and in viewing the work years later. The erstwhile discomfort that once kept her from watching “Showgirls” has transformed into a deeper understanding, allowing her to appreciate its complexities and commentary on American culture.