I’m glad she’s not on skid row. Good for her.
Posted on 11/11/2025 5:27:55 PM PST by DoodleBob
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Showgirls, Vanessa Berkley’s big-screen debut that has gone from unmitigated disaster to cult camp classic. Paul Verhoeven’s risqué provocation starred Berkley as Nomi Malone, a Vegas transplant with nothing in her pocket but dreams of dancing and a wild drive to achieve them. The NC-17 film was roundly panned upon release, mocked across late night and in the press, and bombed hard at the box office. Berkley, who had emerged years earlier as a teen TV star on Saved by the Bell, faced critics’ unrelenting wrath and was promptly dropped by her team at CAA. She characterizes the period since as “30 years of building blocks” to right now: “In all this time, I’ve been working toward this moment.”
…She was only 21 when Showgirls was released. To prepare her for difficult interviews, publicists kept showing her clippings of reviews blatantly insulting her looks and abilities. “A lot of things went on that wouldn’t be allowed now — someone could not be pummeled to that degree,” she says. “I couldn’t understand how people could be so cruel, but I’m tough. I had to separate out what they said from what I believed to be true.”…
Most of the Showgirls creatives fled the burning building, but Berkley toured 10 countries to meet press requirements — by herself. “It didn’t feel good, but I’m proud that I did that. I’m not a quitter,” she says. “I wanted to speak. I wanted to be heard. I had no other platform.”
…
The world came to accept Showgirls as a damn good, unhinged time…. Berkley wasn’t aware of the magnitude of the shift until 2015, when she attended a 20th anniversary screening at Cinespia in Los Angeles. The reception was ecstatic.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
I’m glad she’s not on skid row. Good for her.
Huh?? It's Elizabeth Berkley.
Gnarls Berkley’s sister, right?
Nearly killed her career?? What’s she done since?
Ha ha. She was on that crappy high school show. Then, off to Trampland.
I think she’s married to Ralph Lauren’s nephew. I doubt she goes hungry very often.
I remember Ann-Margaret from “Tommy.” I think she was wallowing in baked beans at one point. I haven’t seen it in forever. I only saw it back then with my BFF so we could ogle Roger Daltrey.
A whole bunch of stuff!
She has never had to beg for work.
As it is in the linked article, with no mention of a correction.
What did Johnny say after that?
That threw me too
Married to nephew of Ralph Lauren. Presumably a billionaire’s nephew and family won’t go hungry, especially in Jewish families. Surprising to see a list of screen credits she has.
She's so famous the article didn't even get her name right.
I saw the Ooo on this farewell tour.
Rog had about three senior moments live, where he forgot lyrics or forgot to come in.
I’m glad they called it quits. It was a great show though, even if his screams on WGFA and Love, Reign O’er Me were pre-recorded.
Berkeley bombs is the lesbian porno creep show, "Showgirls."
Wow. I haven’t seen the Who since the 80s - saw them a few times back then and even once in the 70s. We thought the laser lights during “See Me, Feel Me…”were so modern.
They did put on a good, energetic show back then.
But think I would have liked seeing them on the farewell tour.
I actually liked the movie.
Berkeley’s acting was terrible, but the rest of the cast were professionals that did just fine.
Plot was fine. Scenes were fine. Lots of eye candy in a story where it wasn’t actually gratuitious, beyond the entire theme of the moving being gratuitous nudity stripping in Las Vegs.
Hollywood can’t make a good movie today. If Showgirls came out today, it would probably not be panned the way it was back when Hollywood was making better films overall.
I guess I am just dumb. I liked “Showgirls”. I like “Indian Jones Crystal Skull”. Whatever. I just like what I like.
“so we could ogle Roger Daltrey”
LOL...I saw that Ann Margaret clip today for the very first time. Talk about ogling!
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