Elizabeth Berkley reflects on 30th anniversary of 'Showgirls'
Elizabeth Berkley is celebrating the 30th anniversary of "Showgirls."
At the "All's Fair" premiere in Los Angeles on Thursday, the actress, who is a guest star on the new Ryan Murphy-directed Hulu series, reflected on the landmark milestone of the film that has been regarded as one of her most controversial and now-beloved roles.
"It's such an amazing moment to think that this movie that in the '90s you thought maybe would die on a video shelf at Blockbuster is now this massive cult classic with audiences who have embraced it, love it, revisit it time and time again, and draw inspiration from it as well," she told "Good Morning America."
The "Saved by the Bell" alum starred in "Showgirls" in 1995. In the Paul Verhoeven-directed film, Berkley portrays Nomi, a woman who arrives in Las Vegas with a dream of becoming a showgirl.
When she lands a job at a seedy club, she has a chance meeting with Cristal (Gina Gershon), the marquee dancer of the Stardust Hotel, and her boyfriend Zack (Kyle MacLachlan), who help bring her one step closer to her dream of becoming a showgirl. As the film unfolds and Nomi's dreams are realized, she questions whether it's all worth it.
Upon its release, the film was met with mixed criticism and won a record seven Golden Raspberry Awards.
Yet, three decades later, the film has evolved into a cult classic, with new audiences discovering the film for the first time and embracing Nomi's story.
Berkley recounted the moment she met a group of women from Spain who had recently watched "Showgirls" for the first time and were unaware of the backlash the film received 30 years ago.
"They had seen the movie at the Academy Museum and they didn't realize there was a whole other story behind the movie," she said. "They just thought it was always embraced and celebrated. I saw them at a hotel, and they came up to me to tell me what it meant to them."
The actress asked them if they knew the backstory of the film and they told her they had no idea.
"It's a different time," Berkley said about the film. "It was ahead of its time, and there was nothing about it that made them feel that it should be anything but embraced, and so it was interesting for them to discover that."
Berkley said over the years, many filmmakers and others in Hollywood have told her how they've drawn inspiration from "Showgirls," including "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson.
"It's really interesting -- a whole new generation of creatives," she added.
The actress also reacted to how the showgirl theme is having a moment today with Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl," which was released earlier this month.
"It's in the zeitgeist!" Berkley said. "Of course, Taylor is an amazing showgirl. I love her music and I listened to it [while] getting ready tonight."
Berkley attended the "All's Fair" premiere with her husband, Greg Lauren, an actor and painter. Also in attendance at the premiere were fellow cast members Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, Jessica Simpson and more.
Berkley said she has been a huge fan of Murphy's past shows and said acting alongside the series' powerhouse group of women was a "supportive environment."
"We all just got to bring our A-game and bring out the best in each other," she said.
The legal drama follows a team of female divorce attorneys who leave a male-dominated firm and open up their own practice. In addition to Kardashian, Watts, Nash-Betts and Taylor, the series stars Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close.
"All's Fair" will be available to stream on Hulu on Nov. 4, 2025.
Hulu is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News and "Good Morning America."
