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

In Hollywood, Gina Gershon has always trusted her instincts.

Early in his career, the actor was offered a role in “Friday the 13th Part 2,” but passed it up after discovering he would be topless. Gershon has a new memoir published, “AlphaPussy: How I Survived in the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs” chronicles his rise to stardom and the many famous faces he met along the way.

“I was offered the lead role in that movie,” Gershon told Fox News Digital. “And of course I was very excited to be in the movies, but taking off her clothes just before she was killed felt absolutely exploitative and a bit silly.”

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In the book, Gershon wrote: “At the time, these kinds of slasher movies always had girls dying with their breasts exposed. My character would be killed with a stake through the heart, blood dripping down their T-shirts. That seemed pretty gross to me: exploitation 101.”

Gershon turned to his father for advice.

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

“Listen, I was really lucky to have a father who really taught me how to believe in my own decisions,” he told Fox News Digital. “I didn’t have to rebel against my family. I asked her about it and she said, ‘No daughter will do that!’ I remember thinking he would say. And he said, ‘This is your body. If you’re comfortable, I’m comfortable too.”

WATCH: GINA GERSHON REJECTS ‘FRIDAY THE 13TH’ ROLE

“When I sat down and thought about it, I thought, ‘I really don’t want to do this,'” he shared. “I was disturbed by it. It seemed ridiculous to me. Not that I was against nudity – I grew up on European films – but only if it made sense for the character and the story. But when it looked ridiculous, I don’t know. I felt like it was something that wasn’t for me.”

Gershon turned down the role after speaking with his father.

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

“My father may have died too early, but he taught me many valuable lessons during the 19 years I spent with him,” Gershon wrote. “It basically taught me to be confident 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)

“The theme of trusting my instincts continued to emerge in my life,” he added.

It was key advice that stuck with Gershon over the years, including when he starred in 1995’s “Showgirls.” Directed by Paul Verhoeven, the film is about the rise and moral decline of a young dancer. The film also starred “Saved by the Bell” alum Elizabeth Berkley.

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Gershon admitted in the book that he and Verhoeven fought “constantly” over creative differences regarding 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 us arguing about the most mundane things,” she wrote. “Sometimes I suspected he was throwing things out to annoy me. Or maybe he wasn’t going to make it. Maybe it was annoying that I just rolled over and didn’t do what he wanted.”

“Whatever the case, our battles were getting tiring. Let me tell you this: I liked Paul. A lot! Especially when we weren’t locked into a game of control. He’s a very smart, very interesting guy. He’s a mathematician and theologian. I really enjoyed our conversations about religion and philosophy.”

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

Gershon said they planned to shoot a scene that takes place in Cristal’s dressing room. That’s when he encountered a surprise.

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

“Once again, while I was waiting in the hair and makeup trailer for my team to transform me, Paul walked in and without warning said, ‘I think you should show your vagina in today’s scene,'” she wrote. “Wow, this came out of nowhere. I had made a pact with myself that morning that I would avoid all arguments that day, no matter what. Oh my god, this time it was going to be a complete disaster.”

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

“‘From where?’ I asked. And in my most sincere, calm gamer voice, without trying to provoke or sound like a badass, I continued: ‘So, what’s Cristal’s reason for doing this? 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 memoirs, Gina Gershon described how she would fight with director Paul Verhoeven on the set of the 1995 movie “Showgirls.” (TCD/Product.DB/ALAMY)

The producer stated that Berkley would do the same, and that Sharon Stone had also performed an infamous scene in her previous film, Basic Instinct.

Gershon wrote that he remained calm, stating that his contract did not require that level of nudity for the role. He deescalated the situation by proposing an extravagant alternative to avoid conflict at the scene. This caused the director to abandon this idea and continue with the scene as originally written.

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

“Paul slowly walked out of my trailer and looked at me like I was crazy and said, ‘No, it’s okay, we’ll do the scene as written. Forget what I said.'” “He never mentioned my vagina again.”

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

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

“I think the challenge was that I went into ‘Showgirls’ thinking it was a completely different kind of movie,” Gershon told Fox News Digital.

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

“It was very serious, and I loved the role. In my mind, it was very operatic. Then when I got to the set, I realized it was a completely different movie than I had imagined. So I think the biggest challenge was adjusting to that and finding a way to play it in a way that made sense in the environment.”

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

Despite its NC-17 rating and widespread attention for its sexually suggestive content, the film underperformed at the box office. people magazine reported. According to the publication, “Showgirls” earned less than its $45 million budget and was widely panned by critics.

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However, today it is widely considered a cult classic.

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

“‘Showgirls’ has been a very interesting journey,” Gershon told Fox News Digital. “It’s funny to me that so many journalists jumped on the ‘This movie sucks’ bandwagon when this movie came out. They really ripped it apart.”

“Luckily I came out of this situation pretty unscathed, but it’s still not a good feeling,” he thought. “You want the whole movie to do well. And I actually think it could do well. I thought the marketing was stupid and should never have happened.” [rated] NC-17 for starters. That’s a whole other conversation.”

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

“Now that’s kind of the first question some journalists want to talk about. ‘Let’s talk about ‘Showgirls.'” It’s such a cult classic!'” he laughed. “Suddenly people who hated it started loving it. I’m happy that it brought hours of pleasure to so many people. It really taught me not to pay too much attention to criticism. You can’t listen to critics that much. That’s the biggest lesson I learned from this.”

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

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

“I just want to make something that I’m proud of or that I want to go see,” Gershon added.