Elizabeth Berkley made a surprise appearance Saturday night at an LGBTQ Pride screening of her cult classic “Showgirls.”
The movie’s showing was part of Cinespia’s 30th anniversary celebration of the film at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
“Happy Pride! I love you guys so much,” she said, eliciting applause and cheers. “You have no idea, I love you so much. I just want to honor this extraordinary, powerful, bold, magical, sexy, strong, resilient LGBTQ+ community.”
She continued, “You guys saw me before anybody else saw me. You believed in me before anybody and you believed in this film and found yourself in Nomi.”
Berkley stars in the film as Nomi, an aspiring dancer in Las Vegas who is befriended, but then double-crossed by, Crystal (Gina Gershon), the aging star of “Goddess,” an upscale strip show. The cast of the movie, directed by Paul Verhoeven from a Joe Eszterhas script, includes Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Ravara, Rena Riffel, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi and Patrick Bristow.
It was the first NC-17 film to be given a wide release in theaters. While it was critically panned when it premiered in 1995 and is often named as one of the worst films ever made, “Showgirls” maintains a cult following.
“Honestly if I had to play Nomi and go through what I went through in 1995 to give you Nomi I would do it again, again and again,” Berkley said, adding, “Here’s the thing, we are here 30 years later – which is crazy – and you guys didn’t just embrace it, you rescued it. You have elevated it. You’ve made this movie what it is and what it was intended to be and I’m forever grateful.”
Berkley spoke about why she thinks “Showgirls” resonates with so many queer people.
“It’s about vindication, reclamation and it’s about owning our truths and owning our stories and not waiting for someone else to approve it, get it, to validate it, to just own who you are like Nomi and be brave and bold,” Berkley said. “I will forever have your back the way you had mine and I love that this film has brought you joy, too. It was way ahead of its time. Way, way, way ahead of its time. But I am so grateful for you.”
Berkley signed autographs after the screening, with proceeds benefiting The Los Angeles LGBT Center and The Trevor Project.
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