Showgirls was the steamiest flick of the ’90s.
Fifty Shades of Grey hits theaters on Valentine’s Day, and Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele will definitely turn up the heat! But long before the Fifty Shades mayhem, there was Showgirls.
The film starred Gina Gershon and Saved by the Bell star Elizabeth Berkley as Nomi, a dancer who drifts to Las Vegas with hopes of climbing the ladder from stripper to showgirl.
“I knew I had to play this role, no question the minute I read it,” Berkley told ET. “Saved by the Bell was great for what it was at its time, but now it’s time for this and they won’t be disappointed.”
The movie garnered plenty of controversial press due to its explicit nudity and NC-17 rating — the same rating Fifty Shades teased us with before settling on R — though the cast was not phased.
“It’s showgirls! They’re not going to be dancing around in their moo moos,” teased Gershon. “I see nothing harmful in it. It’s a wonderful message about going after what you want.”
Unfortunately, the movie was a box office flop, many citing the film’s rating. But despite the financial disappointment, the movie became a cult classic and did well in the home video market.