"Showgirls" star Elizabeth Berkley has made peace with the controversial yet beloved cult classic.
At a special screening at the Academy Museum’s David Geffen Theater last Wednesday, Berkely spoke to the fans, thanking them for their years of support.
"I can't help but reflect in this moment of feeling your love and appreciation for this film," she told the sold-out crowd in videos shared to social media. "It's hard not to reflect back to fall of 1995, when the movie was met with such ridicule and the critics wrote such vitriol and personal attacks and I had my head handed to me on a national level and my heart wanted to know why."
She added, "They thought it would just die on a video shelf at Blockbuster, but look at us now, darlin!"
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Berkley recalled going after the role "with my whole heart and soul" and called "the making of it a dream come true."
"Showgirls" premiered in 1995 with an NC-17 rating and was a critical and box office failure, but has become a cult classic over the years.
"Despite all the vicious attacks, and there were many, the absolutely cruel nature of what was allowed then in the press, I was 21 years old, my dreams were coming true, and it was a moment in time that would not happen now," Berkley said. "Despite that, I will tell you that the moments that stick with me are truly every day of shooting that movie; it was pure joy."
The "Saved By the Bell" alum was also visibly moved by the outpouring of enthusiasm from the crowd.
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She told the audience that the film, "really pushed the boundaries at that time that now have been embraced — not misunderstood but truly embraced. And I’m so grateful that the film has found its into your hearts, and especially the LGBTQ community."
"You stood by the film," she continued, becoming tearful as the crowd cheered her on. "You always believed, as did I, and for that I’m eternally grateful."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Berkely said her mother asked her agent if she might earn an Oscar nomination for the role.
"Every girl in Hollywood had fought for this role," the star said. "So it was not a strange thing to ask."
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She went on to joke, "So tonight, I'd like to thank The Academy ... Museum."
"I genuinely want to thank the Academy Museum, that honors the best, most inspirational, most impactful movies in pop culture and in the history of cinema for recognizing this movie, as many years later. It doesn't matter, the gratitude is there, my heart is full."
She concluded her introduction by giving the crowd a glimpse of her character’s signature (clothed) dance moves and blowing a kiss to the audience.
Berkley previously spoke about the life-changing role with People in 2020.
"It was a life moment, and I cannot help but say I would be a different person had I not gone through the depths of what it taught me," she said.
Berkley reflected on the backlash the film received, saying she didn’t understand why she bore the brunt of the criticism.
"Of course it was disappointing that it didn't do well, but there was so much cruelty around it," she recalled. "I was bullied. And I didn't understand why I was being blamed. The job as an actor is to fulfill the vision of the director. And I did everything I was supposed to do."
