The Complicated Life of Teen Sitcom Star Turned Film Actress Elizabeth Berkley

Around 1994, Berkley won the lead role of Nomi Malone in Showgirls. The film was directed by Paul Verhoeven, who had already made Basic Instinct, and it was positioned as a major adult studio project with an NC-17 rating.

For Berkley, the role looked like a serious career turn. Nomi was nothing like Jessie Spano, and the part required dance, sexuality, intensity, and a willingness to take big risks onscreen. It seemed like the kind of role that could redefine her overnight, but the risk was much larger than it first appeared.