Paul Verhoeven Nearly Ruined Charlize Theron's Career By Casting Her in SHOWGIRLS

Movie Showgirls Paul Verhoeven Charlize Theron about 10 years agoby Ben Pearson

Here's a piece of trivia for you: back in 1995, Charlize Theron had a tiny role in Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest under her belt, but that same year, she also auditioned for a lead role in a major Hollywood production that would become infamous for its terrible reception: Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls. Saved By The Bell star Elizabeth Berkley ended up getting the part, and she was completely lambasted by critics and audiences who hated the movie. The movie essentially ruined her career, since it opened during a key moment when she was trying to transition out of the family-friendly persona she'd cultivated on TV.

Verhoeven is disappointed Hollywood didn't give Berkley another chance, but in a recent interview with The New York Daily News, he revealed that Theron also auditioned for the role, but he didn't cast her because no one knew who she was at that point:

"Charlize also auditioned, and I don't recall her having any problem with the nudity at all. She was good and wanted the part, but basically she was not well known enough at the time and just did not fit the part, so we said no. I have full respect for Charlize, but if she had been offered the part then she would probably have been chewed up in the same way they treated Elizabeth. She was very lucky that she did not get the part. I wish Charlize congratulations for that because it would have have been a miserable 20 years for her!"

Sort of makes you wonder what might have happened if Theron had gotten the role. Do you think she'd have been ostracized from Hollywood like Berkley was, and maybe Berkley would have been the one to eventually win an Oscar? It might seem unlikely, but you never know. If you're a fan of Showgirls (the film has become something of a cult sensation in the past decade or so), you should read the full interview, because Verhoeven talks a lot about his intentions with the movie and even his one-time plan to direct a sequel called Bimbos. It's a good read.

A young drifter, named Nomi, arrives in Las Vegas to become a dancer and soon sets about clawing and pushing her way to become the top of the Vegas showgirls.

Via: The Playlist