Long before she became an Oscar-winning powerhouse and action icon, Charlize Theron was just another aspiring actress trying to make it in Hollywood. In the mid-1990s, she auditioned for a role that could have changed everything—but not in a good way. The film was Showgirls, and as history has shown, landing the part might have ended her career before it truly started.
At just 20 years old, Theron had recently moved from South Africa to the United States, working as a model before making the leap to film. Her first on-screen appearance was an uncredited role in Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest, hardly a glamorous start. But her big break seemed imminent when she caught the attention of director Paul Verhoeven, who was casting for his next project: a Las Vegas-set drama about a young woman chasing the showgirl dream.
Verhoeven's Near Miss
Verhoeven was on a hot streak in the '90s, having directed hits like RoboCop, Total Recall, and Basic Instinct. For Showgirls, he needed a fresh face to play Nomi Malone, a role that would require both vulnerability and grit. Theron auditioned and impressed the director, but ultimately, he passed her over for Elizabeth Berkley, best known at the time for playing Jessie on Saved by the Bell.
In a 2015 interview, Verhoeven admitted that Theron had talent, but her lack of name recognition worked against her. Looking back, he considers it a stroke of luck. “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,” he said. “She was very lucky that she did not get the part. I wish Charlize congratulations for that because it would have been a miserable 20 years for her!”
The Fallout of Showgirls
Showgirls was a disaster on every level. Despite being one of the first NC-17 films to receive a wide release, it bombed at the box office, earning just $20 million against a $45 million budget. Critics savaged it, and Berkley's performance won two Razzie Awards for Worst New Star and Worst Performance of the Year. The film's failure was so complete that it effectively derailed Berkley's career. Verhoeven himself took responsibility, saying, “Showgirls certainly ruined the career of Elizabeth Berkley in a major way. It made my life more difficult, but not to the degree it did Elizabeth’s. Hollywood turned their backs on her. If somebody has to be blamed, it should be me.”
Had Theron been cast, the same fate likely awaited her. At the time, she was virtually unknown, so the curiosity factor that drew audiences to see Berkley in a risqué role wouldn't have applied. Instead, Theron continued to build her career methodically, landing her first notable role in That Thing You Do! in 1996 and eventually winning an Oscar for Monster in 2004. Today, she's one of the most respected actors in Hollywood, starring in blockbusters like Mad Max: Fury Road and Netflix's Apex, a survival thriller that puts her through hell.
A Blessing in Disguise
Verhoeven's career recovered with the cult hit Starship Troopers, but Berkley never fully bounced back. For Theron, missing out on Showgirls was a narrow escape that allowed her to become the A-lister she is today. As she continues to dominate the streaming world with projects like Apex, it's clear that sometimes the best opportunities are the ones that don't work out.
