Gina Gershon says she turned down 'Friday the 13th' role over topless scene
Gina Gershon says she turned down 'Friday the 13th' role over topless scene
Anna Kaufman, USA TODAYMon, March 30, 2026 at 1:41 PM UTC
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Gina Gershon is speaking out on her decision to walk away from a role in "Friday the 13th."
The "Showgirls" actress, 63, said in a recent interview that she did not appear in Part 2 of the famed horror franchise because the part she was offered included an "exploitative" topless scene.
Gershon told Fox News Digital in a conversation published Sunday, March 29, that the decision helped her learn to trust her gut early on in the movie business. "I was offered a lead in that movie," she told the outlet. "And, of course, I was so excited to act in movies, but it definitely felt kind of exploitative to me and a little silly that right before she gets killed, her top has to come off."
Gina Gershon attends "The Testament Of Ann Lee" New York screening at Crosby Street Hotel on Dec. 9, 2025, in New York City.
Gershon's revelation comes ahead of the release of her new memoir, "AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs." In it, she details the scene, per Fox, writing: "At the time, those kinds of slasher movies always had girls dying with their breasts exposed…That seemed pretty lame to me: exploitation 101."
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"I was really lucky that I had a father who really taught me how to believe in my own decisions," Gershon told Fox. "It wasn't like I had to rebel against my family. I remember asking him about it, thinking he was going to say, 'No daughter of mine is going to do that!' And he said, 'It's your body. If you're comfortable with it, I'm comfortable with it.'"
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She continued: "When I sat and thought about it, I just thought, 'I don't really want to do this. I wasn't comfortable with it. It seemed silly to me.' Not that I had anything against nudity — I grew up on European films — but only if it makes sense for the character and the story. But when it just seems silly, I don't know. It just felt like it was something that wasn't for me."
The scene did not end up making it into the 1981 film, and Gershon made her onscreen debut the same year with a small role in "Beatlemania: The Movie." She went on to appear in a string of movies through the mid-'80s and '90s, propelling her rise to fame.
More recently, Gershon has appeared in supporting roles on the CW teen drama "Riverdale" and the NBC medical show "New Amsterdam."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gina Gershon declined 'Friday the 13th' role over 'exploitative' scene
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
