Elizabeth Berkley thought Showgirls would launch her movie career. She says it made her a 'pariah'.

In 1989, a 15-year-old Elizabeth Berkley auditioned for Saved by the Bell. The producers loved her so much they created a character specifically for her and thus Jessie Spano was born. Berkley graced our screens on the popular show from 1989 to 1993. 

She’s enjoyed a colourful career in Hollywood and on Broadway since, but the transition from child star was not easy for the actress.

And it all started with Showgirls.

Check out the trailer for Showgirls here. Post continues below. 

Speaking to PEOPLE, Berkley has opened up on how her role as Nomi Malone in the titular 1995 film affected not just her career but her entire personality. 

"It changed me… 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."

With filming for Saved by the Bell wrapping up for Berkley in 1992, the 21-year-old had to make some big decisions about where her career would go next. 

"Saved by the Bell was a beautiful first rite of passage for me… But as an artist, I was excited to dive a little deeper and explore."

Image: NBC

Stars often struggle with the transition from being a child star to being taken seriously as an adult performer, often feeling the need to showcase themselves in a sexual light to reinforce their adulthood. 

Think Miley Cyrus with her song Can’t Be Tamed after finishing up with Hannah Montana. Think Daniel Radcliffe with his frenzied nude performance in West End play Equus right after Harry Potter. 

Berkley spoke on how she felt connected to the character of Nomi Malone, an aspiring Las Vegas dancer in Showgirls which was given an NC-17 rating (strict adults only viewership).

"I wasn't looking for shock value… That wasn't my intention. When I first read about the role, it was a visceral moment. I thought, 'that's mine.'"

The film now has a cult following, however at the time of release it achieved low box office numbers and Berkley was highly criticised for her work, to the point she was effectively blamed for the film's failure. 

With huge publications like Variety and The New York Times writing brutally critical reviews of her performance, Berkley recalled the injustice of it all, "Of course it was disappointing that it didn't do well, but there was so much cruelty around it." 

"I was bullied. And I didn't understand why I was being blamed. The job as an actor is to fulfil the vision of the director. And I did everything I was supposed to do."

What was supposed to be her gateway into being taken more seriously as an actress ended up resulting in public ridicule, with no one backing her up, despite having been in the industry for almost half a decade. 

Image: MGM

"No one associated with the film spoke up on my behalf to protect me. I was left out in the cold and I was a pariah in the industry I had worked so hard for."

It was after this experience that Berkley changed her talent representation, to re-enter the industry from a fresh angle. 

"It felt right to make it more about the people I was working with and doing different kinds of roles to bring it back."

After all the bad press, it took some work, but eventually the actress began getting roles again, although her career never skyrocketed the way she may have envisioned it would back in 1992. 

"It was a vulnerable time," she said to the publication, "But it made me stronger."

Her experience being iced out of Hollywood inspired the actress to start Ask Elizabeth, a self-help program for female teens. The online website became a workshop program, which then became a reality series, which then became a book she published in 2011.  

"I decided to be of service to others because of what I'd been through," she says. "I walked through fire, but I came out the other side."

Feature Image: GETTY