Showgirls star Gina Gershon was told she 'would never work again' by her agent if she did lesbian role in 1996's Bound: 'You are ruining your career'

Showgirls star Gina Gershon has revealed how her agents advised her against taking a lesbian role in the 1996 neo-noir crime thriller Bound.

Gershon, 62, and Jennifer Tilly, 65, who played one another's love interests in The Wachowskis-directed film, recalled their roles in an interview on the It Happened In Hollywood podcast.

The actress described how her agents recommended she not play Corky, a lesbian ex-cop in a romantic relationship with Tilly's character - even telling her the role kill would her chances at a successful acting career. 

But, impressed by the script and the the filmmakers, Gershon went against their advice and joined the cast. 

'It was a great script and I could tell they were incredible directors, but my agents were like, "We will not let you do this movie. You are ruining your career. We will not be able to let you represent. You will never work again."'

Undeterred, Gershon replied: 'I just said, "Oh, well, I guess if you can't represent me, I'll go somewhere else." You know? No hard feelings.'

Gershon was told by her agents that she 'can't play a lesbian' due to their belief it would torpedo her chances at landing future roles. 

The actress also took issue with the fact the film was being known as merely a 'lesbian movie' - when it spoke to larger issues.   

'I said, first of all, it's so shortsighted to say, "Oh, this is a lesbian movie." I mean, they happen to be lesbians,' Gershon said. 'They happen to be into women, but it's really a movie about trust.'

'There's a bigger issue, and I really hated that,' she said. 'I thought that was so small-minded and shortsighted. And if that's what we were up against, I was in.'

She also loved that she got to play 'the hero.' 

'When does the girl get to play the hero, you know?' she said. 'I thought, "Well, I could cut off my hair, cut off my nails, have no makeup. I get the girl. I get the car. I screw over the mob." It's a win-win all around.'

Tilly's recollection of that time included the 'stigma' attached to films with lesbian roles.

'The Wachowskis said to me, "You would not believe how many actresses refused to come in and read for this,"' she remembered. 

'He was telling me the names and I was really puzzled because I mean, I understood it, but they were people sort of in the same category as me... Two of the best female parts I ever read, I couldn't believe that they wouldn't come in and meet,' she said, adding she too was a 'little anxious.' 

Tilly explained lesbian storylines were typically portrayed in a 'salacious' fashion at that time.  

Tilly also called her co-star Gershon 'the best person in the world' to due to the deep trust they had with one another. 

'I could say to Gina, "Can you hold up my breast so it looks a little more juicy and perky?" you know or... "Cover up this cellulite or this fat bit or whatever!" We were really helping each other out, and she's just the coolest person in the world.'

As for their first time locking lips for the film, Tilly recalled: 'The day of the first kissing scene, Gina showed up to my trailer with a bottle of tequila. I said, "Tequila — what a good idea!"' 

'And chocolates!' Gershon chimed in.  'You always forget that I also brought you chocolates. I was the perfect date.'

Bound was written and directed by The Wachowski siblings, Lana and Lilly, who also went on to helm The Matrix franchise.  

In Bound, Gershon played an ex-con named Corky who had just finished a five-year sentence in prison. While out on a job as a painter and plumber at an apartment building, Corky gets seduced by Tilly's character Violet who lives at the building with Caesar, played by Joe Pantoliano.

It isn't long before Violet tells Corky that Caesar is a money launderer for the Mafia. Things then go into overdrive when Violet and Corky hatch a scheme to steal some Mafioso money.

The idea was to write a story about how one might see a woman on the street and make assumptions about her sexuality, and show how those assumptions might be wrong.

They also wanted to play with stereotypes and make an entertaining film that contained sex and violence.