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Director Paul Verhoeven reveals he almost cast Charlize Theron in the part that went to Elizabeth Berkley for the 1995 dud Showgirls

Published: 19:17 EST, 19 October 2015 | Updated: 20:54 EST, 19 October 2015

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It looks as if Charlize Theron dodged one very big bullet.

On Sunday director Paul Verhoeven revealed to the New York Daily News he almost cast the Oscar winner in his 1995 dud Showgirls.

The part went instead to Elizabeth Berkley whose career never recovered from the bomb about a Las Vegas stripper.

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She got off easy: Charlize Theron, seen here in September, almost landed the lead role in Showgirls, director Paul Verhoeven told the New York Daily News on Sunday

She took the fall: Elizabeth Berkley took the part in the 1995 dud and it nearly killed her career

'She was good and wanted the part,' Verhoeven said of Theron, who won an Oscar for her turn in Monster.

'But basically, she was not well known enough at the time and just did not fit the part, so we said no.'

At the time Theron had only done Children Of The Corn III.

All my fault: 'If somebody has to be blamed, it should be mem' Verhoeven said of the movie's failure

The film has been called by critics the worst movie ever made.

This year the disaster turns 20.

'It was all my fault,' said Paul about how bad the movie turned out. 'If somebody has to be blamed, it should be me because I thought that it was interesting...'

The man who made Showgirls: Verhoeven seen here in Russia in September 2013

Best known for her portrayal of Jessie Spano on the NBC tween hit Saved By The Bell, Showgirls was envisioned as a breakout role for Berkley.

Yet the career-expanding role became a career-ending morass, turning the actress - who was only 23 at the time - into a Hollywood laughing stock.

'It certainly ruined the career of Elizabeth Berkley,' said Verhoeven. 'It made my life more difficult, but not to the degree it did Elizabeth's. Hollywood turned their backs on her.'

Taking direction: 'I asked Elizabeth to do all that – to be abrupt and to act in that way, but people have been attacking her about that ever since,' Verhoeven said

A groundbreaking failure: Showgirls, the first ever film to receive MPAA's NC-17 rating, has developed a cult following in the intervening years, going on to earn more than $100 million in total receipts

Attacked for its superfluous plot and near-constant nudity, Showgirls flopped at the box office, with receipts falling well short of its $45 million budget. In addition to the film itself, Berkley's acting was heavily panned.

'I asked Elizabeth to do all that – to be abrupt and to act in that way, but people have been attacking her about that ever since,' he said.

'In retrospect, Elizabeth may have regretted being so heavily involved with the movie and being so vulnerable to her critics, but when we did it we never had the feeling that this would happen.'

Teen queen: Elizabeth Berkley was only 17 when she was cast in the role of Jessie Spano on the NBC tween hit Saved By The Bell

Fast friends: Berkley, top left, as pictured with her Saved By The Bell co-stars

Yet the controversial film -- the first ever to receive MPAA's NC-17 rating -- has developed a cult following in the intervening years, going on to earn more than $100 million in total receipts.

And Berkley herself has recently spoken out on the movie's legacy, as Entertainment Weekly reported recently.

'When a dream is happening, it’s unlike anything you can ever imagine,' she told audience members at a 20th anniversary screening. 'Which is why when the movie came out it was more painful than anything you can imagine,”

'I’m not going to spend a lot of time on that moment, because...1995 was such a different time, where taking risks like that were not embraced. They were laughed at. They were shamed publicly.'

Looking back: Berkley, as seen in September, spoke recently on the film's legacy. '1995 was such a different time, where taking risks like that were not embraced. They were laughed at. They were shamed publicly'

'Hollywood was pissed off with her because she went further than any actress has gone or will go, said Verhoeven, 'and I think they have never forgiven her.'

'Elizabeth could only have recovered from the movie by being offered a very different role, but that just didn't happen for her.'

'New roles were never offered, so it was impossible for her to make a comeback.'

As to Charlize's involvement, the actress has admitted to trying out for the film, saying that was only the second audition she had ever done.

'I have full respect for Charlize,' Verhoeven said, '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.'