Is The Last Showgirl a True Story & Is Pamela Anderson’s Shelley a Real Person?

Fans are curious about whether Pamela Anderson’s The Last Showgirl is based on a true story. The film is now making headlines following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Without further adieu, here is everything we know about The Last Showgirl being inspired by a real story.

Is The Last Showgirl based on a true story of real events?

No, The Last Showgirl is not directly based on any true story. However, the writer of the movie, Kate Gersten, did take inspiration from actual showgirls at the iconic Jubilee! in Las Vegas.

During the Q&A session at the Toronto International Film Festival, Gersten revealed that most of her ideas stemmed from observing real-life showgirls in Jubilee! She described them as “last standing t*ts and feathers show, as they call them.” As per Time, Gersten had a previous job where she wrote for a show that would replace some of the performances at Jubilee’s.

Is Pamela Anderson’s Shelley a real Vegas showgirl?

No, the character Shelley is not a real-life Las Vegas showgirl. The Last Showgirl’s protagonist is the brainchild of writer Kate Gersten.

In the movie, Shelley is one of the most iconic showgirls in Las Vegas. She has been the centerpiece of the production Le Razzle Dazzle for over three decades. She loves her job and is protective of all the youngsters in the production. When it is announced that Le Razzle Dazzle will be closing its doors soon, Shelley reminisces about the era when showgirls were the jewels of the Strip.

The movie opened to wide critical acclaim, especially lauding Pamela Anderson‘s performance as Shelley. Caryn James of BBC calls her “a revelation” in the movie, with a nod to Jamie Lee Curtis’ “funny and heart-rending” performance. Directed by Gia Coppola, the granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola, the movie also stars Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, Billie Lourd, and Jason Schwartzman.