As movie clichés go, it doesn’t get much more predictable than the hard luck stripper with a heart of gold who’s twerking to achieve a life goal. After all, who needs a Pell Grant when you can drop off a Louie bag full of ones at the financial aid office?
Demi Moore and Elizabeth Berkley respectively set the blueprint with Striptease and Showgirls. And despite those films being relegated to camp status, these 13 actresses who hit the pole in movies tried to redeem characters stuck in the world of exotic dancing.
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Photo: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation screen grab
Halle Berry – The Last Boy Scout
Through the magic of Hollywood, The Last Boy Scout was basically a low-budget Die Hard that convinced us Daman Wayans was an action co-star and Halle Berry was a stripper. Why hasn’t anyone used that formula again?
Zoe Kravitz – X-Men: First Class
The 2011 X-Men reboot was all about flashing enough T and A to make you forget the flimsy plot. That meant body paint for Jennifer Lawrence and Zoe Kravitz putting in some pole work as Angel Salvadore.
Jessica Alba – Sin City
Do yourself a favor and Google the audition reel of Jessica Alba’s stripper routine for Sin City. It’s shorter than watching the movie and just as action packed.
Christine Aguilera – Burlesque
X-Tina seemed to be angling for this role since she dropped the videos for “Dirrty” and “Can’t Hold Us Down.”
Rosario Dawson – Rent
The good news is that all our perverted prayers were answered when Rosario Dawson agreed to take the role of a stripper. The bad news is that it was in a musical full of singing where everybody dies. What, you were planning on seeing Rent tonight?
Natalie Portman – Closer
Before she locked lips with Mila Kunis in Black Swan, Natalie Portman let the freak out in 2004’s Closer. Honestly this is a great movie even without Portman’s stripper scene, but her rocking those clear heels sure doesn’t hurt.
photo: WENN
Jessica Biel – Powder Blue
Powder Blue is another case of a great looking actress in a terrible movie. The best bet here is to find some screen caps of Biel on the pole and save the space in your Netflix queue.
Lindsay Lohan – I Know Who Killed Me
This popped up when Li-Lo was basically taking any movie role for a check. Not only is the “stripper” scene underwhelming, but it’s a trash movie too.
Regina Hall – The Best Man
Maybe this is where Tyga, Drake and Wiz Khalifa got the idea of it being cool to wife up strippers. All praises due to Regina Hall though…the yams!
photo: WENN
Salma Hayek – From Dusk Til Dawn
Salma unleashed her mammary artillery here and later in Dogma. It was done ironically in both cases, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. And both of movies are actually dope, so the pole work is really just a bonus.
Lisa-Raye McCoy – The Players Club
The movie that put LisaRaye on the map has an epic fight scene between Raye and Chrystale Wilson that will almost help you forget how bad they did Monica Calhoun.
Roselyn Sanchez – Yellow
If Roselyn Sanchez is showing skin, the only question you need to be asking yourself is how quickly you can get access to the movie.
Vivica Fox – Independence Day
Last, but certainly not least, remember Vivica hit the pole early in her prime years as Will Smith’s wifey. You know Independence Day was science fiction if Will Smith was dating a stripper.
