The original Nomi Malone is weighing in on Victorious alums Ariana Grande and Liz Gillies dressing up as the lead duo from Showgirls for Halloween.
Elizabeth Berkley — who famously starred in the 1995 erotic thriller as Nomi Malone— praised Grande’s “attention to detail” in recreating the iconic scenes and outfits for a series of Instagram photos and videos shared on Oct. 30.
“This past week, the magical @arianagrande recreated my #Nomi for #halloween with all the love and attention to detail that only an artist with her heart and creative genius could do,” Berkley wrote on Instagram. “I adore you, @arianagrande and love how you and @lizgillz had fun with #nomiandcrystal in a way that only you two could.”
The actress then paid homage to the film’s many quotable lines, writing, “When you are from #differentplaces you have to watch your back because when you are wearing @versace #versayce #theresalwayssomeoneyoungerandhungriercomingdownthestairsafteryou.”
Grande responded to Berkley on Nov. 7, writing in the comments section, “You are simply the most gorgeous ever! We love you so much and had so much fun paying homage to you both. Thank you for changing us forever with your brilliant and iconic Nomi.”
This year, Grande and Gillies stepped away from their family-friendly TV roots, donning intricate costumes inspired by the iconic 1995 Paul Verhoeven-directed erotic thriller, Showgirls.
On the night of Oct. 30, the ladies took to Instagram to share a dozen photos of their meticulously detailed costumes. Grande took on the role of Berkley’s character, Nomi, and her costume was a clear homage to the rookie stripper.
Gillies, on the other hand, transformed into Cristal Connors, portrayed by Gina Gershon, the jaded showgirl desperate to maintain her status as the top dancer in the fictional Stardust Show.
In one of the side-by-side photos they shared, Grande and Gillies could easily be mistaken for the original film characters. Dressed in perfectly coordinated black ensembles reminiscent of the movie’s costumes, Gillies captioned the post with a famous line from the movie, “You and me… we’re exactly alike.”
Another photo included the memorable line, “You are a whore, darlin’,” spoken by Gershon’s character in the film. The final post featured the quote, “There’s always someone younger and hungrier coming down the stairs after you,” reflecting the cutthroat nature of the entertainment industry portrayed in Showgirls.
Grande’s final Instagram post in the Showgirls costume had her channeling her inner Nomi, quoting the character’s response when asked about her origins on the East Coast, “Different places !!!!!”
Fans of the movie could almost hear Berkley’s exasperated delivery of the line, complete with the visual of her tossing a basket of French fries.
This isn’t the first time that Grande and Gillies have wowed fans with their Halloween costume creativity. Last year, the dynamic duo went all out to recreate scenes from the Christopher Guest mockumentary, Best in Show. Gillies took on Jane Lynch’s character, Christy Cummings, while Grande portrayed Jennifer Coolidge’s character, Sherri Ann Cabot.
Later in the night, Grande transformed into Eugene Levy’s Gerry Fleck, complete with distinctive eyebrows, and Gillies stepped into Catherine O’Hara’s shoes as the curly-haired Cookie Fleck. Their attention to detail and their commitment to bringing these characters to life have made them Halloween royalty year after year.
For more celebrity Halloween costumes, check out the links below.
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