Gina Gershon is an icon. In 1995 she gave us the ultra-glamorous and ruthless Cristal Connors in classic camp film Showgirls. In 1996 she gave us one of film’s most infamous butches when she played the role of Corky, an ex-convict-turned-plumber in the Wachowski’s cult lesbian thriller Bound. And in 1997 she appeared in the wildly-premised Nicolas Cage sci-fi thriller Face/Off, playing the alluring ex-girlfriend of a dangerous terrorist. More recently, she’s appeared in shows like House of Versace, Riverdale, Glee, The Good Fight, and The Assassin. In a career spanning 40 years, she’s appeared on Broadway and at Carnegie Hall, is a musician, having released her indie-rock album In Search of Cleo in 2007, and has played the jaw harp on albums for artists like Scissor Sisters and Herbie Hancock.

To add to this eclectic mix, Gershon is also an author, and her latest book, AlphaPussy, a mix of memoir and unintentional self-help manual, came out this March. As you can imagine, she has a lot of stories – in an interview for AlphaPussy in the LA times she calls herself a storyteller first and foremost – and the book is a frank and funny collection of tales from her 70’s childhood, rebellious adolescence in LA’s San Fernando Valley, and acting career. Far from being a celebrity tell-all, AlphaPussy is an honest memoir about surviving as a woman in Hollywood, figuring it out as you go, and learning to listen to your gut. It’s smart, hilarious, outrageous, and completely engrossing.

Gershon says the title for the book came from her cats – she’d stare at her male cats with so much confidence they’d eventually look away and retreat, and she realised she could employ the same tactic with annoying Hollywood men. Iconic behaviour.  And for anyone interested in cinema, the book is full of strange encounters with film mavericks, fellow actors, and celebrities such as Paul Verhoeven, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Tilly, Prince, Sharon Stone, and Sylvester Stallone.

If you’re looking for a bold, no-filter memoir by a true cult actor, AlphaPussy is one hundred percent for you. Whether you’re in love with Corky, have seen every screening of Showgirls at The Prince Charles Cinema, or enjoy cautionary tales from incredible women, then head down to your local bookshop and pick up a copy.

“I loved this book. If you need to read this blurb before deciding to buy it there is something wrong with you. It has Gina. And her pussy. And her cat. And other sexy, funny, and insane information. You will laugh and then laugh some more.”
—Denis Leary, comedian/author

AlphaPussy is published by Akashic Books
9781636142814 | HB | £19.99 | Out Now