Gina L Gershon was born June 10, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were Stan Gershon and Mickey Koppel, an importer/exporter and interior decorator respectively. From a tight-knit Jewish family, Gershon is the youngest of five children. Attending Beverly Hills High School, Gershon’s fellow alumni include Angelina Jolie, Nicolas Cage, Lenny Kravitz, David Schwimmer, Rob Reiner, Pauly Shore, Albert Brooks, Crispin Glover, Jonathan Silverman, and more. Gershon pursued her secondary education at Emerson College in Boston. Shortly after, she transferred to New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, where she received her degree in drama.
Gershon made her first credited onscreen debut in the 1986 romantic comedy Pretty in Pink, with brat pack regulars Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, James Spader, and Andrew McCarthy. Gershon worked steadily for the next decade in various films and television roles. Notable appearances included 1991’s Jungle Fever, with Wesley Snipes, Spike Lee, Ossie Davis, Samuel L Jackson, John Turturro, and Halle Berry; as well as the Robert Altman classic The Player, with his characteristic all-star cast consisting of Tim Robbins, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Sydney Pollack, Lyle Lovett, and many more.
Despite steady work in acclaimed films, Gershon still had not landed a highly public role. That changed, however, in 1995. She won the role of Cristal Connors in the widely panned film Showgirls. Originally believing the role to be dark, edgy, and intense, Gershon soon learned the entire production was less than "artistic." At that point, she decided to go all out with Connors. Gershon was quoted as saying, "I decided to make it so that drag queens would want to dress as my character on Halloween." And they do. Thanks in large part to this role, Gershon has become somewhat of a gay icon. Her co-stars Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Glenn Plummer did not fare so well. Their careers, especially Berkley’s, suffered from the film’s poor reception.
The following year, Gershon landed a leading role in the directorial debut of Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski of The Matrix fame. The film was Bound, and she co-starred with Jennifer Tilly, Joe Pantoliano, and Christopher Meloni. Playing the hardened convict that falls for the girlfriend of a mob member, the film was gritty, intense, and received much critical acclaim.
The year 1997 proved another big year for Gershon. She took a part in Touch with Skeet Ulrich and Bridget Fonda, as well as Face/Off with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. The next two years were a slew of roles, many of which were for smaller, less publicized productions.
After paying these dues, Gershon won her own series in 1999. Only running for one season, Snoops dealt with a troupe of female detectives. Her co-stars included Danny Nucci, Paula Jai Parker, and Paula Marshall. Her 2003 film Prey for Rock & Roll was a huge vehicle for Gershon not only as an actress but as a musician as well. She even co-wrote many of the film’s songs.
Most recently, Gershon has landed a recurring role in the new comedy series Ugly Betty, opposite America Ferrera, Rebecca Romijn, and Vanessa Williams.
Gershon has been romantically linked to hotel owner Sean McPherson, and fellow actors John Cusack and Owen Wilson. In addition to acting, Gershon appeared in Kravitz’s music video "Again," and she sang with rock icons Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.
YUDDY
