‘The Last Showgirl‘ was more than just a film to actress Billie Lourd — to her, it felt like a warm hug from the women she has been closest to in her life. The actress has always loved and mentioned her dead mother, Carrie Fisher, by opening up about the procession of grief over time. And what’s better than feeling a connection between your mother and your role in a movie?
Billie Lourd recently shared that she felt closer to her mother and grandmother while playing Hannah in ‘The Last Showgirl’. She fell in love with the script and immediately felt connected to it. Here’s everything she said about the film.
Billie Lourd Fell In Love With Gia Coppola’s Script
While speaking to People during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Billie Lourd, 32, reflected on her in ‘The Last Showgirl’. The actress thinks that the role was meant for her. “That’s so weird, a movie about Vegas and mothers and daughters… did I relate to that? 100 percent,” she said during the interview.
Her mother, Carrie Fisher, died in 2016 at the age of 60, and her grandmother Debbie Reynolds died just a day after her daughter, at the age of 84. Lourd has been living with his grief since then, but her role in the film made her feel connected to them.
Related: Why Billie Lourd Did Not Invite Carrie Fisher’s Siblings To Her Walk of Fame Ceremony?
She revealed that she “fell in love” with Coppola’s script immediately, and felt a connection with it as it was related to her family history. “I was so excited to get involved in it because it reminded me so much of my mom and grandma,” she said, adding, “My grandma was a showgirl in her own right and my mom was a little bit of the character that I got to play.”
Billie Lourd Got To Understand Her Mom On A Deeper Level
While talking about her role in the film, Billie Lourd was sobbing backstage. Yet, she stood strong and continued to talk about her beautiful mother and her relationship with her. She said, “When I met with Gia, I spoke about my mom and grandma’s relationship. Getting to play this character was extremely cathartic for me because it felt like [Anderson’s character] Shelly was my grandma and I got to be my mom.”
She also appreciated Pamela Anderson, who plays the role of her mother in the movie. “She is a wonderful mother and was also a beautiful mother to me in this film and I feel so lucky,” she said.
In case you missed it: ‘Star Wars’ Actress Carrie Fisher Once Sent A Cow’s Tongue To A Producer Who Sexually Assaulted Her Friend With A Godfather-Like Threatening Note
The official synopsis of the film reads: “‘The Last Showgirl’, “tries to reconnect with a daughter she hardly knows” after learning that her job in the last traditional show in the Vegas strip is ending. The reconciliation attempt “proves just as difficult as losing the only job she has ever had.”
