Kyle MacLachlan Recalls 'Sheer Horror' Watching Infamous 'Showgirls' Pool Scene

Kyle MacLachlan described a moment of "sheer horror" upon watching an intimate pool scene he filmed with Elizabeth Berkley in the 1995 cult classic "Showgirls." The actor, 67, shared his reaction during a discussion about his new memoir, "Fictional Selves," in New York City.

MacLachlan, who played Zack Carey in the film, recalled the scene in which his character engages in a graphic encounter with Berkley's Nomi Malone. He admitted that while filming, he thought the scene was "edgy," but seeing the final cut was a profoundly different experience. "Watching it back was a different story. I was like, 'Oh boy. We've got to stop the bleeding,'" he told People.

During an onstage Q&A at a book event, MacLachlan recounted that the first time he viewed the scene was a "painful" experience, comparing it to the forced-viewing sequence in the 1971 film "A Clockwork Orange." He described it as "genuinely painful, as though my eyes have been taped open like Malcolm McDowell's in A Clockwork Orange."

MacLachlan acknowledged that actors often take risks on audacious projects, even when advised against them. He referenced a quote from Isabella Rossellini about working with director David Lynch, stating, "one, two, three — leap into the void," which MacLachlan felt perfectly encapsulated the spirit of taking such risks.

In 2012, MacLachlan had previously reflected on "Showgirls," noting that he went into the film with "the best of intentions." He trusted director Paul Verhoeven and writer Joe Eszterhas to create a controversial and hard-hitting movie. "It turned into something completely different," he said at the time. "The fun of it is it's found its own niche in an unexpected way."

He also shared his conviction that the cast and crew took the filming seriously. "Had we gone into it thinking we were making a camp classic, we'd have ruined the camp element," MacLachlan explained. "It had to be taken seriously as we were filming it. Only when it was assembled and I saw it for the first time, I thought: 'Oh boy, this isn’t going to be pretty.'"

MacLachlan, known for his roles in "Twin Peaks" and "Blue Velvet," also recently shared an apology to actress Laura Dern for his past affair with "Twin Peaks" co-star Lara Flynn Boyle.