Elizabeth Berkley on Bullying and Nomi Malone 

Elizabeth Berkley has a huge gay following thanks to her memorable, caffeine pill-infused meltdown as Jessie Spano on Saved by the Bell -- not to mention her topless turn as "dancer" Nomi Malone in Showgirls. But there was a time when Hollywood mercilessly bullied her for her work in the NC-17 film, one of the reasons she's become an advocate for teens.

The 38-year-old actress sat down with Out magazine to talk about her new book, Ask Elizabeth, a journal-style self-help book born out of numerous conversations she's had with teenage girls about their lives and their fears at schools across the country. Berkley says she's talked with many gay boys and girls too, including a girl who recently came out at one of her workshops.

"How brave for this girl to offer that up, and what it did is I think it changed that group forever," Berkley says. "I think no one will forget that moment because of her willingness, and I think she opened a lot of hearts that day."

Berkley also says it was the gay fans who embraced Showgirls -- and 15 years after it flopped in theaters, have made it one of MGM's 10 most profitable titles in history -- that got her through that rough time. In fact, she loves the movie so much now, if a fan wants a photo, she immediately gives him sparkle hands.

Read the full interview with Berkley here.