The Top 10 Best Movie Strippers

5. Erin Grant- Striptease

Bet you probably never thought you would hear this on a list of movie strippers, but this is one case where the book is better than the movie. That being said, Striptease is a wild and crazy film thanks to the Florida Noir aspects that force crazy characters together in a tropical environment. In the middle of all this crazy is Erin Grant (Demi Moore), a woman struggling through a divorce from a scumbag who turns to stripping to make ends meet. As if her life wasn’t tough enough, she gets wrapped up in a crazy plot involving a Congressman linked to several murders who falls madly in love with her. Hoping to get full custody of her daughter, she agrees to help the police in their investigation but ends up getting in deeper than she intended.

4. Magic Mike (and the Boys)- Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL

Once again, I have to give a shout out to male strippers that find themselves thrown to the wolves every time a bachelorette party wanders through the door. Look, I’m straight and even I will admit that the cast of Magic Mike is just too damn hot for words. Like with The Full Monty though, I’m going to try to narrow it down to just one character in the film and that would be the titular Magic Mike played by Channing Tatum. Tatum’s performance in the film is jaw-dropping, especially when it comes to his physicality. Then again, the actor is a former male stripper himself, so it’s no wonder he was so impressive in it. Magic Mike proves there’s more to being a male stripper than just a six-pack and baby oil. You need some killer moves too.

3. Alex Owens- Flashdance

There was no way this list of the best movie strippers wasn’t going to include Alex Owens (Jennifer Beals) from Flashdance. The welder from a steel mill in Pittsburgh (apparently a lot of strippers have steel mill experience) dreams of going to a ballet academy and becoming a professional dancer. In the meantime, she has to settle for a part-time gig as an exotic dancer. Owens earns the number one spot thanks to her iconic performances that have referenced in pop culture ever since. True, she never “bares it all” in her performances, but not all strip clubs allow performers to go completely nude. Her exotic performances though are the stuff of 80s legend, which is why she earns a solid spot on this list of movie strippers.  

2. Ramona- Hustlers

Inspired by a stranger than fiction true story about a gaggle of strippers that drugged and robbed men during the 2008 financial crisis, it was probably inevitable that at least one character from the movie Hustlers was going to appear on this list of the best movie strippers of all time. While Constance Wu might be at the center of the story, I’m going to have to go with Jennifer Lopez‘s Ramona. Now, I’ve got a ton of problems with the crap Ramona pulled in the movie and don’t think there’s any way to justify her actions. However, what makes her so damn interesting is how she manages to justify them. Lopez turns in the performance of her career as this ring leader, but this is one striper I hope I never get a lapdance from.

1. TIE: Santanico Pandemonium and Serendipity- From Dusk til Dawn and Dogma

For the first time ever, I’m going to have to include a tie on a Stars & Popcorn Top 10 List. The reason being that both characters are played by the incredible Selma Hyack. Initially, I was all for including the terrifying undead stripper Santanico Pandemonium at one of the toughest movie bars of all time in From Dusk Til Dawn. Then, I remembered that Hyack also played a muse who took to stripping to “inspire men to give up their cash” in the Kevin Smith classic, Dogma. Both strippers are otherworldly and have a few anatomical issues that the men drooling over them might not appreciate. Not only that but both are scene-stealers as well, which made it impossible to choose.     

Honorable Mention: Louise Hovick- Gypsy 

It turns out that not even strippers are spared from the meddling of evil stage mothers. While Mama Rose (Rosalind Russell) might not have earned a spot among the worst movie moms of all time, her daughter Louise AKA Gypsy Rose Lee (Natalie Wood) earns a spot among the great movie strippers. Technically she was a burlesque star, but I see burlesque stars as strippers with a lot more showmanship and pageantry (no offense to strippers and the hard work they put into their own exotic dancing). Her character is reluctantly forced into the world of stripping thanks to her mother, but she takes to it like a fish to water. The film is actually based on real-life burlesque star Gypsy Lee Rose and the broadway play based on her life. Talk about celebrating a sex worker!

Special Shout Out: Zombie Strippers!

During my research, I discovered there was a movie called Zombie Strippers! starring Jenna Jameson and Robert Englund (hopefully he isn’t the stripper). Now, I haven’t seen it, but you better believe that it caught my attention. I mean, how could you not love the absurdity of an idea like zombie strippers?

There you have it, the best movie strippers of all time. Of course, there were quite a few out there that didn’t make this list. So,  let me know what you think of the characters who made the list and if there are any others you feel should have made an appearance. As always, I’ll be updating the rankings as new movies hit theaters and you can check back from time to time to see if any new movie strippers manage to earn a spot. Until next time, be kind to your strippers and tip generously.