FILM · 2010 · USA
Burlesque
24 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
24 Interesting Facts About Burlesque
Interesting Facts (17)
- #001
A photo of seven-year-old Ali with his mother is a photo of a much younger Christina Aguilera with her mother, Shelly Kearns.
- #002
Cam Gigandet learned to play the piano specifically for the film.
- #003
Most of the flamboyant costumes Cher wore were her own clothes, and some of them were designed by her longtime friend Bob Mackie (interview on The Graham Norton Show (2007) / 18 December 2010).
- #004
Steve Antin's idea for this film came after he watched Christina Aguilera perform as the featured vocalist of The Pussycat Dolls in 2002. He is the brother of the group's creator, Robin Antin.
- #005
Most of the female dancers in the Burlesque club's performances were former members of The Pussycat Dolls, the Las Vegas burlesque troupe turned pop group (though they were not listed in the credits).
- #006
The soundtrack album features ten tracks: eight are performed by Aguilera, including "Express"; and two are performed by Cher, her first original recordings in 7 years.
- #007
Cher revealed that, apart from herself, the oldest actress in the cast was only 32 years old (interview on BBC's Breakfast (2000) with Charlie Stayt / 17 December 2010).
- #008
In the scene where Nikki sings about a dentist, the song is "Long John Blues," sung by Megan Mullally.
- #009
Christina Aguilera's "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" fantasy was the first scene shot.
- #010
Patrick Dempsey, Sam Worthington, Casey Affleck and Jamie Foxx were considered to play Marcus.
- #011
When Jack plays his piano at home for the first time, he plays the instrumental of the song "Bound to You," which Ali later sings in the show.
- #012
Dianna Agron shot her scene in only a single afternoon.
- #013
It was sent to theaters under the code name "Former Glory."
- #014
The film was featured in the first episode of the How Did This Get Made podcast, with guest Nick Kroll, and was revisited in episode 256 for the show's 10th anniversary.
- #015
Paula van Oppen, who played Anna, one of the burlesque dancers, turned down a place in the top 20 of the sixth season of So You Think You Can Dance in order to make the film.
- #016
Both Diablo Cody and Susannah Grant rewrote Steve Antin's screenplay.
- #017
It was Stephen Lee's last film.
Production Story (1)
- #018
With its $55 million budget, Burlesque is one of Screen Gems' most expensive films outside the Resident Evil series.
Behind the Scenes (1)
- #019
This is the second film in which Stanley Tucci gives the lead character a makeover that leads to a montage set to Madonna music. The first was The Devil Wears Prada (2006), in which Tucci's character Nigel does Anne Hathaway's makeup and is then followed by a montage set to "Vogue."
Characters & Cast (3)
- #020
Christina Aguilera's first choice for the role of Nikki was Emma Stone.
- #021
The first instrumental music Ali dances to during the audition is the backing track of "Nasty Naughty Boy," performed by Christina Aguilera. This melody was changed for the DVD release.
- #022
Jessica Biel and Lindsay Lohan were considered for the role of Nikki.
Career & Awards (2)
- #023
Tess asks Sean what happened to all the good dancers in Los Angeles, and Sean answers with Dancing with the Stars (2005). His co-star in this film, Julianne Hough, is one of the professional dancers on the Emmy-winning show.
- #024
When the Golden Globes announced its 2010 nominations and included Burlesque and The Tourist (2010) — two of the year's most criticized films — in the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category, it drew considerable negative criticism. A free press event in Las Vegas organized by Screen Gems so journalists could watch Cher perform was widely linked to the film's controversial nomination.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work