9 Things You Never Knew About 'Flashdance'

What a feelin'!

It's been 35 years since the magnetic mega-hit "Flashdance" hit theaters, but its legacy lives on. The music. The moves. That iconic water scene.

"Flashdance's" undeniable influence has been felt ever since it premiered on April 15, 1983. "Deadpool 2" even recently referenced the film in one of its ads. Jennifer Beals' welder-slash-erotic-dancer, with a dream success story, might have been critically panned upon its debut, but that didn't stop audiences from loving every single sweaty second of it. The crowds showed up -- and "Flashdance" ended up becoming 1983's third highest grossing film in the U.S.

Call yourself a "Flashdance" maniac? Grab your shoulder-baring sweatshirt and check out these facts about the unforgettable '80s box office smash.1. "Scarface" director Brian De Palma was originally slated to work on the film, but he turned it out down. Adrian Lyne, who went on to make "Fatal Attraction" and "Indecent Proposal," stepped in.

2. That now-famous off-the-shoulder sweatshirt look? It was a total accident.

"When I was in high school, I had a favorite sweatshirt that had remained in the dryer for too long, so the hole for my head was too small. I couldn't get my head through," Beals has said of the trend-setting wardrobe choice. "So, I cut around the hole. I wore it to one of the auditions, and they liked it."

3. The movie is reportedly inspired by the life of Maureen Marder, a former construction worker and exotic dancer. In 1982, she signed a deal with Paramount that granted them the rights to use her life story.

4. Kyra Sedgwick auditioned for the film and recalls calling out director Adrian Lyne when he picked up the phone during their meeting. "I turned to him and said, 'You're not going to answer that phone call. I'm auditioning for you,'" Sedgwick told The Hollywood Reporter. "Today, I don't think I would ever do that."5. The studio didn't exactly have faith in the project. "In the two weeks before Flashdance came out, I literally couldn't get anybody on the phone. It was like everybody had run for the hills because they thought it was gonna be a total disaster," Adrian Lyne revealed to EW.

6. "Flashdance... What a Feeling," from the movie's soundtrack, won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1984.

7. Jennifer Beals used body doubles for a number of her scenes. One of them was even male -- Richard "Crazy Legs" Colón was called in for a particularly difficult dance number.

8. "Flashdance the Musical" debuted in 2008 in Britain, making its way to London's West End. A Broadway run was planned and later fell through.

9. Despite her on-screen dance legacy, Jennifer Beals turned down a stint competing on "Dancing With the Stars." "I am not a dancer," Beals explained. "They asked me and I said 'no.' You could back up a truck to my door filled with cash and I wouldn't do it."

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