Sharon Stone on the Vibrant History of Basic Instinct: From Cannes Controversy to Iconic Scene
Sharon Stone is revealing the real-life turmoil that took place long before the cameras ever started rolling, decades after Basic Instinct blazed its way into popular culture. In an open interview with Business Insider, Stone disclosed that a heated argument with co-star Michael Douglas and a memorable slap at the film's director almost put an end to her now-iconic role in the 1992 thriller.
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Stone states that Douglas flatly refused to screen test her before Basic Instinct was ever given the go-ahead, not because she was talented but rather because of a tense incident at the Cannes Film Festival.
Stone stated, "Michael Douglas did not want to show his bare ass on screen
with an unknown." And I recognized that. He refused to put me to the test. However, that was also for a different cause; before that, we had a disagreement.
This was not your typical pre-audition argument. Stone claims that during a discussion about family, tensions erupted when Douglas yelled, "What the f*** do you know?" across a packed table. Stone, who never gives in to pressure, refused to back down.
She recalled, "I told him, 'Let us go outside,' and pushed back my chair." "I told him what the f*** I knew that the family he was talking about was my best buddy." Although the two were not exactly buddies when they parted ways, their animosity would eventually define their onscreen chemistry.
That real-life conflict was a wonderful fit for the characters' chemistry
when the Basic Instinct casting finally returned to Stone. Douglas, the hard-nosed investigator, and Stone, the mysterious femme fatale, were engaged in a perilous game of cat and mouse. "It was a huge success," Stone thought. I did not give a damn about Michael's rage. That was a great fit for our dynamic.
The sharp edges appear to have been softer with time. She remarked, "We eventually became the best of friends." "I still have a great deal of respect for him."
Stone's unvarnished honesty does not end there, though. In addition, she went back to one of the most talked-about moments in movie history: the notorious interrogation room scene that made her a worldwide celebrity and left her feeling deeply deceived, as she describes in her memoir The Beauty of Living Twice.
Stone said she was deceived while filming and did not realize the photo would expose so much until she saw it at a screening with agents and attorneys. She wrote, "That is how I first noticed my vaginal shot." "I needed to make some decisions."
She also created one. "I approached [director] Paul Verhoeven in the projection booth and gave him a slap across the face."
Despite the turbulence behind the scenes, Stone's reputation as a brazen screen siren was cemented when Basic Instinct became a cultural milestone. Her connection with the movie is still complex, though, involving both personal expense and professional success.
Now, over thirty years later, Basic Instinct is ready for a comeback. According to a recent Variety report, the rights to the reboot have been purchased by Amazon MGM Studios and Scott Stuber's United Artists, with Joe Eszterhas, the original screenwriter, returning to write the script.
Will there be two lightning strikes? Time will tell. There is no doubt, nevertheless, that Sharon Stone's legacy is shaped by the struggles she underwent in order to obtain her roles.
