Sharon Stone is one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood. Starting out with modeling and as an extra in films, she went on to make a name for herself in the 1990s. One of the most pivotal films of her career was the 1992 erotic thriller ‘Basic Instinct‘ in which she played a femme-fatale.
At the muse award lunch for the 43rd New York Women In Film & Television Awards, the 65-year-old actress revealed something about the film. She said her salary for the role was $13.5M less than her co-star Michael Douglas. So let’s find out in detail what she said about it.
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Sharon Stone Talks About Pay Disparity On ‘Basic Instinct’
The 1992 erotic thriller ‘Basic Instinct‘ was a turning point in the career of Sharon Stone. She became an overnight sensation and was one of the most sought-after actresses of the 1990s.
However, not everything was rosy for her. At the New York Women In Film & Television’s 43rd annual Muse Awards lunch, the Academy Award-nominated actress revealed there was a pay disparity in the film.
“Michael Douglas made $14 million. Now, I was new. I was new and he was a very big star,” she said. Stone also revealed how a line producer of the film kept calling her Karen throughout the “entirety of the film.”
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Stone Lost Her Son’s Custody Because Of The Film
Despite the film’s success, the 1992 erotic thriller was filled with controversies because of its sexual content. One leg-crossing scene in particular, involving Stone, was the talk of the town.
The actress revealed that the scene was used against her during her adopted son’s custody battle. “When the judge asked my child — my tiny little boy, ‘Do you know your mother makes sex movies?’ Like, this kind of abuse by the system — that I was considered what kind of parent I was because I made that movie,” Stone said.
She ended up losing custody to Phil Bronstein but received visitation rights. Stone has maintained that the scene was filmed without her knowledge and the director misled her.
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