The 1990s were full of iconic movie couples, but few matched the intense chemistry between Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas in Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct.
Stone recounted in an interview with Business Insider that Douglas was not willing to get naked for the film, and that she was understanding.
“Michael Douglas did not want to put his bare ass out on the screen with an unknown — and I understood that,“ said Stone, adding that her co-star was unwilling to even test it, because of an agreement they had about the topic. Stone became a sex symbol of the decade thanks to her role as Catherine Tramell.
Their first meeting was incredibly tense and took place at the Cannes Film Festival. Stone said that she was sitting around with other industry members, and Douglas “was talking about someone and their kids.”
“I really, really knew this person he was talking about. So I said something and he responded to me, saying, “What the fuck do you know?” recounted Stone, remembering that her comment struck a nerve. “He yelled at me in front of everyone. And I’m not the type to say, ‘Oh, sorry, superstar.’ I pushed my chair back and said, ‘Let’s take this outside.’ That’s how we met,” said the Hollywood icon about her first meeting with Douglas.
Stone went on to explain that the argument ultimately helped their working relationship. Knowing Douglas had a strong personality benefited her performance in the erotic thriller that launched her career. “It worked great because I was not rattled if he yelled at me,” explained Stone, adding that his temper ended up helping their dynamic onscreen. “Eventually, we became the greatest of friends, to this day. I admire him tremendously,” said Stone of Douglas decades after their classic film was produced.
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