Getting the script for ‘Basic Instinct’ was not an easy feat for Sharon Stone.
Stone’s celebrated, 45-year acting career began in 1980 with her film debut as an extra in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories. For the next decade, she didn’t secure any major roles. Despite her talent, the actress was inexplicably cast in obscure films that seldom received critical recognition.
Sharon Stone achieved major success in 1992 when she starred as the stunningly beautiful Catherine Tramell in Paul Verhoeven’s erotic thriller, Basic Instinct.
In her memoir, Stone recalled that for many years she had appeared in a string of poorly received films. Basic Instinct became her eighteenth film, and at the age of 32 she saw it as her last opportunity to make it in the industry. She believed that if she could just get through the door, she would secure the role, aware that time was running out for her to achieve a real breakthrough.
In the same book, she also revealed one of the key reasons she struggled to get parts in Hollywood. Her manager at the time, Chuck, told her that nobody would hire her because people didn’t see her as sexy. Stone described herself as a shy and reserved person.
Paul Verhoeven’s provocative film became a sensation, earning her a Golden Globe nomination and drawing the attention of major directors like Martin Scorsese. Interestingly, not only was she offered a surprisingly low salary, but she also had trouble even getting in the room for the casting. In fact, she might never have landed the iconic role if her manager hadn’t stolen the Basic Instinct script from the casting director’s office.
Chuck had to sneak into the office to steal the script so they could read it, since no one was willing to share it with them. After reading it, Stone immediately knew she wanted the part. Her manager then called Paul Verhoeven daily for seven or eight months to secure her an audition.
Although the director eventually agreed to see her, she faced another obstacle: Michael Douglas didn’t want to work with her. She was fully aware that she was a relative unknown compared to him, and that the project itself was risky. As a result, Verhoeven scheduled her audition after all the other actresses had been seen.
Her persistence ultimately paid off, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had never been the studio’s top choice. After she signed the contract, the director told her she hadn’t been the first, second, or even third choice for the role — she had been the thirteenth.
In the end, all the skeptics changed their minds when Stone’s portrayal of Catherine Tramell became a cultural phenomenon.
