Sharon Stone, undoubtedly, shot to fame thanks to her role as Catherine Tramell in the 1992 film Basic Instinct. Of course, thanks to the erotic theme, the film faced a lot of controversy back then. Despite all that, it became a box-office success and Sharon Stone reprised her role in Basic Instinct 2.

Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct
Now, Sharon Stone is opening up about her time on the sets of Basic Instinct. She distinctly remembers the humiliation she felt thanks to a line producer who insisted on calling her Karen. The nickname stuck for a long time and even followed her to the Golden Globes. Sharon Stone stated that she carried the humiliation deep within her, and her dignity even higher.

Sharon Stone Was Called Karen by a Line Producer

Sharon Stone at the NYWIFT Muse Awards

It’s not pleasant to imagine the star of the $352 million box office success getting the treatment that Sharon Stone got. During the New York Women In Film & Television’s 43^rd annual Muse Awards, Stone opened up about her time on Basic Instinct. She recalled the disrespect through a line producer who kept calling her Karen over and over again.
“After 13 other women turned it down and I got the part, after auditioning for nine months. For the entirety of the film, the line producer called me Karen, to the point that when I went in for my first audition I came out so rattled I backed my car into a semi.”
Yikes! Stone stated that the man’s antics didn’t stop even at the Governor’s Ball and the humiliation also found its way into the Golden Globes.
“Even at the Governor’s Ball he still called me Karen. I carried that humiliation really deeply within me, even when my name wasn’t on the poster. And when I got nominated for a Golden Globe and they called my name and the room laughed, I carried that humiliation quietly and decided to carry my dignity even louder.”
However, things have changed since then and Stone agrees. She stated that the scenario has shifted to a point where when her name is called out for Basic Instinct, people cheer for her as she had the guts to go against the norms.

Another Humiliation Faced by Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas

Stone recalled another humiliating remark made by someone on the set of Basic Instinct, aimed toward her. She stated that since the shoot would happen with “300 men,“ she would ask her wardrobe supervisor for support. When despite her discomfort the set wasn’t cleared, she heard an actor make a derogatory remark.
“And sometimes I could ask the wardrobe supervisor, who may be a woman, if she wouldn’t mind staying on set while I did that. When they didn’t clear the set for me to do them, I could [hear] some actor saying, ‘Can you just get out of the way, I can’t see her t*ts.”
Stone also stated that her salary for the film was just 3.6% of that of Michael Douglas’ who made $14 million. The Casino actress was handed a cheque for just $500,000. And while Douglas was a much bigger star than her, the gap between the two amounts is just way too much!

Basic Instinct is available to stream on Prime Video.

Source: Daily Mail