Actress Sharon Stone has been a part of Hollywood for a very long time now. She started acting in the 1980s and gained recognition after she starred as Blake Chandler in 1984’s Irreconcilable Differences. Many people will agree that Stone’s most iconic role was Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct (1992). The actress bagged many awards and nominations, but how did she get the role?

The director of the movie, Paul Verhoeven, once explained why he decided to cast Stone when there were so many other experienced stars in the industry. The movie also required Stone to do a bunch of n*de scenes, something she isn’t very proud of.

Sharon Stone played the role of Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct (1992)

Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct

Actress Sharon Stone wasn’t quite as famous when director Paul Verhoeven was looking for a female lead for his 1992 movie, Basic Instinct. Stars like Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts, and Geena Davis were first considered for the role.

At the time, Paul Verhoeven was filming Total Recall (1990), in which Stone played the role of Agent Lori. He never shortlisted Stone for the role, however, she had other plans. She dressed up as Catherine Tramell on the sets of Total Recall to convince Verhoeven. The opportunity was important for the actress because she was struggling to find work. Finally, the director saw the potential and decided to hire her.

Paul Verhoeven thought Sharon Stone lost her confidence

Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas in Basic Instinct

Verhoeven later explained that he hired Stone because he felt like she had the ability to portray better major characters. He said,
“I thought she had been degraded, fallen into the hands of people who abused her like a bimbo, and that she had lost her confidence. But what I saw with her in Total Recall was that there was much more possible.”
Without any discussions with the producers, Verhoeven was sure that he wants Sharon Stone in his movie opposite Michael Douglas.

Sharon Stone was embarrassed before the release of the film

Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct

Getting the opportunity to play a major role in a big-budget movie was perfect for Stone. However, she was required to do several n*de scenes in Basic Instinct. The actress put the release of the film on hold particularly because of that leg-crossing scene, in which Stone was not wearing underwear. She recalled on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight,
“I think more I was just so shocked and I was embarrassed not to be able to process it alone with him than I was so horrified. After a week of considering to stop the release of the movie, I decided it fit the character in the film and it should stay in.”
She was told that a shadow would cover her private areas, but that didn’t happen. Sharon Stone reportedly asked the director to not include that scene in the movie, however, as we know, that scene was definitely in the movie.