In the year 1992, the entire audience as well as the Hollywood industry was shocked to see the sheer boldness and guts of Sharon Stone to play the role of Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct, which was bordering on a lot of subjects that were considered to not be part of any conversations during the time of its release. But still, the film’s plot as well as the actor’s performances were still considered some of the best, making the movie a blockbuster.
And following the success of the film, many people thought that the actress would now become one of the biggest faces of Hollywood, which she did, but not before facing the hardships that come with all the fame and success. In an interview, Stone revealed that despite her name being spread all over the industry, she still had to face the difference in paycheck due to the pay gap between men and women during those times.
Sharon Stone’s Struggles After Basic Instinct
The decade of the 90s was an outstanding time for cinema as many amazing and appreciable films made their way to the audience, but only a few could truly make their mark on history like the 1995 superhit Basic Instinct could. Apart from the gripping crime/drama narrative mixed with exceptional writing and execution, Sharon Stone further elevated the premise with her character, who was a bisexual female, something that was a tricky subject to talk about back then, along with her infamous ‘interrogation’ scene from the film.
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But despite giving such an outstanding performance as well as an equally exceptional film, there were hardships that were heading her way. During an interview with The Guardian, the star revealed how after doing the film, she was unable to cope with all the attention and fame that she was getting, to the point that she could barely take it. Along with this, she also had to fight the pay gap in the industry, which further took her to the limits. She said:
“After Basic Instinct, no one wanted to pay me, I remember sitting in my kitchen with my manager and just crying and saying: ‘I’m not going to work until I get paid.’ I still got paid so much less than any men.”
Even for the role of Catherine Tramell, she was paid a merger sum of $500,000, which was way less than what her male co-stars got for their roles comparatively.
Why Was Basic Instinct So Infamous At The Time?
Apart from the aforementioned traits of the movie, Stone’s character was the highlight of the plot. A seductive character trait along with somewhat promiscuous and sociopathic tendencies, mixed with the fact that Tramell was a bisexual individual were some of the reasons why the film was criticized by the audience. But more than the negative criticism, the film was praised for taking bold decisions to make it stand out and become a piece of classic cinema remembered to this date.
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Basic Instinct, streaming on Netflix
Source: The Things
