Sharon Stone’s rise to the top back in the 90s wasn’t quite smooth, as the actress had a wait a while before eventually making it big in Hollywood. Making her debut back in the early 80s with Stardust Memories, it would be a decade-long wait before the actress rose to global stardom, thanks to her exceptional performance as Catherine Trammell in Basic Instinct.
However, the role that earned her a Golden Globe nomination didn’t come without its struggle, especially the producer that kept calling Stone a Karen throughout the production of the movie.
Sharon Stone was humiliated after receiving a Golden Globe nomination for Basic Instinct
Since the beginning of her arrival at the project, Producer Paul Verhoeven kept calling actress Sharon Stone a Karen throughout the entirety of Basic Instinct’s production. Although the movie was nowhere near the discussion for Best Picture Award at major ceremonies, Stone’s performance as the seductive Catherine Tramell garnered massive appreciation. It even landed the actress her first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
However, the humiliation that the Casino star had to suffer during the entire production of the movie didn’t stop, as after she was nominated for her work in the erotic thriller, the whole room burst into laughter. The actress recalled the humiliating incident, stating,
“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’… 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.”
Even at the Governor’s ball after the Oscars, the producer kept addressing the actress with the pejorative term, as she carried the humiliation for years despite not even having her name on the poster.
Sharon Stone reflected on receiving a fraction of Michael Douglas’ salary for Basic Instinct
But being called Karen on set throughout the movie’s production wasn’t the only matter she addressed as she also spoke out against the discrepancy in wages between her and the male lead. Despite starring as the lead alongside Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone only earned $500k for her work in Basic Instinct opposite to Douglas’ enormous $14M Paycheck. She said,
“Now, I was new. I was new, and he was a very big star,”
However, the actress didn’t let the humiliating incident define her career moving forward, as she kept on delivering exceptional performances one after another, eventually landing a Golden Globe win for Casino.
Basic Instinct is available to stream on Apple TV.
Source: Daily Mail
