Sharon Stone Reveals Explosive Argument With Michael Douglas Before 'Basic Instinct' Casting

Sharon Stone didn't hold back when discussing her fiery exchange with Michael Douglas prior to their collaboration in the 1992 erotic thriller Basic Instinct.

Stone recounted how their relationship began with tension. She alleged that Douglas was initially reluctant to test with her because of their heated confrontation during the Cannes Film Festival.

"A bunch of us were all sitting, and he was talking about someone and their kids," Stone stated in an interview with Business Insider.

"I really, really knew this person he was talking about. So I said something and he responded to me, saying, 'What the f--- do you know?' It was in regard to a father-child relationship," she said.

The intensity of their disagreement escalated, with Stone claiming that Douglas "screamed" at her in front of a group.

"I'm not the person who goes, 'Oh, excuse me, superstar,'" she explained. "I pushed back my chair and said to him, 'Let's step outside.' That's how we first met."

The pair did step outside, where Stone clarified that she was best friends with the family Douglas criticized. Although they parted "amicably," Stone felt the experience stuck with Douglas.

"So, fast forward to casting Basic Instinct, I don't think he wanted me to be his costar," she said.

Despite the initial conflict, Stone viewed the encounter favorably, as it made her resilient during filming.

"I was not rattled if he yelled at me," she shared. "That was interesting for the character because Michael has a temper, and I didn't care. That worked very well in our dynamic."

She added, "Eventually, we became the greatest of friends, to this day. I admire him tremendously."

However, Douglas' representative offered a different perspective.

"Michael Douglas doesn't recall meeting or knowing of Sharon Stone until seeing [director] Paul Verhoeven's test of her for Basic Instinct," the rep stated. "When he saw the test, he said she was the right actress for the part. He remembers they were in Cannes together to promote the film, which was screened at the festival."

Stone, now 67, also touched on the financial disparity between herself and Douglas, revealing she earned $500,000 for her role as crime writer Catherine Tramell while he pocketed a staggering $14 million for his part as detective Nick Curran.

"Now, I was new. I was new and he was a very big star," she reflected during the New York Women in Film & Television's 43rd annual Muse Awards lunch in March 2023.

The actress previously expressed frustration regarding disrespect from a line producer who repeatedly referred to her as "Karen" throughout production.

"Even at the Governor's Ball after the Oscars, he still called me 'Karen!' And I carried that humiliation really deeply within me — even though my name wasn't on the poster," she conveyed.