The Strange Reason Michael Douglas Didn't Want Sharon Stone Anywhere Near 'Basic Instinct'

Basic Instinct instantly proved to be one of the most controversial films of the 1990s, as the dark themes and extreme graphic content were virtually unheard of within a mainstream film intended for general audiences. Although the erotic thriller genre had been popular in the 1980s thanks to the success of Against All Odds and American Gigolo among others, Basic Instinct pushed the genre even further with truly shocking moments that Paul Verhoeven included in order to get an extreme reaction out of the audience. Although Michael Douglas was already a veteran of the genre thanks to his roles in Fatal Attraction and Disclosure, it was Sharon Stone who ended up benefiting most from the film due to her breakout performance. However, Douglas originally didn’t want to work with Stone in Basic Instinct, because he wanted a more established co-star.

Sharon Stone Wasn’t the First Choice for ‘Basic Instinct'

Finding a leading actor for Basic Instinct was not an easy process, as several stars that Verhoeven considered for the role of Nick Curran felt that the film was too racy. Douglas was attached early on after securing his hefty salary requirements, but finding an actress to portray femme fatale Catherine Tramell was very contentious. Douglas suggested to Verhoeven that they cast Kim Basinger, Julia Roberts, Greta Scacchi, and Meg Ryan, but they each turned it down. Verhoeven offered the role to such established stars as Debra Winger, Michelle Pfeiffer, Geena Davis, Kathleen Turner, Kelly Lynch, Ellen Barkin, and Mariel Hemingway, but they all refused after reading the script.

Verhoeven had begun considering Stone for the role after the two had worked together on the science fiction masterpiece Total Recall, as he had been very impressed by her performance. However, Douglas initially refused to audition with Stone because he felt that a bigger star was necessary. Douglas expressed his hesitations about the graphic nature of the film, and felt that having a more established co-star would have allowed him to “share the risks” if the response grew more critical. Despite his initial disapproval, Douglas would later state that Stone “was just perfect for the role.” While both performances were acclaimed, Stone was met with more serious backlash for her involvement, despite the fact that she was paid $500,000 for her role, where Douglas earned over $14 million. Stone has also alleged that Verhoeven deceived her into performing the infamous interrogation room scene, but he has vehemently denied any allegations of misconduct.

‘Basic Instinct’ Has a Complex Legacy

Like many of Verhoeven’s films, Basic Instinct was met with an initial wave of backlash based on assumptions that the film should be taken entirely literally. He would experience similar controversies due to the explicit sexual content in Showgirls and the fascist themes in Starship Troopers, even though both films were intended to be heavily satirical. Despite the outcry from more conservative pundits that the film was “dangerous,” Basic Instinct weathered through the controversy to become one of the highest grossing films of 1992. It also earned Stone a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress, as well as Oscar recognition in the Best Editing and Best Original Score categories. Michael Canton-Jones directed the sequel Basic Instinct 2 over a decade later, but it failed to become the same phenomenon that its predecessor did. Nonetheless, the acclaim that Stone received turned her into a very popular actress in the 1990s, as she would later earn an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance in the Martin Scorsese gangster film Casino.

Although it is impressive that Verhoeven attempted to satirize the notion of sexuality within a noir film, Basic Instinct has many outdated elements that make it challenging to rewatch in a modern context. In addition to Stone’s disturbing account of what happened on set, Basic Instinct includes a very upsetting sequence of sexual assault, as well as some offensive portrayals of homosexual characters. There have not been as many popular erotic thrillers in the last few years, but if the genre is to experience a revival, filmmakers will need to learn from the mistakes that were made within the creation of Basic Instinct.

Basic Instinct is streaming on Prime Video in the United States.

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