Over three decades after Basic Instinct shocked the world, Sharon Stone is reflecting on how her relationship with co-star Michael Douglas has evolved—from confrontation to close friendship.
In a candid new interview with Business Insider, Stone, 67, revealed that her first interaction with Douglas, 80, wasn’t exactly warm. Recalling a heated moment at the Cannes Film Festival, Stone said Douglas shouted at her across a group during a conversation about a family they both knew. “I pushed back my chair and said to him, ‘Let’s step outside,’” she recounted.
Despite that rocky start, the two ended up cast opposite each other in the 1992 erotic thriller, though Stone believes Douglas initially didn’t want her as his co-star. “He wouldn’t even test with me,” she said. “I think he didn’t want to be opposite an unknown.”
Douglas, via his rep, disputed the memory, claiming he only remembered seeing Stone’s screen test and immediately endorsing her for the role.
Still, the once-tense dynamic ultimately worked in the film’s favor. “Michael has a temper, and I didn’t care,” Stone shared. “That worked very well in our dynamic.”
Now, years later, Stone says the past is water under the bridge: “Eventually, we became the greatest of friends.”
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