Sharon Stone Made So Little From ‘Basic Instinct’ She Had Trouble Affording an Oscars Dress

Sharon Stone became a generational icon due to her daring performance in Basic Instinct. But was far from a household name when the film was shot, which allowed Carolco Pictures to pay her drastically less than her co-star Michael Douglas.

When Stone was invited to attend the Oscars, she even had trouble finding a dress she could afford.

Sharon Stone was vastly underpaid for her work in ‘Basic Instinct’

Sharon Stone says Basic Instinct role cost her custody of her son https://t.co/b1mqlz4Spt

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Sharon Stone’s acting career began in the early ’80s in movies like Stardust Memories, Deadly Blessing, and Irreconcilable Differences. She regularly acted throughout the decade, but her work wasn’t celebrated in any way. In fact, Stone was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress for her work in the Indiana Jones spoof Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold. 

Stone was far from the first choice for Basic Instinct, but every A-list actor offered the part — Kim Basinger, Michelle Pfeiffer, Geena Davis, and many more — turned it down because of the subject matter. Director Paul Verhoeven chose Stone after working with her on Total Recall. 

Portraying the sexy serial killer Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct changed the course of her career. Sharon Stone was the main draw for moviegoers as the film made over $352 million worldwide. But she received the salary of someone who Hollywood didn’t take seriously as an actor up to that point.

“I didn’t get paid to do Basic Instinct. I made a little bit of money. Michael made $14 million and has points,” Stone said in an interview for CBC Radio. (Points are a percentage of a movie’s gross profits, so Douglas got a healthy bonus on top of his paycheck.) “I made not enough money to buy my dress to go to the Oscars the next year. I was in this weird limbo where I was suddenly famous, but didn’t have any money.”

Stone later told InStyle in an essay about the movie that she was only paid $500,000 for the part. But she did at least get to keep Catherine’s wardrobe as part of her contract. 

Stone had a tough time adjusting to her sudden fame

Stone earned the attention most actors crave, but the complicated relationship she developed with Basic Instinct during the production continued after the movie was released. It changed her life in ways she didn’t foresee or particularly enjoy. 

“It’s Friday and you’re you. Tuesday, you’re the Beatles. People are climbing all over your car. You try to walk down the street and suddenly 30 people that were shopping are running, chasing you,” Stone recalled in that same CBC interview. “You’re running and locking yourself in stores, and the people are like, ‘Wait, don’t lock the door,’ and you’re like, ‘Oh, I’ll buy something. Please help me.’ Suddenly you’re in this weird chase.”

If she couldn’t afford a dress for the Academy Awards, private security was also off the table. To help her deal with her new reality, Sharon Stone’s chiropractor contacted Shirley MacLaine, who supported her and helped her come to terms with the mass hysteria surrounding her life. 

“I needed someone who understood that I needed to sit on the floor, and be in my bare feet, and just have someone talk to me like a human being. Here’s this woman, who was the only woman who was part of the Rat Pack, and she told me all about what happened to her, what it was like, and how it went. It wasn’t like she gave me specific advice, per se. She just told me, this is what happens, this is how it goes.”

Sharon Stone made a lot more money going forward

Sharon Stone found ways to make good on her increased profile. She earned a Best Actress Oscar and won a Golden Globe for her work in Martin Scorsese’s Casino. She was nominated for Golden Globes two more times in her career (The Mighty and The Muse) and won a Primetime Emmy in 2003 for her guest role on The Practice. 

Stone’s career slowed down after undergoing surgery for a subarachnoid hemorrhage and a couple of high-profile misfires (Catwoman and Basic Instinct 2). However, she has still received acclaim for performances in Alpha Dog, Mosaic, and The Laundromat. 

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Sharon Stone is currently worth $60 million.