'Basic Instinct' star Sharon Stone hand-picked white dress used in THAT leg-crossing scene
American actress Sharon Stone reflected back at her time on the 1992 film 'Basic Instinct' and revealed that she kept all the clothes from the thriller because she wasn't paid much. In fact, the actress revealed that she had put in her contract to keep the clothes she wore in the movie.
"I was 32 when I got the part of Catherine Tramell in 'Basic Instinct'. It was probably as late as you could be in your career without a big break. But from the moment I read the script, I knew I was the right person for the role. It was an intellectually complex part, and I felt like I had a real grasp on it. Catherine reminded me of some of the characters that Orson Welles had played in the past. And complicated, layered leading roles like that just don't come around all that often for women," Stone told InStyle.
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"I couldn't believe how exciting it was and all of the incredible costumes that were being made just for me. I put in my contract that I could keep the clothes. People thought I was crazy, but the truth is I wasn't getting paid much compared to my male co-star. I made $500,000; Michael made $14 million. So keeping my costumes was a really smart thing to do. Of course, the most memorable one is the white dress and coat I wore in the interrogation room scene. I remember asking the director, Paul Verhoeven, what he wanted me to wear for it. He jokingly said, 'I don't care if you wear a turtleneck and your hair in a bun.' So I said, 'Good, because that's what I was thinking.' We decided to go for all white because my character had a very Hitchcockian vibe," the 63-year-old continued.
"The movie was a thriller and we were stopping the action to watch me sit still in a chair, so I thought the possibility of anybody giving two shits about it was zero. It turned out to be a pretty big deal. [laughs] When we were filming the part [where Catherine uncrosses her legs, flashing the detectives], the director asked me to remove my underwear because he said the white was reflecting the light. So I did. And the cinematographer told me that they couldn't see anything. In those days, the monitors were much less sophisticated than they are now, so even when they played it back for me, I didn't see any issues," Stone said.
She further revealed, "Of course, when I saw the completed movie for the first time with a bunch of other people, you could see right up my skirt. It would've been a much fairer and more reasonable thing for them to have shown it to me alone first, but it was a part of the movie, and I'm sure they didn't want some new actress overreacting and telling them what to do. So I talked to my lawyer, weighed my options, and then made the decision to allow the scene to stay. Looking back on it, I still think it was the right choice for the film, even if it took me a while to come to that conclusion."
"Now, 30 years later, the fact that so many people still love the film is amazing to me. I get a kick out of it whenever I see someone dressed up in a white dress like Catherine for Halloween. It really has taken on a life of its own. I still have almost all of the wardrobe too. I've given some pieces away to charity, but so far, I've kept the white dress and coat. It was zipped up in a garment bag on the set, and it has never been opened since," the Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe awardee said.
"When I look at it now, I can't help but think about how much I learned in the process of making the film. I learned that I could withstand the pressure. Because it was a lot of pressure to be that person in that movie at that time. People thought I was just like Catherine and that there should be a shaming process for playing a character like that. I learned how frightening it can be not just for men but for society as a whole to see a woman access and own her power. I learned how to have a spine. I learned how to speak up for myself. And yes, I learned that I look pretty damn good in white," Stone finished.
The former fashion model and Academy Award nominee, who was last seen in 'Murderville', will be seen in the upcoming second season of 'The Flight Attendant' on HBO Max.
