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| Basic Instinct/TriStar Pictures, Casino/Universal, John Nacion/Getty, BI |
For decades, Sharon Stone has captivated audiences with her magnetic presence and fearless performances. Now at 67, she’s ready to step into the role of a villain once more but only if she can redefine what it means to be bad.
Stone is no stranger to playing antagonists. In fact, her career skyrocketed after her unforgettable portrayal of the seductive and dangerous Catherine Tramell in 1992’s “Basic Instinct.” The role transformed her from a working actress in modest 1980s B-movies into a global icon, revered and reviled in equal measure. But with that fame came a certain typecasting one that she’s long resisted.
“When Universal called and asked if I’d be interested in playing the villain in ‘Nobody 2,’ I was already thinking of saying no,” Stone revealed in a recent Zoom interview with Truth Sider. Wearing a pair of light blue sunglasses she casually removed when animated, she explained, “I’ve been offered villain roles more times than I can count. But I’ve never been interested in playing something generic I need a role with depth, with purpose.”
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| Sharon Stone in "Nobody 2." Universal |
A Villain with a Modern Edge
Her reluctance to accept traditional villain roles comes from experience. Stone knows all too well the dangers of playing a flat, one-dimensional antagonist. “After ‘Basic Instinct,’ everyone wanted me to be the villain. But Catherine Tramell wasn’t ordinary. That role tapped into something happening in culture at the time. It spoke to the moment, and that’s why it still resonates.”
So when the opportunity came for “Nobody 2,” the action-heavy sequel to the 2021 Bob Odenkirk-led film, Stone countered with her own vision. Inspired by the cacophony of violent video games her three sons played during the COVID lockdowns, she created a new kind of villain one shaped by the digital chaos of the modern world.
“It was like a frat house yelling, explosions, digital violence everywhere,” she recalled. “There’s a kind of cruelty that comes from those screens, a cold, unfeeling type. That’s where the character of Lendina was born someone who feels like she stepped out of a TikTok war zone or a dark corner of Reddit.”
The result is a memorably ruthless crime boss named Lendina, who challenges Odenkirk’s character, Hutch, just as he’s trying to enjoy a peaceful vacation with his family. The role is sharp, unhinged, and all Stone and audiences are already eager to see it play out.
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| Sharon Stone in "Stardust Memories." United Artists |
Looking Back on a Colorful Hollywood Journey
Her story about “Nobody 2” was only the beginning. As the conversation turned to her career, Stone offered vivid recollections of the wild, sometimes surreal journey she’s traveled through Hollywood a journey full of grit, glamour, and defiance.
When asked about her transition from modeling to acting, Stone smiled. “I still model today and, believe it or not, I still make more money from modeling than from films,” she said. But acting was always the real dream. “I wanted to be a director. But let’s face it having a brain and a vagina at the same time has always confused people.”
Her early breaks were unconventional. For instance, her appearance in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories came through a chance encounter at a bus stop. A casting agent believed in her and urged her to skate literally, on roller skates to auditions across New York City.
“I roller-skated over with my massive modeling portfolio. Juliet Taylor was casting. She showed my portfolio to Woody, who was actually sitting at the bus stop. Next thing I knew, I was sitting with him, and shortly after, I got the part. That whole experience, the gardenia in my hair, Gordon Willis behind the camera it was magic.”
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| Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct." TriStar Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis/Getty Images |
The Electric Tension with Michael Douglas
One of her most legendary roles, of course, remains Basic Instinct. But the behind-the-scenes story is just as dramatic. Stone had to fight to even read the script her manager literally broke into an office to steal it.
“I read it and thought, ‘This role is mine.’” But Michael Douglas wasn’t so sure. Not only was he reluctant to test with an unknown actress, but there was a personal clash between them from a previous encounter in Cannes. Douglas reportedly snapped at her during a conversation about family dynamics. Stone, never one to back down, challenged him right then and there. “Let’s step outside,” she told him.
Despite that rocky start, the friction created the perfect dynamic for the film. “Michael has a temper, and I wasn’t intimidated by that. I think that made our characters’ chemistry even more compelling.”
Though Stone ultimately became a household name thanks to the film, it came with a personal toll. “That movie made me an icon, but it didn’t bring respect. I wouldn’t change it I just don’t believe in rewriting life that way. What I did with it afterward, though that was entirely mine.”
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| Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct." "Basic Instinct"/TriStar Pictures |
The Infamous Scene and What Really Happened
Perhaps no scene in Stone’s career is more infamous than the leg-crossing moment in Basic Instinct. For years, rumors swirled that she didn’t know the camera would reveal more than she expected. Stone confirms that the director, Paul Verhoeven, was hesitant to show her the shot.
“When I finally saw it, I had the legal right to have it removed. But I didn’t,” she said. “Once I took a step back, I understood it from the director’s point of view not as the actress in the frame. That moment helped make the movie what it became.”
Despite public disagreements, Stone says she and Verhoeven have a good relationship. “I’d work with him again in a heartbeat.”
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| Gene Hackman and Sharon Stone in "The Quick and the Dead." Sunset Boulevard/Corbis/Getty Images |
Real Slaps and Real Emotions
Stone’s career hasn’t been short on intensity including moments that veered into the physical. On the set of The Quick and the Dead, Gene Hackman famously slapped her during a scene unplanned. Her response? She grabbed him by the lapels and lifted him off the ground.
“Everyone on set panicked. Rifles were cocked. Sam Raimi had to yell ‘CUT!’ to calm everybody down,” she laughed.
Working with Robert De Niro in Casino was a different kind of challenge. “It was my dream to act opposite him, and he knew exactly how to get under my skin,” she said. “There’s a scene where he tells me, ‘You’re a good actress, you know that?’ It enraged me. He was testing me, and I rose to it. That’s what great acting is about.”
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| Sharon Stone and Robert De Niro in "Casino." Universal/Getty Images |
Phyllis Diller, Biopics, and Big Dreams
One of Stone’s future dreams is to bring the late comedy legend Phyllis Diller to life in a biopic. “She taught me her laugh made me practice it. She cooked for me, painted for my kids. We were very close.”
Diller’s story is one of resilience: a woman who didn’t become famous until nearly 50, who raised five kids with a schizophrenic husband, and honed her comedy routine at laundromats. “I’m trying to make that movie happen. I think Sam Rockwell could play Johnny Carson in it he’s got that charm.”
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| Phyllis Diller and Sharon Stone at the 1994 Comedy Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images |
A Legend, Still Unapologetically Herself
As Stone reflects on her decades in the spotlight, one thing becomes clear: she’s navigated fame on her own terms. Whether she’s challenging a co-star, pushing boundaries on screen, or reinventing what a villain looks like in 2025, Sharon Stone continues to command attention not just as an actress, but as an uncompromising force in Hollywood.
