Sharon Stone Details Screaming Match with Michael Douglas That Kicked Off Their Road to Friendship

Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone’s roles as Detective Nick Curran and Catherine Tramell, respectively, in the 1992 film “Basic Instinct” remain among the actors’ most iconic performances. Now, Stone is reflecting on her first interaction with her co-star, which began before she was even cast.

Sharon Stone Reveals How She Met Michael Douglas

In an interview with Business Insider on August 1, 2025, Stone said Douglas did not want to screen test with an “unknown.” She continued, “He wouldn’t even test with me, but that was also for a different reason: We had an argument prior to that. This was at Cannes.”

Stone detailed their argument, explaining how it had started when she interjected during Douglas’s discussion about a father and his child, whom she knew well. Their brief but heated exchange of words happened in front of a group of people, and she recalled her actions in the moment, saying, “I pushed back my chair and said to him, ‘Let’s step outside.’ That’s how we first met.”

Stone told Business Insider that they did take their argument outside, and it ended “amicably.”

“So, fast forward to casting ‘Basic Instinct,’ I don’t think he wanted me to be his costar,” she said. “It worked great because I was not rattled if he yelled at me. That was interesting for the character because Michael has a temper, and I didn’t care. That worked very well in our dynamic. Eventually, we became the greatest of friends, to this day. I admire him tremendously.”

Indeed, this is an unusual start to a friendship, but the timeline of events is disputed.

A representative for Douglas commented on Stone’s interview in a statement to Page Six. “Michael Douglas doesn’t recall meeting or knowing of Sharon Stone until seeing [director] Paul Verhoeven’s test of her for ‘Basic Instinct,’” the rep said, Page Six reports. “When he saw the test, he said she was the right actress for the part. He remembers they were in Cannes together to promote the film, which was screened at the festival.”

Sharon Stone Reflects on Her Career

Stone has had an incredible career, with her role in “Basic Instinct” making her what she, and many others, describe as “an icon.” But there were downsides to playing the character, including other film offers that would typecast her as the villain. The film also featured risqué scenes, which have been used against Stone in her personal life, including her custody battle, Business Insider reports.

“It made me an icon, but it didn’t bring me respect,” Stone said of her role as Catherine Tramell. “But would I do it again? We don’t get to make these choices in life. I don’t participate in the fantasy world in this way. What I did with what happened is exactly the way I wanted to do it.”