Broadcast Sunday January 12, 2025 at 11:05 p.m. on Arte, the excellent documentary Sharon Stone: The survival instinct traces the actress’ journey, between success and disillusionment. Asked about the MeToo movement, the actress shares an experience that is as edifying as it is disconcerting.
She is undoubtedly one of the most glamorous stars, but also one of the smartest in Hollywood. She’s Sharon Stone! Sunday January 12, 2025 at 11:05 p.m., Arte dedicates a wonderful documentary to the star of Basic Instinct. Titled Sharon Stone: The survival instinctit retraces the journey of the actress, relying, among other sources, on the shocking revelations of her autobiography published in 2021. From her beginnings in not always glorious roles until today, where she shows herself always as combative and militant, the documentary proves to those who still doubted that Sharon Stone clearly deserves her superstar status.
Sharon Stone, too smart for Hollywood?
If the documentary obviously lists the successes and reversals of fortune of Sharon Stone, in particular her difficult return to the forefront after her stroke in 2021 which left her with after-effects, it devotes a large space to the sexism to which the star had to face throughout his career. He obviously returns to the role which brought her fame, but which forced her to swallow snakes: that of Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct. In addition to the fact that she was paid 24 times less than Michael Douglas for the film, she had to face the lies of director Paul Verhoeven, who had sworn to her that nothing would be seen during the sulphurous interrogation scene. . As if further proof were needed of the sexist prejudices she had to constantly face to find a place in Hollywood, the documentary shows an extract from an interview where Sharon Stone lists, not without irony, all the “advice” that we lavished on him: “Don’t wear high heels, you’ll be taller than the actors! Try to be less aggressive, Sharon! Speak less loudly! Don’t flaunt your opinions! Say what you feel instead! Men don’t want to know what you think!“As if being an intelligent woman – Sharon Stone has an IQ of 154! – was a defect more than an asset in the small world of American cinema…
“I laughed and couldn’t stop”: Sharon Stone’s astonishing reaction to attempted sexual assault
As intelligent and brilliant as she is, Sharon Stone hasn’t always been able to avoid sexist attacks. Thus, in 2018, while the #MeToo movement frees the voices of victims and a journalist questions her about the sexual harassment she may have suffered, Sharon Stone begins by bursting out laughing before explaining: “I have been doing this job for 40 years. Can you imagine what it was like 40 years ago? With my physique, coming from a town in Pennsylvania and without protection? I saw it all!“To illustrate her words, she does not hesitate to recount her interview with a big name from a major Hollywood studio who welcomed her when she was still just a young, unknown actress among many others. “He said to me, ‘So the rumors are true. You’re fantastic, you’re the most beautiful. You’re going to be a big star.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is happening for real! I’m in a studio and he’s loving me!’ Then he stood in front of me and said: ‘But first…’ He opened his fly and took out his penis in front of my face. I was sitting very low. I had it right in front of my eyes. . I laughed uncontrollably. He didn’t know what to do. He finally pressed a button and his secretary took me out.“A somewhat disconcerting reaction, but salutary, in this case…
