Sharon Stone has brought to light the name of the producer who pressured her into engaging in sexual relations with a co-star to purportedly enhance their on-screen performance.
In a candid revelation, the “Basic Instinct” icon disclosed that Robert Evans pushed her to have intimate relations with Billy Baldwin while filming “Sliver” in 1993. Speaking on the “Louis Theroux” podcast, Stone recounted the uncomfortable encounter, stating, “He called me to his office. He had these very low ’70s, ’80s couches, so I’m essentially sitting on the floor, when I should have been on set.”
Detailing the distressing conversation, Stone revealed, “And he’s running around his office in sunglasses explaining to me that he slept with Ava Gardner and I should sleep with Billy Baldwin, because if I slept with Billy Baldwin, Billy Baldwin’s performance would get better, and we needed Billy to get better in the movie because that was the problem.”
Stone, now 66, disclosed Evans’ belief that a romantic liaison between her and Baldwin would translate into better on-screen chemistry, thereby salvaging the film. Reflecting on the ordeal, she admitted, “The real problem with the movie was me because I was so uptight, and so not like a real actress who could just f–k him and get things back on track.”
Expressing frustration over the casting decisions, Stone lamented that her suggestions for co-stars were overlooked in favor of Baldwin, mentioning Michael Douglas as a more suitable choice. “I didn’t have to f–k Michael Douglas,” she asserted. “Michael could come to work and know how to hit those marks, and do that line, and rehearse and show up. Now all of a sudden I’m in the ‘I have to f–k people’ business.”
While Stone initially detailed the incident in her 2021 memoir, “The Beauty of Living Twice,” she refrained from naming Evans or Baldwin at the time. In the memoir, she described Evans pacing his office while suggesting she engage in intimate relations with her co-star. Stone asserted her stance against the coercion, stating, “It was my job to act and I said so.”
Despite the controversy surrounding “Sliver,” which Stone deemed a flop, the film managed to gross $280 million at the box office. Robert Evans passed away in 2019 at the age of 89.
