Sharon Stone discloses film mogul who allegedly instructed her to sleep with co-star
Stone claims that Paramount production head urged her to engage in sexual activity with William Baldwin
Sharon Stone has revealed the identity of the film producer she claims pressured her to sleep with her co-star during the making of the 1993 film Sliver to enhance his acting performance.
The actress alleges that Robert Evans, the Hollywood mogul who oversaw production at Paramount and passed away in 2019, instructed her to have a sexual encounter with William Baldwin.
Initially shared in her 2021 memoir without naming names, Stone disclosed the incident on the Louis Theroux podcast. She recounted Evans’ assertion that she needed to address Baldwin’s subpar acting in the film, which revolves around a woman discovering secrets among tenants in a prestigious New York City apartment building.
“[Evans] was running around his office in sunglasses, saying that he had slept with Ava Gardner and that I should sleep with Billy Baldwin, as it would improve his performance,” Stone recalled.
According to Stone, Evans implied that if she slept with Baldwin, their on-screen chemistry would improve, thus rescuing the film. She expressed frustration with being labelled as uptight and incapable of handling the situation like a “real actress.”
Stone gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s through roles in successful films such as Total Recall, Casino, and Basic Instinct, opposite Michael Douglas.
The actress attributes poor casting decisions to studio executives. She contrasted her experience with Douglas, who she says was able to perform without such demands. “Now suddenly I’m in the business of having to sleep with people,” Stone lamented.
Stone also claimed that she faced repercussions in her career after her role in Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film Casino, for which she received an Oscar nomination. She alleged that director Francis Ford Coppola warned her that she wouldn’t win, citing biases within the industry.
Despite Coppola’s caution, Stone attended the Oscars but left without a trophy. She believes her career suffered afterward, with few significant roles offered to her.
Subsequently, Stone appeared in various films, including Catwoman and Basic Instinct 2, but felt overlooked by the industry.
She believes Hollywood deliberately hindered her success, attributing it to various excuses such as her perceived coldness or difficulty to work with.
Transitioning to television, Stone took on roles in series like Mosaic and Agent X, where she also served as an executive producer.
In 2015, Stone criticised the gender pay gap in the industry, reflecting on her own experiences of being paid significantly less than her male counterparts.
