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The studios have major control over who stars in a certain film. If these wishes aren't met and if things go array, it can be a very bad situation for the actor... We've seen multiple examples of this in the past, like Keanu Reeves getting banned for not appearing in Speed 2.The same holds true when a studio doesn't want a particular name. When Jim Carrey continued to push for Jeff Daniels, the studio tried to give Daniels a low ball offer of $50,000 to get him out of the running. The only problem, Daniels took the offer and as they say, the rest is history.Heck, even recently, Dwayne Johnson admitted that Superman returning to DC was in large part, because of a change at the DC studio.Sharon Stone faced similar circumstances back in 1995. She was adamant on casting certain individuals and in turn, it got her an eight-year ban with the studio. Let's take a look at how it all went down.
Hollywood Tried Changing Sharon Stone Into A Feminine Character
Although Sharon Stone turned into a household name, like everyone else, she underwent some struggles along the way - especially in terms of her image.
According to Sharon, at the start, Hollywood was always trying to change her. “In Los Angeles, they were always trying to make me very feminine. ‘Don’t be so aggressive, Sharon. Don’t be so loud, don’t have so many opinions."
Stone credits Paul Verhoeven for being one of the few early on to really appreciate her look. "With him, I went in looking like a 9-foot tall Viking. He said: ‘You are big, you are strong. I like that.’ We were on," she recalls with Variety.
Stone's breakout turned to be Basic Instinct. However, Sharon recalls not being ready for the amount of fame that came with it, as it all came at once.
"We went in, saw the movie, came out and it was pandemonium. Everyone has this idea that they want to be a movie star, but when it actually happens, you go: ‘Holy ****.’ One day, you are driving down the street, you stop at the ‘stop’ sign and nobody cares. A week later, 30 people climb on top of your car. And you go: ‘Do I drive? Will they fall off?’ You don’t know what the rules are anymore.”
Three years later, Sharon Stone was starring and produced the film, The Quick and the Dead. The actress had demands, which the studio did not enjoy.
The Studio Didn't Like Sharon Stone's Casting Requests For The Quick And The Dead
The Quick and the Dead had a budget of $35 million. However, taking on the role as a producer, Sharon Stone had several requests for the film. Among them, included getting Sam Raimi onboard as a director, while also getting roles for both Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. This did not sit well with the studio and Stone was punished for it.
She recalls alongside Variety, “I had so much resistance on that movie. I wanted Leo DiCaprio: ‘Pay him out of your own money.’ I wanted Russell Crowe: ‘Why do you want this guy who has only played a skinhead before?’ I wanted Sam Raimi to direct: ‘Sharon, why do you always shoot yourself in the foot?’ They banned me from the studio for eight years after that,” she said.
The film wound up receiving mixed reviews along with tame numbers at the box office. Nonetheless, despite being put into movie jail, Sharon Stone did just fine and in addition, she launched someone else's career with the film.
Sharon Stone Changed Russell Crowe's Career Thanks To The Film
Sharon Stone played a major role in getting Russell Crowe started. Speaking alongside People, the actor admitted had it not been for Stone, his career might not be the same.
It took lots of auditions to finally breakthrough, "It took me probably about 18 months or more and literally hundreds and hundreds of meetings before I actually got an American gig," he added. "I only got it because Sharon Stone had seen a movie I was in."
According to Crowe, Stone was adamant about getting him onboard, despite the studio wanting otherwise.
"She was kind of in a sword fight with the male producers on the film and she just put her foot down and said, 'I'm going to hire the person I want to hire as the love interest,'" Crowe recalled.
"If it wasn't for her strength of commitment, I don't know how long it might have been before I got an American movie. I've got a lot to thank her for."
Kudos to Stone for going against the grain.