Sharon Stone had to turn herself into a sex symbol in order to be successful in Hollywood.
The 61-year-old star has claimed that early on in her career actresses had to be deemed "f***able" by studio executives in order to get parts and revealed that to become more "employable" she did a "strategically planned" racy Playboy shoot in 1990 to coincide with the release of sci-fi thriller ‘Total Recall’ – in which she appeared opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger – to change the perception of her as an actress.
The decision worked as it led to her being cast in her most famous role in 1992 erotic thriller ‘Basic Instinct’, in which she stripped off and had sex in numerous scenes with leading man Michael Douglas.
In an interview with Vogue Portugal, she said: "When I entered the business the term ‘f***able’ was used to see if you were employable. The studio executives sat around a large table and discussed whether or not each of us was in fact ‘f***able’. They thought I was not. I gave this some hard thought as I wanted to work, so I did a strategically planned a semi-naked Playboy shoot. Did I fit the part? Obviously not.
"Did I use my brain to figure out how to appear ‘f***able’? You bet … But I didn’t and I don’t [feel like a sex symbol]."
Continuing to expose the sexism she has experienced in Hollywood, Sharon went on to recall an unnamed director she worked with on 2006’s ‘Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction’ claiming he insisted she sat on his lap each day so he could give her his instructions.
When asked if there were any films she hated shooting, she said: "I loved doing most of my films. Hated? Well, I worked with a director on ‘Basic Instinct 2’ who asked me to sit on his lap each day to receive his direction, and when I refused he wouldn’t shoot me.
"This went on for weeks. I had a two-week-old baby when this started. I can say we all hated that and I think the film reflects the quality of the atmosphere we all worked in. Most movies are written by men, made by men, created by men, and thought with a male mentality. Never considering how women really are, how we think and how we feel. That’s why a lot of my characters are drunk, addicted or crazy."
Sharon Stone had to create a sexy image to make it in Hollywood
