Sharon Stone, Billy Baldwin and the Sliver feud that won't die

The controversy that persists to this day was caused by a coke-addicted producer, numerous sex scenes that went against censors' standards, and two stars who harbored intense animosity towards each other.

Sharon Stone has never shied away from controversy since she rose to fame with her memorable performance in Basic Instinct. However, her latest revelation about producer Robert Evans attempting to persuade her to have sex with her Sliver co-star Billy Baldwin for a better performance has left people stunned. This is just one of the astonishing incidents that Stone has encountered throughout her career in the film industry. She has previously described Evans as a strange and inappropriate individual.

According to her memory, Evans requested that Stone engage in a specific behavior while filming the movie in 1993. The request was made in order for Billy Baldwin's acting to improve, as his performance was perceived as problematic. Stone declined the request, which apparently led to both Evans and Baldwin causing her significant distress. All of this occurred in an attempt to make a mediocre erotic thriller more enticing, as it attempted to ride on the coattails of Stone's success in Basic Instinct. The resulting feud between the parties involved has been one of the most contentious and prolonged in the history of Hollywood, marked by unpleasant and often amusing rumors and details, and it has yet to come to a resolution.

Because the two actors disliked each other so much outside of filming, the movie was altered to minimize their interactions during romantic scenes. It was highly unlikely that Evans' desires would be respected due to the extremely negative dynamic between Baldwin and Stone.

In her 2021 book, The Beauty of Living Twice, Stone spoke about a not-so-pleasant event she went through. She mentioned an unknown producer who suggested that she have relations with her co-star in order to have better on-screen chemistry. Stone responded to this with the belief that no one is that skilled in bed.

She stated unequivocally that she did not have sexual relations with the other actor involved, and she mentioned both Evans and Baldwin in her appearance on the Louis Theroux podcast. The producer tried to attribute the lack of chemistry on screen to Stone's performance. According to her recollection, "The root cause of the movie's issues was me. I was too nervous and not like a seasoned actress who could just have sex with her co-star and fix things. The main issue was my uptight behavior."

Baldwin did not handle the criticism well. In response to Sharon Stone's comments, he took to X and questioned why she was still talking about him years later. He suggested that she may still have feelings for him or was upset by his rejection of her. Baldwin also claimed that Stone had said she would make him fall for her and was prepared to reveal damaging information about her, including strange, inappropriate behavior. He even hinted at the possibility of writing a book about their experiences together.

Baldwin might have to consider taking action, since his profession has not reached the same level of success as Stone's. After Sliver, she continued to collaborate with Martin Scorsese on Casino (and even received an Oscar nomination), but Baldwin's most noteworthy role after that was a satirical appearance in the 2008 comedy film Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Nonetheless, he is still pursuing acting and was last seen in the Serbian television series South Wind.

In 2019, Robert Evans passed away after living a lengthy and exciting life. He experienced both notable achievements, such as overseeing the creation of popular movies like The Godfather, Chinatown, and Marathon Man, as well as unfortunate events, like being found guilty of cocaine trafficking in 1980 and later working on less impressive films. One of his most renowned works is his autobiography, The Kid Stays in the Picture, which is a well-known memoir in the film industry. However, it does not touch on his role in Sliver or his connection with Stone.

In theory, the movie was meant to be a spectacular return to greatness for Evans. The story was adapted from a popular novel by Ira Levin, whose book "Rosemary's Baby" had been successfully adapted into a film by Evans. Evans's agent directed him to do whatever it takes to secure this project. The plot centered around a book editor from New York who becomes romantically involved with a charming video game designer and a mysterious author. She then tries to unravel a murder case that occurred in the building where she currently resides.

The presentation was enthralling, unique, and concluded with a provocative ending that insinuated the murderer got away, much like in the movie Basic Instinct. Evans utilized a combination of persuasion and coercion to acquire the rights from Levin for a total of $500,000. With the finalized agreement, he was able to make his way back to the Paramount lot, despite his previous notoriety after being caught with drugs.

Initially, everything was going smoothly. Evans recruited Joe Eszterhas, the screenwriter for the well-known movie Basic Instinct, for a cost that was less than 33% of his typical $3 million fee. After Roman Polanski, the director of Rosemary's Baby, declined to work on another Levin production because of his inability to go back to the United States, due to an extradition order against him, Evans engaged Phillip Noyce, the director of movies such as Dead Calm and Patriot Games, who had previously demonstrated his talent for creating suspenseful films.

Sliver needed a renowned actor to star in the lead role. To convince Sharon Stone to take on the part, Evan utilized his charm and determination. Stone and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas had formed a friendship while working to combat negative reviews of Basic Instinct. Rumor has it that the pair even began a romantic relationship during the filming of the movie. However, Stone was hesitant to accept the role in Sliver. According to director Phillip Noyce, she was concerned about being typecast and knew that the character of Carli Norris would not have the same impact as her famous character Catherine Tramell. This made things difficult as having a lead who wasn't enthusiastic about the film could present challenges.

Eszterhas convinced her to take the role. During a meeting with Noyce, they noticed the close relationship between the main actress and writer. At one point, Sharon started massaging Joe and he was enjoying it. Evans used a trick by saying that other famous actresses like Demi Moore and Geena Davis wanted the role if she declined it. He promised her that if the film was successful, she would be highly valued in the industry. He compared Basic Instinct to the appetizer and Sliver to the main course. Later on, he confessed that he never even offered the script to Moore or Davis.

Stone was convinced to participate, agreeing to a payment of $2.5 million and a budget of $33 million. Tom Berenger, who had been nominated for an Oscar for his role in Platoon, and Baldwin, who was in high demand due to the success of films like Backdraft and Flatliners, were chosen to co-star alongside Stone. If Sliver was successful, both Stone and Baldwin would become major Hollywood stars.

The connection shown on screen between them was very important. Stone's preference was to have an unknown actor, Brad Pitt, play alongside her. This shows her great ability to select rising stars, like her insistence on Leonardo DiCaprio being cast in her western movie, The Quick and the Dead. However, Noyce did not agree with her choice. He had already developed an affinity for William Baldwin. Noyce valued Baldwin's acting style that was both mysterious and controlled. But eventually, he came to realize that his initial decision was not a wise one.

At first, Stone sympathized with Baldwin. She had a great rapport with her co-star Michael Douglas from Basic Instinct and wanted to recreate their dynamic in Sliver. She even joked on set that she had to calm the men down before filming intimate scenes. However, she was let down by Baldwin's lack of experience. Stone revealed to the New Yorker that Baldwin was young and had no idea what was going on with the "monster men" on set. She spoke in a way that studio people would understand, but Baldwin was still inexperienced. They put him in a difficult situation that he wasn't ready for.

She attempted to maintain a professional demeanor and recommended that they collaborate on their scenes together in her trailer. However, Baldwin, who was under Evans' influence, misunderstood her intentions. In hindsight, she remembers that he was attempting to behave properly but didn't comprehend that she genuinely wanted to concentrate on their scenes. Their scenes presented alternative realities that both of them found challenging.

The connection between the actors faded away, and their relationship became tense. Stone made it clear that she wanted to film her close-ups with a different person instead of her disliked co-star. Baldwin joked after a love scene he didn't enjoy that Stone had unattractive lips and bad breath. He pleaded with Evans to let him plan the final sex scene so he wouldn't have to kiss Stone during it.

On the other hand, she inquired as to why Evans had not bothered to recruit a skilled or even slightly proficient co-star who could perform well and recall lines accurately. Eszterhas stated that during a personal scene, Stone had bitten Baldwin's tongue so intensely that he encountered problems speaking for several days, causing her to respond, "I find it amusing. I knew Joe was amusing, but I never expected him to be skilled in writing comedy."

The production of the film had some problems besides the issues between Stone and Baldwin. The budget started at $33 million but quickly increased to $40 million, and some people speculated that it could have even reached $50 million. The situation was not helped by the fact that the original ending, which was meant to be bold and thought-provoking, was changed at the last moment. According to the director, the original ending featured the two lovers flying over a volcano in Hawaii, and the film ended on an impressionistic note as if they were headed straight for the molten lava, which added to the erotic atmosphere of the characters.

The movie, Sliver, wasn't well-liked by the studio or test audiences. The director, Noyce, expected this because the audience wasn't expecting an artistic ending. In the original script, Baldwin's character was supposed to be the killer, and Stone's character was so in love with him that it didn't matter. However, the studio made a hasty decision to change the ending, and Berenger became the murderer instead. This decision removed any sort of moral ambiguity or interest from the movie.

In simpler terms, Berenger became frustrated with the unprofessional behavior of his co-workers and director. During reshoots, he confronted Noyce about his sneaky tactics while Evans remained anxious and encouraging from the sidelines. When asked about his relationship with Stone, Berenger was hesitant to give a direct answer. He praised her acting abilities, but also acknowledged that she can be difficult to work with and not someone he would want to live with. Despite this, he still expressed interest in working with her again, although it never happened.

After Sliver was finished, the sexual scenes were too explicit for the MPAA (a ratings board in America). They said the movie would get an NC-17 rating (which usually means fewer people can see it), unless it was changed. Evans, the producer, was worried about this and said, "Forget them! Let's just go for the NC-17." But then he had a heart attack (probably from the stress and his cocaine use). Noyce, the director, stayed calm and edited the movie 110 times to make it more appropriate for an R rating (which means more people can see it).

Ultimately, Sliver was successful at the box office due to Stone's ability to attract audiences, but it earned significantly less than Basic Instinct. The movie was met with negative reviews, with many believing that Stone was not well-suited for her role as a reserved book editor and the sexual content was heavily criticized. In particular, a scene depicting Stone masturbating in a bathtub while being watched on CCTV by Baldwin received significant backlash. Regardless, those involved in the film brushed off the negative reception and moved on, although Baldwin was never able to launch a successful career as a leading actor. However, even after three decades since Sliver's release, the tension between him and Stone remains more interesting and riveting than anything shown on the screen.