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Sharon Stone reveals she’s ‘fragile’ and complete opposite from her roles in Basic Instinct and Euphoria

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Amy CavenderThe West Australian
Sharon Stone recently featured In a new Power of Women cover story for Variety.
Camera IconSharon Stone recently featured In a new Power of Women cover story for Variety. Credit: Ramona Rosales/Variety

American actress Sharon Stone is known primarily for playing femme fatales, but in a recent interview she’s revealed that behind the iconic roles she’s far more fragile than people realise.

Stone has made more than 40 movies, including Martin Scorsese’s 1995 “Casino,” opposite Robert De Niro. She’s also appeared on TV, including recently as a Hollywood executive opposite Sydney Sweeney in Season 3 of “Euphoria.”

One of her most iconic roles came as Catherine Tramell in the 1992 erotic thriller Basic Instinct, with the character’s infamous police interrogation scene becoming one of the film’s most enduring moments.

Speaking to Variety, Stone admitted that she credits the Tramell role for creating an air of fear around her, especially when she was being interviewed by the press.

“They were terrified, and they would sit down opposite me and panic. That hasn’t changed; people are still terrified of me in one way or another,” she said.

### ONE TIME USE ONLY; MUST RUN COVER WITH INSIDE PICS; MUST CREDIT PHOTOGRAPHER, Ramona Rosales for Variety; ONLINE USE MUST LINK BACK TO - https://variety.com/2026/film/features/sharon-stone-interview-sydney-sweeney-pay-sex-psychos-1236860361/ ### In a new Power of Women cover story for Variety, Sharon Stone speaks with Trish Deitch and Tiana DeNicola on “Euphoria,” Sydney Sweeney’s lingerie line, the troubling issue that prevented her from directing, people being afraid of her, “Basic Instinct,” bringing a live bat to school for show-and-tell, and more Picture: Ramona Rosales for Variety
Camera Icon### ONE TIME USE ONLY; MUST RUN COVER WITH INSIDE PICS; MUST CREDIT PHOTOGRAPHER, Ramona Rosales for Variety; ONLINE USE MUST LINK BACK TO - https://variety.com/2026/film/features/sharon-stone-interview-sydney-sweeney-pay-sex-psychos-1236860361/ ### In a new Power of Women cover story for Variety, Sharon Stone speaks with Trish Deitch and Tiana DeNicola on “Euphoria,” Sydney Sweeney’s lingerie line, the troubling issue that prevented her from directing, people being afraid of her, “Basic Instinct,” bringing a live bat to school for show-and-tell, and more Ramona Rosales for Variety Credit: Ramona Rosales for Variety/Ramona Rosales for Variety

“I think that the basic construct of a woman declaring herself as separate and indomitable was, and remains, a terrifying construct.”

Yet when asked how she feels when people say they’re afraid of her, she explained that it is often hard for others to see her vulnerabilities.

“It’s very hard for people to understand that I’m a fragile, physically little, delicate, shy, private, loner, gentle, very empathetic artist. Not at all like that character, nothing to do with that character,” she said.

Sharon Stone speaks with Trish Deitch and Tiana DeNicola at Variety.
Camera IconSharon Stone speaks with Trish Deitch and Tiana DeNicola at Variety. Credit: Ramona Rosales/Variety

She also talked about her role in Euphoria, where she played an executive opposite Sydney Sweeny’s controversial sex worker role.

“I tried to get Sydney Sweeney’s character to stop being a cam girl and to come and work for me on the series I was producing called “L.A. Nights.” And she agreed to stop being a cam girl — which she didn’t do. As you can see from Sydney’s new lingerie line, it didn’t take,” she said.

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