Sharon Stone explains her provocative leg crossing in ‘Basic Instinct’: “I was punished for my sexuality”

Share Stone became a global star in the 1990s thanks to hit films like “Total Recall,” “Basic Instinct,” “The Quick and the Dead” and “Casino.” Now 67, she continues to break barriers in Hollywood. Her breakout role in Paul Verhoeven’s erotic thriller remains one of her most acclaimed performances, and her provocative leg cross is still seen as a boundary-pushing moment. According to Stone, the gesture carried far more meaning than people realized. In an interview with the BBC, she said, “It was very uncommon.”

Reclaiming space for women in Hollywood

More than 30 years after the release of “Basic Instinct,” Stone says she feels compelled to speak about what the role meant to her as a woman and as an actor taking on a character that was groundbreaking for the time. Being labeled a Hollywood sex symbol, she says, allowed her to raise significant amounts of money for organizations focused on HIV support and research.

“I am really proud that I took this idea that was made up in the movie, that I was really sexy, and used it to fight a disease where people were punished for their sexuality, because I was punished for mine,” Stone said.

So what did that now iconic leg-crossing scene mean to her? Much more than a shocking moment on screen.

“It wasn’t just the fact that I did a scene where I crossed my legs, but also that I showed my bare armpits, so all kinds of boundaries were expanded for women,” she said. “But most of it was the character I played took ownership of her sexuality and that was so unusual.”

How Hollywood has shifted since the 1990s

Stone says the film industry has changed significantly in ways that benefit women, especially compared to how she felt during her peak in the 1990s. At the time, she said, “Women were performing the fantasy of men,” referring to the men who held power across every level of the industry. That dynamic often led her to disagree with how certain characters were framed.

“I think we are reaching a point where women are portraying how a woman would act in those circumstances,” Stone said.

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