Actress Sharon Stone recently spoke out about her experience with the gender pay gap in Hollywood. During the New York Women In Film & Television’s 43rd annual Muse Awards lunch, Stone shared that she was paid $13.5 million less than her co-star Michael Douglas for their 1992 film Basic Instinct.
Stone explained, “Michael Douglas made $14 million. Now, I was new. I was new and he was a very big star…I only made $500,000 on the film.” She went on to recount the male-dominated environment she faced on set during explicit scenes. “When I would go to the set there would be 300 men, and my hair and makeup and dressers were men, when I was doing explicit scenes…It was all men and me.”
However, Stone also acknowledged the progress that has been made since then, saying, “Things have changed, and there are women in film now, and I am really grateful.” Despite this, the gender pay gap still persists in Hollywood, and Stone’s story sheds light on the need for continued efforts to achieve pay equity in the entertainment industry.