Producers of "Casino" alleged Sharon Stone's personal reputation impacted her chances of winning an Oscar.
Sharon Stone rose to fame with her provocative role in the 1993 erotic thriller, Basic Instinct, alongside Michael Douglas. The film was a box office hit and is known for presenting sexuality in mainstream cinema. Stone's character, Catherine Tramell, became particularly noteworthy due to the iconic scene where Douglas' character questions her while she deliberately uncovers her lack of underwear under her skirt.
The role in Basic Instinct significantly boosted Stone's chances of bagging an Academy Award, according to her. During a recent interview, she discussed the impact of the role during the 1996 awards season, hinting that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences might have held reservations about her winning for her impressive performance in Casino.
Casino was inspired by the life of Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, a casino manager linked to the Chicago Outfit in the 1970s and 1980s. The film, which also starred Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, saw Stone play Ginger McKenna, a former prostitute who bears a child with De Niro’s character.
Stone's Big Win in Casino
Critics lauded Stone for her performance in Casino. While De Niro and Pesci also received acclaim, the limelight was predominantly on Stone as they were seen reprising roles similar to those in Scorsese's 1990 mob biopic, Goodfellas.
Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan wrote in his 1995 review, "Since both De Niro and Pesci, skilled as they are, essentially reprise previous work, the film does the most for Stone, who displays star quality and a feral intensity that is the equal of what the boys are putting down."
Wanting to be recognized as a leading lady in Hollywood, Stone aimed to have the Casino producers campaign for her as Best Actress for the Academy Awards. However, she was advised that her chances of winning would be higher in the Best Supporting Actress category.
"I was really taken aback. They told me, 'We can put you up for Supporting Actress, and you'll win the Oscar,'" Stone revealed in a recent interview on the iHeartRadio podcast, Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi.
"You can't win as a leading lady. They'll never let a leading lady win an Oscar, it was me," Stone noted about the lasting influence of her Basic Instinct performance.
True to the producers' advice, Stone insisted on being nominated for Best Actress in a competitive category that included Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility), Meryl Streep (The Bridges of Madison County), Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), and winner Susan Sarandon for her role in Dead Man Walking.
Notable Las Vegas Movies
Casino is one of the most revered movies set in Las Vegas. Other worthwhile films based in Sin City include Ocean’s Eleven, Rain Man, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Leaving Las Vegas, Swingers, and The Hangover.
Mark Wahlberg, who moved to Las Vegas last fall, hopes to establish Southern Nevada as a significant movie production hub. The A-lister aims to create "Hollywood 2.0" in Vegas with a major motion-picture studio.
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