Michael Douglas has discussed the use of intimacy coordinators on film sets.
In a new interview, the iconic actor, 79, insisted that in his heyday – the late 1980s and early 1990s – actors themselves would ‘take care of those that overstep boundaries.’
Michael also explained how such behaviours would result in a negative reputation for the perpetrator, which would ‘take care of them.’
With the rise of modern safeguarding measures, the Basic Instincts star admitted that has indeed mused on their inclusion in the TV and movie industries.
Michael revealed how he and women he acted with in ‘sexual movies’ have joked about what working with an intimacy coordinator would have been like.
Michael Douglas, 79, has discussed the use of intimacy coordinators, insisting that in his heyday actors themselves would ‘take care of those that overstep boundaries’
The actor explained how such behaviours resulted in a negative reputation for the perpetrator, which would ‘take care of them’ (Pictured with Sharon Stone, 66, in 1992 film Basic Instinct)
Speaking to The Telegraph, Michael said: ‘I’m sure there were people that overstepped their boundaries, but before, we seemed to take care of that ourselves. They would get a reputation and that would take care of them.
‘But I talked to the ladies, [because] I did a few of those sex movies – sexual movies – and we joke about it now, what it would have been like to have an intimacy coordinator working with us…’.
Michael’s comments come a month after his Basic Instincts co-star Sharon Stone, 66, revealed the identity of the producer who pressured her to have sex with an actor.
She also revealed the actor she was pushed to get intimate with in order to improve their on-screen chemistry.
The actress previously discussed the situation in her 2021 memoir – without disclosing identities – but has now divulged that the producer was Robert Evans, the actor was Alec Baldwin’s brother Billy, and the film was Sliver in 1993.
Robert, who died in 2019, was also a producer on Chinatown and The Cotton Club, and headed production at Paramount for The Godfather, The Italian Job, True Grit and The Great Gatsby.
Sliver was Sharon’s next movie after achieving huge success and megastardom in the previous year’s hit Basic Instinct.
Speaking on Louis Theroux’s podcast, she said: ‘They expected me to bring home another giant smash hit and they gave me casting approval and they gave me all these approvals, but then when it came time for me to do it they told me it was a vanity deal and I couldn’t have my approvals.
Michael’s comments come after his Basic Instincts co-star Sharon Stone revealed producer Robert Evans pressured her to have sex with actor Billy Baldwin (Pictured in 1993 film Sliver)
Shortly after Sharon’s revelation in the Louis Theroux podcast was released, Billy hit back at her on X, formerly Twitter
‘Then they started to try to blame me for their mistakes, and they made terrible mistakes in the way that they hired directors and cast.’
She said former actor turned producer Evans summoned her from filming to his office to make the request for her to sleep with leading man William Baldwin – one of four acting brothers, and more widely known as Billy – off set.
She said: ‘He called me to his office. He had these very low seventies, eighties couches, so I’m essentially sitting on the floor, when I should have been on set.
‘And he’s running around his office in sunglasses explaining to me that he slept with Ava Gardner and I should sleep with Billy Baldwin, because if I slept with Billy Baldwin, Billy Baldwin’s performance would get better.
‘And we needed Billy to get better in the movie because that was the problem.
‘And if I could sleep with Billy then we’d have chemistry on screen, and if I would just have sex with him then that would save the movie, and the real problem with the movie was me because I was so uptight, and so not like a real actress who could just f**k him and get things back on track. The real problem was I was such a tight a**e.’
Sharon said on hearing his demand she just thought how he hadn’t listened to the list of actors that she had suggested for Baldwin’s part of Zeke Hawkins, and was frustrated that the film’s bosses expected her to go from co-starring with Michael Douglas in Basic Instinct to Baldwin.
She added: ‘I didn’t have to f**k Michael Douglas. Michael could come to work and know how to hit those marks, and do that line, and rehearse and show up. Now all of a sudden I’m in the “I have to f**k people” business.’
Shortly after the podcast was released, Billy hit back at Sharon on X, formerly Twitter, writing: ‘Not sure why Sharon Stone keep talking about me all these years later?
‘Does she still have a crush on me or is she still hurt after all these years because I shunned her advances? Did she say to her gal pal Janice Dickinson the day after I screen tested and ran into them on our MGM Grand flight back to New York… “I’m gonna make him fall so hard for me, it’s gonna make his head spin.” ???
‘I have so much dirt on her it would make her head spin but I’ve kept quiet.’
He continued: ‘The story of the meeting I had with Bob Evans imploring him allow me to choreograph the final sex scene in the photo below so I wouldn’t have to kiss Sharon is absolute legend.
‘Wonder if I should write a book and tell the many, many disturbing, kinky and unprofessional tales about Sharon? That might be fun.’
Janice has refuted his claims in an exclusive statement to DailyMail.com, in which she claimed she has no recollection of such conversation ever taking place.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
