Why Sharon Stone's Thoughts on Meryl Streep Are Raising Eyebrows Across the Internet

After a reporter started to ask about Meryl Streep, Sharon Stone made it clear in no uncertain terms that she didn't appreciate how the question was worded.

By Ryan Gajewski Jun 23, 2021 1:29 AMTags
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A recent Sharon Stone interview clearly ended up going in a direction that the reporter wasn't expecting. 

While promoting her recent memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice, the 63-year-old actress took part in a Zoomer interview that was published last month before suddenly picking up social media attention on Tuesday, June 22 for her extensive comments about Meryl Streep

During the sit-down, the interviewer cited a line from Sharon's book in which the Basic Instinct star addressed women competing for Hollywood jobs by writing, "It was put to us that there could be room for only one."

The reporter then started to ask, "So when you finally got to work with Meryl Streep, you realized...," but Sharon cut her off and took issue with the question's wording. 

"I like the way you phrase that, that I finally got to work with Meryl Streep," the Ratched actress shared. "You didn't say, 'Meryl finally got to work with Sharon Stone.' Or we finally got to work together."

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Sharon continued, "The way you structured the question is very much the answer to the question. The business was set up that we should all envy and admire Meryl because only Meryl got to be the good one. And everyone should compete against Meryl. I think Meryl is an amazingly wonderful woman and actress. But in my opinion, quite frankly, there are other actresses equally as talented as Meryl Streep. The whole Meryl Streep iconography is part of what Hollywood does to women."

The Total Recall star went on to list other performers she believes should also be in the same category as Meryl, who has earned a record-setting 21 Oscar nominations. "Viola Davis is every bit the actress Meryl Streep is," Sharon said. "Emma Thompson. Judy Davis. Olivia Colman. Kate Winslet, for f--k's sake. But you say Meryl, and everybody falls on the floor."

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival/VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

Sharon, who earned an Oscar nomination for her role in 1995's Casino, added, "I'm a much better villain than Meryl, and I'm sure she'd say so. Meryl was not gonna be good in Basic Instinct or in Casino. I would be better. And I know it. And she knows it. But we're all set up to think that only Meryl is so amazing that when you say her name it must have been amazing for me to work with her."

She continued to use the 72-year-old Devil Wears Prada standout's name while criticizing Hollywood for sorting women into types. "We all have to sit in our assigned seats," Sharon went on. "Are you kidding me? If we worked in a supermarket, she can't always be the No. 1 checkout girl. We're all doing our jobs. Everybody gets to get better, and everybody gets to sometimes have that not great a day. Even … Meryl."

Additionally, the actress expressed that the #MeToo movement hasn't yet gone far enough and that—you knew her name was coming up again—Meryl is an example of someone who could do more to ruffle feathers. 

"Harassment is everywhere," Sharon said. "Until there are real laws, #MeToo was just the opening sentence. I'm sure Meryl has a story. But I'm also sure if Meryl told you her story, she wouldn't be being Meryl, and she wouldn't be getting those jobs. Meryl can't be the envelope pusher. Because then she wouldn't get the jobs. Meryl's a smoother. That's what she does."

Meryl, who is not active on social media, has yet to publicly address Sharon's comments.