Sharon Stone starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe in the 1995 film, The Quick and the Dead. In her 2021 memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice, Stone revealed how she helped Crowe and DiCaprio to land the roles in the film. It was reported by various news outlets that she paid the salaries of both actors. However, Stone recently clarified that she did not pay Russell Crowe’s salary for the film.
However, Stone did pay the salary of the Titanic actor as the studio was not ready to hire a relatively new actor in the role of ‘The Kid’. In a recent interview with E! News, DiCaprio expressed his gratitude for the Basic Instinct actress after she helped him early in his career.
Sharon Stone Clarified One Thing About Helping Russell Crowe Early In His Career
In her memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice, Sharon Stone shared the story of how she launched two of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood through her film, The Quick and the Dead. It was her first film as a producer and some of her decisions didn’t sit well with TriStar, the production house behind the film.
She revealed she had watched the Australian film, Romper Stomper, at the time and was impressed by the actor. She wanted him to play the lead in the film, which was an unpopular choice among the studio executives. The Australian guy turned out to be Russell Crowe, whose film gained international acclaim, grabbing the attention of a few, including Stone. Stone shared in her memoir (via THR):
“I wanted this guy they had never heard of for the other male lead, the Australian guy I had seen play a very dangerous skinhead in a movie called Romper Stomper. His name was Russell Crowe.”
Following the release of the memoir, several news reports suggested that Sharon Stone had paid the salary of the Unhinged actor. Stone finally took to Instagram to clarify the issue and debunked this rumor. While Crowe wasn’t a popular actor in Hollywood, he was known for his roles in Australian films and TV, including projects like Neighbours, The Crossing, and Blood Oath.
Stone shared on her Instagram that she didn’t pay Crowe’s salary, but she fought for the actor and delayed the film’s production to bring Crowe from Australia. She also added that former TriStar chairman and producer Mike Medavoy covered the expenses of the actor. However, Stone had to pay the salary of her other pick, Leonardo DiCaprio. Stone revealed on Instagram:
“To be clear about the Hollywood Reporter article: Yes, I paid @leonardodicaprio’s salary out of mine. No, I didn’t pay @russellcrowe’s, but I did ask for the film to be delayed two weeks so we could get him here from Australia, and our producer @mikemedavoyup agreed to the delay. And to cover those expenses.”
The studio was hellbent on casting a prominent actor for the role of The Kid. They considered Matt Damon at one point, however, Stone was impressed by another actor’s audition, who “came in and cried, begging his father to love him as he died in the scene.” Stone wanted DiCaprio in the role and the studio eventually asked her to “pay him out of [her] own salary.” (via Fox).
Russell Crowe Credited Sharon Stone For Making Him A Movie Star In The U.S.
In 2020, Russell Crowe revealed to Seth Meyers on his Late Night show that he was actively seeking an American gig after his role in Romper Stomper. However, the Thor: Love and Thunder actor did not find success for almost 18 months. He shared that it was only because of Sharon Stone that he got the role in the movie, as she had seen him in the Australian flick.
He further shared that casting him in the movie as Cort was not easy for Stone as she had to fight with the producers to cast a new actor in the lead. Crowe recalled that if it wasn’t for Stone’s “strength of commitment”, he would have struggled longer to land an American gig. Crowe revealed in Late Night with Seth Meyers (via People):
“She was kind of in a sword fight with the male producers on the film and she just put her foot down and said, ‘I’m going to hire the person I want to hire as the love interest.’ If it wasn’t for her strength of commitment, I don’t know how long it might have been before I got an American movie. I’ve got a lot to thank her for.”
While The Quick and the Dead made only $47 million against its $37 million budget, the film played a major role in the careers of these three actors. Sharon Stone went on to produce more than a dozen films, while Leonardo DiCaprio landed his breakout role in Titanic. Russell Crowe went on to star in the iconic film, L.A. Confidential, and later, won an Oscar for Gladiator.
The Quick and the Dead is now available for streaming on Paramount+.
