It’s often quite a female thing, queuing for premieres, but tonight’s crowd outside the Vue Leicester Square was one made up mainly of men. The only feminine side they were getting in touch with being fond memories of Sharon Stone uncrossing her legs in Basic Instinct and, unsurprisingly, the premiere of its sequel lured them all back for a second helping.
It was a weird atmosphere. Usually the star is the last one to arrive but after an hour of PRs reverently updating reporters on the star’s whereabouts - ‘Sharon’s left the hotel. She’s on the red carpet. She – oh look, there she is over there.” – she was the first one there, meaning that half the cast of Eastenders, Jodie Marsh, some bloke from GMTV and a couple of shoe designers got higher billing.
Nevertheless she looked marvellous, glittery of leg and hidden behind some massive diamond-encrusted shades. “It’s so bright out!” she explained. “Everyone’s been so kind, they’ve been waiting and it’s freezing, they’re just gorgeous. So dear to stand out there. “ Stone said one of the main reasons she went back to Basic Instinct was the script – “wonderful” – and that she wanted to portray a mature woman as a sexual being. Here comes the science bit: “We become more present and more ourselves. Our sexuality becomes more full and I hope I brought that to the character: I tried to make (the role) more full and deeper and more layered.”
We also managed to nab Stone’s co-star David Morrissey, looking slightly dazed from all the flashbulbs. “It’s great, everyone’s really friendly,” he said. Bit of a change from the artiness of Stoned isn’t it? “I was hoping for a bit of a crossover in this one!” he laughed.
And here’s director Michael Caton-Jones. Hard-hitting Rwandan drama Shooting Dogs and now Basic Instinct 2. Explain yourself sir! “Money. Really! I’m a professional film director. I have two films out on the same day and they are as extremely different as it is possible to be. I don’t want to make the same film again and again so I try to jump to something that’s quite different.” How was working with Sharon Stone? “The size of the star doesn’t really interest me, I’m completely left cold by it. For me it’s very simple, she’s got a part to play and I can help her be good in it. If she screws around with me then I can help her be bad in it.” Ouch! So did she? “She was great because she was right for this role.”
We’d love to tell you how this evening ended, but despite most of the guestlist seeming to be absent (or at the least, heavily shy of the red carpet), no press were allowed. Let’s hope Sharon, Pete, Jodie and their giant accessories had a terrific time.