Everyone Knows This American Film Legend. Did You Spot Her in Her First Role?

Sharon Stone, renowned for her roles in Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct and Martin Scorsese’s Casino—which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress—began her illustrious career at the age of 21 in a black and white film that many may not have seen but in which her presence was already notable.

Do You Recognize Her?

The film in question is Stardust Memories, which was released in France in December 1980. Written, directed, and starred in by Woody Allen, Sharon Stone played the part of a “pretty girl on the train,” as listed in the credits. Her role was silent, yet she fully embraced the glamour, portraying a star holding a trophy and blowing a kiss to Allen’s character, who watches from a distance.

During a conference highlighted in the documentary Sharon Stone: Survival Instinct (available for free on ARTE until Saturday, April 12), the actress recounted her audition process for this debut role:

“I was broke, so I went to my auditions on roller skates. When it was my turn, the casting director took my photos and passed them behind her, then she said, ‘We’d like you to stay a bit, Woody would like to talk to you.'”

“I turned around and there was Woody Allen. I sat down next to him and he didn’t say anything. I stayed there for 20 minutes (…). I left on my roller skates and later got a call confirming I had the role in the film.”

A Woody Allen Film and Then What?

She would go on to play several leading roles in television and occasionally in films for over a decade before being hailed as a star for her portrayal of the wealthy and talented novelist Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct (1992), a role that would define much of her subsequent career, partly due to a famously controversial scene.

In recent years, she has worked with Steven Soderbergh (Mosaic, Laundromat) and has recently joined the cast of the hit series Euphoria, set to return in 2026. She will also appear in the action thriller Nobody 2 alongside Bob Odenkirk and the comedy In Memoriam with Judy Greer and Justin Long.