Sharon Stone was the talk of Twitter on Tuesday after she went viral for suggesting three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep was overrated in an interview last month.
The Basic Instinct star, 63, who won Best Actress Oscar for Casino in 1996, spoke to Everything Zoomer, where she claimed there were many actresses who were the equal of Meryl, 72, but they never achieved the fame or acclaim that she had.
Twitter users and film fans were quick to join in with praise for Sharon's own acclaimed career, though Meryl's body of work had plenty of defenders - despite Sharon stating: 'You say Meryl and everyone falls on the floor'.
She went on to boast in the interview: '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.'
Not holding back: Sharon Stone was the talk of Twitter on Tuesday after an interview snippet of her suggesting three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep was overrated went viral
While Sharon was making bold claims about their comparative skills, the awards seem to speak for themselves with their contrasting success.
She won the Best Actress gong in 1996 for Casino, while Meryl won the same award in 1983 for Sophie's Choice and 2012 for The Iron Lady. She scored the gong for Kramer vs. Kramer in 1979 for Best Supporting Actress.
Sharon's comments came after interviewer Johanna Schneller brought up her memoir The Beauty Of Living Twice, released in March, and referenced a line about how Hollywood forces women to compete for a small number of roles.
She wrote in her book: 'It was put to us that there could be room for only one.'
Schneller then asked about when Sharon 'finally got to work with Meryl Streep' on Steven Soderbergh's Netflix film The Laundromat, but she thought the question illustrated her point.
She said: 'I like the way you phrase that, that I finally got to work with Meryl Streep. You didn’t say, 'Meryl finally got to work with Sharon Stone." Or we finally got to work together.'
Starring role: Sharon won Best Actress Oscar for Casino in 1996 (pictured, left, in the film) and Meryl won in 1979 for Kramer vs. Kramer (pictured, right, accepting her award)
The record: Sharon's comments came after interviewer Johanna Schneller brought up her memoir and referenced a line about how Hollywood forces women to compete for a small number of roles; Streep seen in The Laundromat
Sharon continued: 'Because that’s the way her life went, she got built up to be, ‘Everyone wants to work with Meryl." I wonder if she likes that?'
The Casino star added that she thought other actresses were constantly pitted against Meryl.
She said: '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.'
To prove her point that Streep wasn't necessarily the top star in her field, Sharon listed off other actress that she considered her equal.
Meaningful phrasing: Schneller asked about when Sharon 'finally got to work with Meryl Streep' on Steven Soderbergh's The Laundromat, but she thought the question illustrated her point; Sharon and Meryl in The Laundromat
Awkward: 'I like the way you phrase that, that I finally got to work with Meryl Streep,' Stone said. 'You didn’t say, 'Meryl finally got to work with Sharon Stone." Or we finally got to work together'
'Viola Davis is every bit the actress Meryl Streep is. Emma Thompson. Judy Davis. Olivia Colman. Kate Winslet, for f***’s sake. But you say Meryl and everybody falls on the floor,' she said.
That portion of the interview was shared on Tuesday by a Twitter user who captioned the shot: 'Sharon stone out there ending her own career…'
But plenty of people defended Sharon's statements about Meryl and how Hollywood treats other actress, even though it's rare for stars to so openly express any negative sentiment about another actor.
Sharing the news: That portion of the interview was shared on Tuesday by a Twitter user who captioned it, 'sharon stone out there ending her own career…'
On her side: 'Sharon Stone is right and she should say it,' tweeted writer and film critic Kyle Turner. 'Streep is overrated and has barely done any even okay work in over a decade.'
Supportive: Writer and critic Juan Barquin agreed. 'sharon stone is right and she should say it,' they wrote.
Famous role: Another person added their support for Stone with a short clip of her in Martin Scorsese's Casino, which earned the actress her only Academy Award nomination
'Sharon Stone is right and she should say it,' tweeted writer and film critic Kyle Turner. 'Streep is overrated and has barely done any even okay work in over a decade.'
Writer and critic Juan Barquin agreed. 'sharon stone is right and she should say it,' they wrote.
Another person added their support for Stone with a short clip of her in Martin Scorsese's Casino, which has seen renewed praise from critics and viewers in recent years and earned the actress her only Academy Award nomination.
'We are not dealing with Sharon Stone slander on the timeline today,' they tweeted.
Didn't see that coming: The television critic and New Yorker staff writer Emily Nussbaum joked the stars were actually playing each other
Having a laugh: Another person wrote Stone's name and posted a humorous GIF of Hannibal Buress caption, 'Why are you booing me? I'm right.'
Not her fault: One user tried to redirect some of the vitriol aimed at Streep toward screenwriters and the executives who weigh in on casting
The television critic and New Yorker staff writer Emily Nussbaum joked, 'What most people don't understand is that Sharon Stone is actually a Meryl Streep character and vice-versa.'
Another person wrote Stone's name and posted a humorous GIF of Hannibal Buress caption, 'Why are you booing me? I'm right.'
One user tried to redirect some of the vitriol aimed at Streep toward screenwriters and the executives who weigh in on casting.
'I hate the nasty narrative that somehow Meryl works TOO much and steals roles. Maybe the conversation should be we don't write enough roles for people like Sharon Stone and Judy Davis to thrive in.'
Check the record: Journalist and film writer Mark Harris said Streep simply has more great films that Stone and wrote that it wasn't her fault if other actresses were undervalued
Journalist and film writer Mark Harris also defended Streep's career.
'I love Sharon Stone, but on this one, I am a "Let me check this against the historical record" Film Gay, not a "Tell your messy chaotic truth, gurl!" Film Gay. Sorry!'
He argued that Streep's successes and acclaim have nothing to do with other stars being overlooked.
'There are actresses who are underappreciated, and the fact that Meryl Streep is widely and justly appreciated has nothing to do with it, and people who insist that one actress's success must by definition deprive other actresses of their due NEVER discuss men that way,' he continued.
'Streep is now wrapping up her fourth decade of "She's not all that!"' he wrote, adding that, 'A good way to celebrate other actresses is to celebrate other actresses, not gripe about one.'
So far, Sharon hasn't weighed in on the online discussion, though she posted unrelated tweets on Tuesday.
Radio silence: So far, Sharon hasn't weighed in on the online discussion, though she posted unrelated tweets on Tuesday; seen in Basic Instinct
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