Sharon Stone 'slapped' director over Basic Instinct leg cross

Sharon Stone in that controversial scene from Basic Instinct.

Sharon Stone says she was left stunned when she watched her provocative leg-crossing scene in Basic Instinct for the first time with a cinema full of people.

Stone was initially reluctant to remove her underwear for the famous scene, but director Paul Verhoeven assured her that nothing would be seen.

However, when she watched the movie in the cinema, the US actress was angered by how much was exposed.

She says: "When we did it, it was going to be an innuendo and the director said, 'We're seeing the white of your underwear, I need you to take them off.' And I'm like, 'I don't want you to see anything and he's like, 'No, no you're not going to.'

"So I gave him the underwear, put them in the pocket of his shirt, and he said, 'Now watch on the monitor ...'

"In those days ... it's not like now where everything is high definition, and when I looked at the monitor you really couldn't see anything.

"So when I saw it in the theatre, with a bunch of other people, I was like (in shock). When the film ended I went in the booth and I slapped him (Verhoeven) and I said, 'You could have showed this to me by myself'."

Despite her anger, Stone admits she would have kept the scene in the movie if she was the director.

"It's so right for the movie and so right for the character but if I would have gotten that (perfect shot), even by accident, I would have had the courtesy to show it to my actor.

"But, I would have kept it in the movie," she says.

- WENN