Billy Baldwin has revealed that he refused to kiss co-star Sharon Stone during the filming of their 1993 movie "Silver" due to significant tension between them on set. Baldwin shared in a recent interview on the "Lisa Guerrero Unleashed" podcast that for about a month, Stone would not acknowledge him, leading to an uncomfortable working environment.
He described Stone as being "off book" during her close-up shots but then consulting her script during his close-ups, indicating a lack of engagement. "She wouldn't even look at me," Baldwin stated.
This on-set friction prompted Baldwin to approach director Phillip Noyce and producer Robert Evans, expressing his inability to film the final love scene. While three love scenes had already been completed earlier in production, the fourth remained. Despite being told he was hired for the role and had to perform the scene, Baldwin pleaded, "Please don't make me kiss her."
Baldwin claimed that the iconic love scene that was ultimately filmed resulted from this request. He also addressed Stone's previous assertions that producer Robert Evans had pressured her to sleep with Baldwin to foster on-screen chemistry. Baldwin countered that Evans was discussing the palpable "tension" on set, suggesting it stemmed from "pent-up sexual energy" and that sleeping together might resolve it.
Stone recounted these claims in her 2021 memoir, "The Beauty of Living Twice," writing that the production team blamed her for the film's issues and suggested that sleeping with Baldwin would create chemistry and save the movie. Baldwin, in a 2024 post on X, questioned why Stone continued to discuss him years later, hinting at having "so much dirt on her it would make her head spin" but choosing to remain silent.
Baldwin expressed a desire to "bury the hatchet" with Stone, stating he would like to meet her, shake her hand, and offer a hug. He also mentioned a prior meeting with Evans where he implored him to allow him to choreograph the final sex scene to avoid kissing Stone, a story he referred to as "absolute legend."