Oliver Stone's Criticism Helped Michael Douglas Deliver Oscar-Winning Role

In a new interview with TCM's Alicia Malone, Michael Douglas recalled the unique way Oliver Stone pushed him during filming of 1987's Wall Street. Stone was not known for going easy on his actors, Douglas said, and after two weeks of shooting the director confronted him in his trailer.

Stone asked bluntly whether Douglas was doing drugs and told him, "Because you look like you’ve never acted before in your life." At Stone's request Douglas watched the dailies, even though he normally avoided them because he "always sees what's wrong or what's not going to be in the film." Seeing the footage made him realize Stone was trying to get under his skin to improve the performance.

Douglas said Stone's willingness to make him "hate his guts for the rest of this movie" pushed him to another level, and he expressed deep appreciation for that push. The film proved successful: Wall Street turned a $16.5 million budget into a $43.8 million box office and holds review scores of 78% and 81% on Rotten Tomatoes.

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