Sharon Stone

Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a nomination for an Academy Award. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1995 and was named Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 2005 (Commander in 2021).

After modeling in television commercials and print advertisements, Stone made her film debut as an extra in Woody Allen's dramedy ''Stardust Memories'' (1980) and played her first speaking part in Wes Craven's horror film ''Deadly Blessing'' (1981). In the 1980s, she appeared in such pictures as ''Irreconcilable Differences'' (1984), ''King Solomon's Mines'' (1985), '' Cold Steel'' (1987), and '' Above the Law'' (1988). She had a breakthrough with her part in Paul Verhoeven's science fiction action film '' Total Recall'' (1990), before rising to international recognition when she portrayed Catherine Tramell in another Verhoeven film, the erotic thriller ''Basic Instinct'' (1992), for which she earned her first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.

Stone's performance as a trophy wife in Martin Scorsese's epic crime drama ''Casino'' (1995) earned her the best reviews of her career, the Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Her other notable films include ''Sliver'' (1993), ''The Specialist'' (1994), '' The Quick and the Dead'' (1995), ''Sphere'' (1998), ''The Mighty'' (1998), '' The Muse'' (1999), ''Catwoman'' (2004), '' Broken Flowers'' (2005), '' Alpha Dog'' (2006), ''Bobby'' (2006), '' Lovelace'' (2013), ''Fading Gigolo'' (2013), ''The Disaster Artist'' (2017), '' Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese'' (2019), and '' The Laundromat'' (2019).

On television, Stone has had leading and supporting roles in productions such as the ABC miniseries ''War and Remembrance'' (1987), the HBO television film ''If These Walls Could Talk 2'' (2000), Steven Soderbergh's ''Mosaic'' (2017) and Ryan Murphy's '' Ratched'' (2020). She made guest appearances in ''The Practice'' (2004) and '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2010), winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for the former.

Early life and education

Sharon Vonne Stone was born on March 10, 1958, in Meadville, Pennsylvania, to Dorothy Marie (née Lawson), an accountant, and Joseph William Stone II, a tool and die manufacturer and former factory worker. She has three siblings: Michael, Kelly, and Patrick.Stated on ''Inside the Actors Studio'', 1999 She is of part Irish ancestry. In a 2013 interview with Conan O'Brien, she stated that her Irish ancestors arrived in the United States during the Great Famine. She has a reported IQ of 154. Stone was considered academically gifted as a child and entered the second grade when she was five years old. Stone said that she and her sister were both sexually abused as children by their maternal grandfather, in an interview to ''The New York Times'' in March 2021, while promoting her memoir ''The Beauty of Living Twice''. At 14, her neck was badly injured while breaking a horse when the animal bucked as it charged toward a washing line.

She graduated from Saegertown High School in Saegertown, Pennsylvania, in 1975. Stone was admitted to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania on a creative writing scholarship at age 15, but quit college and moved to New York City to become a fashion model. Inspired by Hillary Clinton, Stone later went back to Edinboro University to complete her degree in 2016.

Career

Modeling and early screen appearances (1976–1989)

While attending Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Stone won the title of Miss Crawford County, Pennsylvania, and in 1976, was a candidate for Miss Pennsylvania. One of the pageant judges told her to quit college and move to New York City to become a fashion model. Stone left Meadville and moved in with an aunt in New Jersey, and by 1977, she had been signed by Ford Modeling Agency in New York City. She soon moved to Europe, living for a year in Milan and then in Paris. While living there, she decided to quit modeling and pursue acting. "So I packed my bags, moved back to New York, and stood in line to be an extra in a Woody Allen movie," she later recalled. At 20, Stone was cast for a brief role in Allen's dramedy ''Stardust Memories'' (1980) and had a speaking part a year later in the horror film ''Deadly Blessing'' (1981).

French director Claude Lelouch cast Stone in the musical epic ''Les Uns et les Autres'' (1982), starring James Caan, but she was on screen for two minutes and did not appear in the credits. She secured guest-spots on the television series ''Silver Spoons'' (1982), ''Bay City Blues'' (1983), ''Remington Steele'' (1983), ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1984), and ''T. J. Hooker'' (1985); played a starlet who breaks up the marriage of a successful director and his screenwriter wife in the drama ''Irreconcilable Differences'' (1984), opposite Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long and a young Drew Barrymore; and starred as a resourceful woman teaming up with a fortune hunter (played by Richard Chamberlain) in the action-centered ''King Solomon's Mines'' (1985) and ''Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold'' (1986), a light, comedic take on the ''Indiana Jones'' film series, which were poorly received by critics and audiences. In his review for ''King Salomon's Mines'', Walter Goodman of ''The New York Times'' considered that Stone was "up to date as a spunky, sexy, smart-talking heroine with an effective right hook" but felt that the story was "lost in the effects". For her performance in ''Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold'', she received her first Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actress.

Stone obtained the role of Janice Henry in the ABC miniseries ''War and Remembrance'' (1987), the sequel to the 1983 miniseries ''The Winds of War'', based on the 1978 novel of the same name written by Herman Wouk. Through the remainder of the 1980s, she appeared as a reporter in the comedy '' Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol'' (1987), an attractive but mysterious woman with a hidden agenda in the thriller '' Cold Steel'' (1987), the wife of an ex-CIA agent in the crime film '' Above the Law'' (1988) and the ill-fated wife of a successful businessman in the action film '' Action Jackson'' (1988).

Breakthrough and ''Basic Instinct'' (1990–1992)

In Paul Verhoeven's '' Total Recall'' (1990), a science fiction action film opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stone played the seemingly loving wife of a construction worker. The film received favorable reviews and made $261.2 million worldwide, giving Stone's career a major boost. For instance, she was cast in five feature films released throughout 1991. She played what Roger Ebert described as the "bad girl" in the romantic comedy '' He Said, She Said'', a sexually repressed woman in the psychological thriller ''Scissors'', a wealthy blonde in the crime drama '' Diary of a Hitman'', a provocative young photojournalist in the thriller '' Year of the Gun'' and the agent and former lover of a writer in the neo-noir ''Where Sleeping Dogs Lie''.

In another Verhoeven film, the erotic thriller ''Basic Instinct'' (1992), she took on the role that made her a star, playing Catherine Tramell, a brilliant bisexual and alleged serial killer. Several actresses at the time turned down the role, mostly because of the nudity required.
Critical response towards ''Basic Instinct'' was mixed, but Stone received critical acclaim for her "star-making performance"; Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' remarked that " erhoeven'scinematic wet dream delivers the goods, especially when Sharon Stone struts on with enough come-on carnality to singe the screen," and observed of the actress' portrayal: "Stone, a former model, is a knockout; she even got a rise out of Ah-nold in Verhoeven's ''Total Recall''. But being the bright spot in too many dull movies (''He Said, She Said''; ''Irreconcilable Differences'') stalled her career. Though ''Basic Instinct'' establishes Stone as a bombshell for the 990s it also shows she can nail a laugh or shade an emotion with equal aplomb." Australian critic Shannon J. Harvey of ''The Sunday Times'' called the film one of the "1990s finest productions, doing more for female empowerment than any feminist rally. Stone – in her star-making performance – is as hot and sexy as she is ice-pick cold." For the part, Stone earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, four MTV Movie Awards nominations, and a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst New Star for her "tribute to Theodore Cleaver". The film also became one of the most financially successful productions of the 1990s, grossing US$352.9 million worldwide.

Leading lady status (1993–1999)

In 1993, Stone played a femme fatale in the erotic thriller ''Sliver'', based on Ira Levin's eponymous novel about the mysterious occurrences in a privately owned New York City high-rise apartment building. The film was heavily panned by critics and earned Stone a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actress but became a commercial success, grossing US$116.3 million at the international box office. She also made a cameo appearance in the action film ''Last Action Hero'' (1993), reuniting with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 1994, Stone appeared as the wife of an architect opposite Richard Gere in the drama '' Intersection'', and as a woman who entices a bomb expert she is involved with into destroying the criminal gang that killed her family, alongside Sylvester Stallone, in the action thriller ''The Specialist''. While ''Intersection'' found limited success, ''The Specialist'' made US$170.3 million worldwide. For her work in both films, she won a Golden Raspberry Award and a Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Actress, but was nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Female for ''The Specialist''.

In '' The Quick and the Dead'' (1995), Stone took on the role of a gunfighter who returns to a frontier town in an effort to avenge her father's death. She served as a producer on the film and had some creative control over the production;Muir, pp. 171-179 she chose director Sam Raimi, after being impressed by his work on '' Army of Darkness'', and co-star Russell Crowe after watching ''Romper Stomper''. She paid Leonardo DiCaprio's salary herself after a reluctance from Sony, the film's studio, over his casting. ''The Quick and the Dead'' was a modest profit and earned Stone a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress. Stone starred opposite Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's epic crime drama ''Casino'' (1995), where she took on the role of Ginger McKenna, the scheming, self-absorbed wife of a top gambling handicapper (De Niro). The film, based on the non-fiction book '' Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas'' by Nicholas Pileggi, received widespread critical acclaim, made US$116.1 million globally, and earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. During an interview with ''The Observer'', published on January 28, 1996, Stone said of the response: "Thank God. I mean just finally, wow ..I am not getting any younger. It couldn't have happened at a better time". That year, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd, and was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award.

Stone portrayed the mistress of a cruel school master in the psychological thriller '' Diabolique'' (1996), a woman waiting on death row for a brutal double murder in the drama '' Last Dance'' (1996), and a biologist in the suspense film ''Sphere'' (1998). The three aforementioned films were panned by critics and failed to find an audience in theatres. In 1998, Stone also lent her voice for the successful animated film ''Antz'', and played the mother of a 13-year-old boy suffering from Morquio syndrome in the drama ''The Mighty'', which garnered a positive critical response. Stone was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the lattermost.

Her turn as a street-wise, middle-aged moll in '' Gloria'' (1999), a remake of the 1980 film of the same name, proved to be a critical and commercial misfire. A titular role followed in 1999 with the comedy '' The Muse'', playing the inspiration of an esteemed screenwriter. Wade Major, a critic for ''Boxoffice'', found her portrayal of a “dizzy Muse” to be “the film’s most delightful surprise”, but most reviews were ultimately lukewarm. Helmut Voss, then president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who give the annual Golden Globe Awards, ordered all 82 of its members to return gift luxury watches sent by either Stone or October Films (now merged into Focus Features) as this was considered promotions for a nomination for Stone's performance in the film. She ultimately received the nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.

Hiatus and downturn (2000–2004)

In 2000, Stone played a lesbian trying to start a family, opposite Ellen DeGeneres, in the HBO television film ''If These Walls Could Talk 2'' and starred as an exotic dancer, alongside Billy Connolly, in the comedy '' Beautiful Jo''. While she was recognized by Women in Film with her second Lucy Award for her performance in ''If These Walls Could Talk 2'', ''Beautiful Jo'' premiered on cable television instead of receiving a theatrical release in North America. Nathan Rabin of ''The A.V. Club'', who had been critical of Stone's previous films, wrote that "nothing she's done has been quite as shameless or appalling as ''Beautiful Joe'', a toxic piece of whimsy that ranks among the worst films of 2000".

Following her September 2001 hospitalization for a subarachnoid hemorrhage, Stone took a hiatus from screen acting. She faced professional challenges as she was in the process of recovery. She felt that she had "lost erplace"in Hollywood, and during a 2015 interview with ''USA Today'', she remarked: "henyou find yourself at the back of the line in your business, as I did, ouhave to figure yourself out all over again." She returned to the screen in 2003, when she took on a three-episode arc as Sheila Carlisle, an attorney who believes she can communicate with God, in the eight season of ''The Practice''. For her performance, she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.

Stone attempted a return to the mainstream with roles in the films ''Cold Creek Manor'' (2003), with Dennis Quaid, and ''Catwoman'' (2004), with Halle Berry. In the mystery psychological thriller ''Cold Creek Manor'', she and Quaid played a couple terrorized by the former owner of the rural estate they bought in foreclosure. ''Variety'' magazine remarked in its review for the film that both actors "fish in vain to find any angles to play in their dimension-free characters". The superhero film ''Catwoman'' saw her play the age-obsessed CEO of a cosmetic company and the story's antagonist. While both films flopped at the box office, ''Catwoman'' is considered by many critics to be one of the worst movies of all time.

Independent films and ensemble dramas (2005–2017)

Her next film release was Jim Jarmusch's dramedy '' Broken Flowers'' (2005), in which Stone took on the role of a grasping and overly eager closet organizer who re-connects with a former womaniser (played by Bill Murray). Unlike her previous few film outings, ''Broken Flowers'' was met with critical acclaim, upon its premiere at Cannes, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or and won the Grand Prix. ''Far Out Magazine'' ranked Stone's role among one of her "10 best performances", while ''New York Magazine'' remarked: "Sharon Stone, playing a widow who's half-hippie, half-working-class-tough, demonstrates that, given the right part, she's still not merely sexy but knockabout funny and sly". In 2005, she was named Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in France.

After years of litigation, ''Basic Instinct 2'' was released on March 31, 2006. A reason for a long delay in releasing the film was reportedly Stone's dispute with the filmmakers over the nudity in the film; she wanted more while they wanted less. Stone told an interviewer, "We are in a time of odd repression and if a popcorn movie allows us to create a platform for discussion, wouldn't that be great?". Despite an estimated budget of US$70 million, ''Basic Instinct 2'' placed only tenth in gross on its opening weekend with a meager US$3.2 million and finished with a total domestic gross of under US$6 million. Stone appeared in Nick Cassavetes's crime drama '' Alpha Dog'' (2006), opposite Bruce Willis, playing Olivia Mazursky, the mother of a real-life murder victim; she wore a fatsuit for the role. The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was an arthouse success. She made part of an ensemble cast in Emilio Estevez's drama ''Bobby'' (2006), about the hours leading up to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Stone received favorable comments for her performance, particularly a scene alongside Lindsay Lohan. As a member of the cast, she was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, but won the Hollywood Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast.

Stone took on the role of a clinically depressed woman in the independent drama '' When a Man Falls in the Forest'' (2007), which premiered in competition at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival where it was nominated for the Golden Bear. All of her late 2000s films —''If I Had Known I Was a Genius'' (2007), '' The Year of Getting to Know Us'' (2008), ''Five Dollars a Day'' (2009) and ''Streets of Blood'' (2009)— were direct-to-DVD releases in North America. In 2010, Stone made guest-appearances in four episodes of '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', portraying Jo Marlowe, a former cop turned prosecutor. ''Entertainment Weekly'' included in a review such descriptions of her performance as a "great presence", and having "had to revive her best ..tone to sell hokey lines" in a series it described as "mawkish and overwrought". She took on the leading female role in the French action sequel ''Largo Winch II'' as a United Nations investigator named Diane Francken. Her first theatrical-released production since 2007, the film premiered on February 16, 2011, in France, where it opened in second place at the box office. She next starred as a hard-hitting journalist in the thriller ''Border Run'' (2012), which received a direct-to-DVD release.

In 2013, Stone played the mother of porn actress Linda Lovelace (Amanda Seyfried) in the biographical drama '' Lovelace'', and a dermatologist seeking a "ménage à trois" in the Woody Allen–John Turturro comedy ''Fading Gigolo''. Both films were released in limited theatres to a decent critical reception; Glenn Kenny

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