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
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
, a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, and a nomination for an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
. She received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
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
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's dramedy ''
Stardust Memories'' (1980) and played her first speaking part in
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
's horror film ''
Deadly Blessing'' (1981). In the 1980s, she appeared in such pictures as ''
Irreconcilable Differences'' (1984), ''
King Solomon's Mines
''King Solomon's Mines'' (1885) is a popular novel by the English Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain for the ...
'' (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
''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film follows San Francisco police detective Nick Curran ( Michael Douglas), who is investigating the brutal murder of a w ...
'' (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
A trophy wife is a wife who is regarded as a status symbol for the husband. The term is often used in a derogatory or disparaging way, implying that the wife in question has little personal merit besides her physical attractiveness, requires subs ...
in
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...
's epic crime drama ''
Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...
'' (1995) earned her the best reviews of her career, the Golden Globe and an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
nomination for
Best Actress. Her other notable films include ''
Sliver'' (1993), ''
The Specialist
''The Specialist'' is a 1994 American action thriller film directed by Luis Llosa and starring Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, James Woods, Eric Roberts, and Rod Steiger. It is loosely based on "The Specialist" series of novels by John S ...
'' (1994), ''
The Quick and the Dead'' (1995), ''
Sphere
A sphere () is a Geometry, geometrical object that is a solid geometry, three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the Locus (mathematics), set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three ...
'' (1998), ''
The Mighty
''The Mighty'' is a 1998 American coming of age buddy comedy-drama film directed by Peter Chelsom and written by Charles Leavitt. Based on the book ''Freak the Mighty'' by Rodman Philbrick, the film stars Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands, Gil ...
'' (1998), ''
The Muse'' (1999), ''
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
'' (2004), ''
Broken Flowers'' (2005), ''
Alpha Dog
''Alpha Dog'' is a 2006 American crime film written and directed by Nick Cassavetes based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000. The cast includes Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Shawn ...
'' (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
Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker.
Soderbergh's direct ...
's ''
Mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
'' (2017) and
Ryan Murphy's ''
Ratched'' (2020). She made guest appearances in ''
The Practice
''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy i ...
'' (2004) and ''
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2010), winning the
for the former.
Early life and education
Sharon Vonne Stone was born on March 10, 1958, in
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The city is within of Erie and within of Pittsburgh. It was the first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania. The population was 13,388 at the 2010 cen ...
, to Dorothy Marie (née Lawson), an accountant, and Joseph William Stone II, a
tool and die
Tool and die makers are highly skilled crafters working in the manufacturing industries. Variations on the name include tool maker, toolmaker, die maker, diemaker, mold maker, moldmaker or tool jig and die-maker depending on which area of concent ...
manufacturer and former factory worker. She has three siblings: Michael, Kelly, and Patrick.
[Stated on '']Inside the Actors Studio
''Inside the Actors Studio'' is an American talk show that airs on Ovation. The series premiered in 1994 on Bravo where it aired for 22 seasons and was hosted by James Lipton from its premiere until 2018. It is taped at the Michael Schimmel C ...
'', 1999 She is of part Irish ancestry. In a 2013 interview with
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost 28 years, beginning with '' Late Night 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
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' in March 2021, while promoting her memoir ''
The Beauty of Living Twice''.
At 14, her neck was badly injured while
breaking a horse
Horse training refers to a variety of practices that teach horses to perform certain behaviors when commanded to do so by humans. Horses are trained to be manageable by humans for everyday care as well as for equestrian activities from horse ra ...
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
A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Thoug ...
.[ Inspired by ]Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...
, Stone later went back to Edinboro University
PennWest Edinboro is a campus of Pennsylvania Western University, a multi-campus public university in Pennsylvania. Located in the town of Edinboro, the campus has more than 4,600 enrolled students.
History
Edinboro University was founded ...
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
Crawford County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 83,938. Its county seat is Meadville. The county was created on March 12, 1800, from part of Allegheny County and named for Colonel Will ...
, 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
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
to become a fashion model
A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Thoug ...
.[ Stone left Meadville and moved in with an aunt in ]New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
, 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
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, and stood in line to be an extra in a Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
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
Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish Family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1960s. Lelouch gained critica ...
cast Stone in the musical epic ''Les Uns et les Autres
''Les Uns et les Autres'' is a 1981 French film by Claude Lelouch. The film is a musical epic and it is widely considered as the director's best work, along with '' Un Homme et une Femme''. It won the Technical Grand Prize at the 1984 Cannes Film ...
'' (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
''Silver Spoons'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982, to May 11, 1986, and in broadcast syndication, first-run syndication from September 27, 1986, to May 30, 1987. The series was produced by Embassy ...
'' (1982), ''Bay City Blues
''Bay City Blues'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on NBC from October 25 to November 15, 1983. The series stars Michael Nouri, Dennis Franz, and Pat Corley, and was created and produced by Steven Bochco. Eight epis ...
'' (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
Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an American actor and former boxer. He trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960. In 1964, he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera '' Peyton Pla ...
, Shelley Long and a young Drew Barrymore
Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, director, producer, talk show host and author. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a ...
; and starred as a resourceful woman teaming up with a fortune hunter (played by Richard Chamberlain
George Richard Chamberlain (born March 31, 1934) is an American actor and singer, who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show '' Dr. Kildare'' (1961–1966). He subsequently appeared in several TV mini-series, such as ''Shō ...
) in the action-centered ''King Solomon's Mines
''King Solomon's Mines'' (1885) is a popular novel by the English Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain for the ...
'' (1985) and ''Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold
''Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold'' is a 1986 American adventure comedy film directed by Gary Nelson and released in West Germany on December 18, 1986, and in the United States on January 30, 1987. It is loosely based on the 1887 novel ...
'' (1986), a light, comedic take on the ''Indiana Jones
''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology, that began in 1981 with the film ''Raiders of the Lost Ark''. In 1984, a prequel, '' The ...
'' 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
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' 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
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
described as the "bad girl" in the romantic comedy '' He Said, She Said'', a sexually repressed woman in the psychological thriller ''Scissors
Scissors are hand-operated shearing tools. A pair of scissors consists of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles (bows) opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutt ...
'', a wealthy blonde in the crime drama ''Diary of a Hitman
''Diary of a Hitman'' is a 1992 American crime drama film directed by Roy London and written by Kenneth Pressman, based on his play ''Insider's Price''. The film stars Forest Whitaker, Sherilyn Fenn, James Belushi, Sharon Stone and Lois Chiles. Wh ...
'', 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
''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film follows San Francisco police detective Nick Curran ( Michael Douglas), who is investigating the brutal murder of a w ...
'' (1992),[ she took on the role that made her a star, playing Catherine Tramell, a brilliant ]bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, wh ...
and alleged serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
. Several actresses at the time turned down the role, mostly because of the nudity
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing.
The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...
required.
Critical response towards ''Basic Instinct'' was mixed, but Stone received critical acclaim for her "star-making performance"; Peter Travers
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
of ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'' 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
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, wh ...
'' 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
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, four MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie & TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie Awards) is a film and television awards show presented annually on MTV. The first MTV Movie Awards were presented in 1992. The ceremony was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards for its 26th editi ...
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
Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in '' Days of Heaven'' (1978). He came to prominence with ...
in the drama ''Intersection
In mathematics, the intersection of two or more objects is another object consisting of everything that is contained in all of the objects simultaneously. For example, in Euclidean geometry, when two lines in a plane are not parallel, thei ...
'', 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
Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
, in the action thriller ''The Specialist
''The Specialist'' is a 1994 American action thriller film directed by Luis Llosa and starring Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, James Woods, Eric Roberts, and Rod Steiger. It is loosely based on "The Specialist" series of novels by John S ...
''. 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
Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007) and the '' Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present). He also directed the 1990 superhero film ''Darkman' ...
, after being impressed by his work on '' Army of Darkness'', and co-star Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Max ...
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
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
nomination for Best Actress. Stone starred opposite Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
in Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...
's epic crime drama ''Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...
'' (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 and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. ...
.[ During an interview with '']The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper Sunday editions, published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group, Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. ...
'', 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
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
, 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
A sphere () is a Geometry, geometrical object that is a solid geometry, three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the Locus (mathematics), set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three ...
'' (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
''Antz'' is a 1998 American computer-animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation (in its debut film) and Pacific Data Images and released by DreamWorks Pictures. It was directed by Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson (in their fe ...
'', and played the mother of a 13-year-old boy suffering from Morquio syndrome
Morquio syndrome, also known as Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IV (MPS IV), is a rare metabolic disorder in which the body cannot process certain types of sugar molecules called glycosaminoglycans (AKA GAGs, or mucopolysaccharides). In Morquio syndro ...
in the drama ''The Mighty
''The Mighty'' is a 1998 American coming of age buddy comedy-drama film directed by Peter Chelsom and written by Charles Leavitt. Based on the book ''Freak the Mighty'' by Rodman Philbrick, the film stars Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands, Gil ...
'', 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
Gloria may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music
* Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise
* Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise
** Gloria (Handel)
** Gloria (Jenkin ...
'' (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
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) is a nonprofit organization of journalists and photographers who report on the entertainment industry activity and interests in the United States for media (newspaper, magazine and book publication ...
, who give the annual Golden Globe Awards
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
, ordered all 82 of its members to return gift luxury watches sent by either Stone or October Films
October Films was a major U.S. independent film production company and distributor founded in 1991 by Bingham Ray and Jeff Lipsky as a means of distributing the 1990 film '' Life Is Sweet''.
A series of mergers and acquisitions began when Univ ...
(now merged into Focus Features
Focus Features LLC is an American film production and distribution company, owned by Comcast as part of Universal Pictures, a division of its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal. Focus Features distributes independent and foreign films in t ...
) 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
Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom '' Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". S ...
, 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
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
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
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is bleeding into the subarachnoid space—the area between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater surrounding the brain. Symptoms may include a severe headache of rapid onset, vomiting, decreased level of cons ...
, 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 monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
, in the eight season of ''The Practice
''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy i ...
''. For her performance, she received the .
Stone attempted a return to the mainstream with roles in the films '' Cold Creek Manor'' (2003), with Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...
, and ''Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
'' (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
Foreclosure is a legal process in which a lender attempts to recover the balance of a loan from a borrower who has stopped making payments to the lender by forcing the sale of the asset used as the collateral for the loan.
Formally, a mort ...
. '' 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
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on '' The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on ''Saturday Ni ...
). 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
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
and won the Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
. '' Far Out Magazine'' ranked Stone's role among one of her "10 best performances", while ''New York Magazine
''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker' ...
'' 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
Nicholas David Rowland Cassavetes (born May 21, 1959) is an American actor, director, and writer. He has directed such films as '' She's So Lovely'' (1997), ''John Q.'' (2002), '' The Notebook'' (2004), ''Alpha Dog'' (2006), and '' My Sister's Ke ...
's crime drama ''Alpha Dog
''Alpha Dog'' is a 2006 American crime film written and directed by Nick Cassavetes based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000. The cast includes Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Shawn ...
'' (2006), opposite Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series '' Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero ...
, 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
The 2006 Sundance Film Festival was held in Utah from January 19, to January 29, 2006. It was held in Park City, with screenings in Salt Lake City; Ogden; and the Sundance Resort. It was the 22nd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival, and the c ...
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 , 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
''The Year of Getting to Know Us'' is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Patrick Sisam and starring Tom Arnold, Jimmy Fallon, Lucy Liu and Sharon Stone. It premiered on January 24, 2008 at the Sundance Film Festival.
Premise
Christoph ...
'' (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
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
'' 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
''Largo Winch II'' (released internationally as ''The Burma Conspiracy'') is a 2011 French action thriller film based on the Belgian comic book '' Largo Winch''. It was released in France and Belgium on 16 February 2011. It is the sequel to the 20 ...
'' 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
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
– John Turturro comedy '' Fading Gigolo''. Both films were released in limited theatres to a decent critical reception; Glenn Kenny
Glenn Kenny (born August 8, 1959) is an American film critic and journalist. He writes for '' The New York Times'' and ''RogerEbert.com''.
Biography
Kenny attended William Paterson University, where he majored in English literature. , in his review for ''Fading Gigolo'', found Stone to be "splendidly understated" in what he described as "a New York story through and through ..often funny, sometimes moving, occasionally goofy as hell". In 2014, she starred as an actress-turned-publisher, opposite Riccardo Scamarcio
Riccardo Dario Scamarcio (; born 13 November 1979) is an Italian actor and film producer.
Life and career
Scamarcio was born in Trani, Apulia, the son of Irene Petrafesa, a painter, and Emilio Scamarcio.
He went to train as an actor at the S ...
, in the Italian dramedy ''A Golden Boy
''A Golden Boy'' ( it, Un ragazzo d'oro) is a 2014 Italian comedy-drama film written and directed by Pupi Avati
Giuseppe Avati, better known as Pupi Avati (born 3 November 1938), is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is ...
'' (''Un ragazzo d'oro''), directed by Pupi Avati
Giuseppe Avati, better known as Pupi Avati (born 3 November 1938), is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known to horror film fans for his two giallo masterpieces, '' The House with Laughing Windows'' (1976) and ''Zeder' ...
, and portrayed America's first female Vice President in the TNT action drama series '' Agent X'', which only aired for one season. Stone next played an adoptive mother in the drama '' Mothers and Daughters'' (2016), a "lineman widow" and the "alcoholic mom" of a high-wire worker in the action film '' Life on the Line'' (2016), and a greedy billionaire in the drama '' Running Wild'' (2017). These three films all received a VOD release, to varying responses. James Franco
James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider- ...
's biographical comedy '' The Disaster Artist'' (2017), which featured Stone as Iris Burton, the agent of actor Greg Sestero, was a critical and commercial success, and was chosen by the National Board of Review
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...
as one of the top ten films of 2017.
Film and television balance (2018–present)
Stone returned to television in 2018, when she portrayed a murdered children's book author and illustrator in Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker.
Soderbergh's direct ...
's HBO mystery production ''Mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
'', which was released as an iOS/Android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
mobile app
A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on ...
serving as an interactive film and as a television drama. She received positive reviews for her performance. Maureen Ryan of '' Variety'' felt that the actress "displays terrific range and depth" and "holds the screen with effortless charisma", and Nick Schager of ''The Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
'' wrote that "Stone's turn is something close to masterful." She earned the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film.
In '' Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese'' (2019), a pseudo-documentary film covering Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue
The Rolling Thunder Revue was a 1975–1976 concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan with numerous musicians and collaborators. The purpose of the tour was to allow Dylan, who had now become a major recording artist and concert perfor ...
concert tour, Stone played an exaggerated version of herself. The film was released on Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
, to critical acclaim. Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman (born February 24, 1959) is an American film critic who has been chief film critic for '' Variety'' magazine since May 2016, a title he shares with . Previously, Gleiberman wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' from 1990 until 2014 ...
described her appearance as a “marketing hook” and further stated: “The presence of Sharon Stone embodies the spirit of he Hollywood
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
machine. She has always been a good actress (probably better than many know; just watch her in ''Casino''), but her fame will forever rest on a certain crudely riveting but debased high-budget exploitation thriller”. She reunited with Soderbergh for ''The Laundromat'' (2019), in which she played a harried realtor, opposite Meryl Streep
Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
.
In Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
's psychological thriller series '' Ratched'' (2020), a prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term ...
to Miloš Forman
Jan Tomáš "Miloš" Forman (; ; 18 February 1932 – 13 April 2018) was a Czech and American film director, screenwriter, actor, and professor who rose to fame in his native Czechoslovakia before emigrating to the United States in 1968.
Forman ...
's 1975 film ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to:
* ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey
* ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas
* ''One Flew Over the ...
'' developed by Ryan Murphy, Stone portrayed a wealthy heiress who hires a hit man to kill a doctor for disfiguring her son. Intrigued by Murphy's pitch for her character, which he wrote for her, Stone described the part as "completely insane. And at the same time she thinks she's really a loving mother who has her shit together". The series garnered a decent critical response and was viewed by 48 million people in its first four weeks of release. In 2020 Stone appeared as herself in an introduction to the fifth episode of The New Pope, where she had an audience with John Malkovich as Pope John Paul III.
In 2021, she also appeared as herself in the dramedy '' Here Today'', directed by Billy Crystal
William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. ...
, and was cast in the romantic drama ''Beauty'', directed by Andrew Dosunmu for Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
.
Public image
In media and fashion
For her leading roles in erotic and adult-themed feature films such as ''Basic Instinct'', ''Sliver'', and ''The Specialist'', Stone cemented what was described as a "tough-talking, no-underwear, voyeuristic, cool-as-ice, sex symbol
A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive.Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor to ...
" status during the 1990s. She has appeared on the covers and pictorials of over 300 celebrity and fashion magazines throughout her four-decade acting career. She graced the June–July 1986 cover of French '' Vogue'', and to coincide with the release of ''Total Recall'', she posed nude for the July 1990 issue of ''Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
'', flaunting the muscles she had developed in preparation for the film. Following ''Basic Instinct'', photographer George Hurrell took a series of photographs of Stone, Sherilyn Fenn, Julian Sands, Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress.
She first won attention for her role in ''Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hammer ...
, Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts (born April 18, 1956) is an American actor. His career began with a leading role in '' King of the Gypsies'' (1978) for which he received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. He was nominated again at the Golden Globes ...
, and Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama '' Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008).
Penn began his acting career in televis ...
. Stone, who was Hurrell's reportedly last sitting before his death in 1992, is also a collector of the photographer's original prints and wrote the foreword to the book ''Hurrell's Hollywood''. In 1993, she appeared in Pirelli
Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is a multinational tyre manufacturer based in Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Milan Stock Exchange since 1922, is the 6th-largest tyre manufacturer and is focused on the consumer production of tyres ...
's commercial, ''Driving Instinct'', in 2005, became the face of Dior
Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds 42.36% shar ...
's Capture skincare line, and in 2016, starred with Paul Sculfor
Paul Sculfor (born 1 February 1971) is a British male model as well as a TV and film actor.
Background
Between the ages of eight to ten, Sculfor studied gymnastics, and when he was 10, he joined the Dagenham Boxing Club. He had one competit ...
in Airfield's ( de) ''Fashion Is a Lovestory'' short film.
Stone's public and professional profiles have been strongly tied to her perceived beauty and sex appeal. She has ranked among the "50 most beautiful people in the world" by ''People
A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of proper ...
'' in 1992, the "100 sexiest stars in film history" by ''Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' in 1995 and 1997, and the "25 sexiest stars of the century" by ''Playboy'' in 1999. She has also been the subject of four television documentary specials, and several biographies have been written about her.
On her sex symbol image, Stone told Oprah Winfrey on '' Oprah Prime'' in 2014: "It's a pleasure for me now. I mean, I'm gonna be 56 years old. If people want to think I'm a sex symbol, it's, like, yeah. Think it up. You know. I mean, like, good for me". She posed nude for the September 2015 issue of '' Harper's Bazaar'', in which she stated: "At a certain point you start asking yourself, 'What really is sexy?' It's not just the elevation of your boobs. It's being present and having fun and liking yourself enough to like the person that's with you".
Criticism
On January 28, 2005, Stone helped solicit pledges for $1 million in five minutes for mosquito nets in Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
, turning a panel on African poverty into an impromptu fundraiser
Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
at the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
in Davos, Switzerland. Many observers, including UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid t ...
, criticized her actions by claiming that Stone had reacted instinctively to the words of Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, because she had not done her research on the causes, consequences, and methods of preventing malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or deat ...
. Of the $1 million pledged, only $250,000 was actually raised. In order to fulfill the promise to send $1 million worth of bed nets to Tanzania, UNICEF contributed $750,000.[ A review of ] This diverted funds from other UNICEF projects. According to prominent economist Xavier Sala-i-Martin, officials are largely unaware of what happened with the bed nets. Some were delivered to the local airport. These reportedly were stolen and later resurfaced as wedding dresses on the local black market
A black market, underground economy, or shadow economy is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by noncompliance with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the ...
.
Stone was criticized over her comments in an exchange on the red carpet with Hong Kong's '' Cable Entertainment News'' during the 2008 Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2008. When asked about the 2008 Sichuan earthquake she remarked:
One of China's biggest cinema chains reacted to Stone's comments by declaring it would not show her films in its theaters. The founder of the UME Cineplex chain and the chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, Ng See-yuen, called Stone's comments "inappropriate", and said the UME Cineplex chain would no longer present her films. Dior
Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds 42.36% shar ...
advertisements featuring Stone's image were dropped from all ads in China amid the public uproar. Stone was removed from the 2008 Shanghai International Film Festival The 2008 Shanghai International Film Festival is the 11th such festival devoted to international cinema to be held in Shanghai, China. It was held from June 14–22, 2008. Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-wai was the head of jury at this year's fil ...
guest list, and the event's organizers considered banning the actress permanently. Dior China had originally posted an apology in Stone's name, but Stone later denied making the apology during an interview with ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', saying "I'm not going to apologize. I'm certainly not going to apologize for something that isn't real and true – not for face creams," although she did admit that she had "sounded like an idiot." However, after the interview, Stone released a statement entitled "In my own words by Sharon Stone" in which she said "I could not be more regretful of that mistake. It was unintentional. I apologize. Those words were never meant to be hurtful to anyone." While Stone cited the Dalai Lama as her "good friend" when she made the remark at the Cannes film festival, the Dalai Lama has reportedly distanced himself by saying of her only, "yes, I've met that lady".
Personal life
Stone is a Tibetan Buddhist, having been converted to Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
when Richard Gere introduced her to the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...
. She has said she believes in God. On September 29, 2001, Stone was hospitalized for a subarachnoid hemorrhage
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is bleeding into the subarachnoid space—the area between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater surrounding the brain. Symptoms may include a severe headache of rapid onset, vomiting, decreased level of cons ...
, which was diagnosed as a vertebral artery dissection
Vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is a flap-like tear of the inner lining of the vertebral artery, which is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain. After the tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot, thickening ...
rather than the more common ruptured aneurysm
An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ...
, and treated with an endovascular coil embolization.
Relationships and family
In 1984, she met television producer Michael Greenburg on the set of ''The Vegas Strip War
''The Vegas Strip Wars'' (also called ''The Las Vegas Strip Wars'') is a 1984 American TV movie directed by George Englund and starred Rock Hudson (his final television film), Sharon Stone, James Earl Jones and Pat Morita.
Plot
The plot involve ...
'', a television film he produced and she starred in. They married the same year. In 1986, Greenburg was her line producer
A line producer is a type of film or television producer who is the head of the production office management personnel during daily operations of a feature film, advertisement film, television film, or TV program. A line producer usually works o ...
on ''Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold
''Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold'' is a 1986 American adventure comedy film directed by Gary Nelson and released in West Germany on December 18, 1986, and in the United States on January 30, 1987. It is loosely based on the 1887 novel ...
''. The couple separated three years later, and their divorce was finalized in 1990.
Stone and comedian Garry Shandling
Garry Emmanuel Shandling (November 29, 1949 – March 24, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer.
Shandling began his career writing for sitcoms, such as '' Sanford and Son'' and '' Welcome Back, Kotter''. He made ...
were students of acting coach Roy London
Roy London (March 3, 1943 – August 8, 1993) was an American actor, acting coach and teacher.
Early life
London was born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City. A math prodigy at age five, London was on the radio show, ...
and dated briefly. She appeared on his show ''The Larry Sanders Show
''The Larry Sanders Show'' is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. The series was created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein and aired from August 15, 1992, to May 31, 1998, on the HBO ...
'' in the episode "The Mr. Sharon Stone Show". They remained close friends until Shandling's death in 2016. In the documentary ''Special Thanks to Roy London'', interviews with Stone and Shandling discuss their relationship.
In 1993, Stone met William J. MacDonald on the set of the film '' Sliver'', which he co-produced. MacDonald left his wife Naomi Baca for Stone and became engaged to her. They separated one year later in 1994. After they separated, Stone returned the engagement ring via FedEx. While working on the film '' The Quick and the Dead'' in 1994, Stone met Bob Wagner, a first assistant director, and they became engaged.
On February 14, 1998, Stone married Phil Bronstein, executive editor of ''The San Francisco Examiner
The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863.
Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corpora ...
'' and later ''San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pap ...
''. Stone suffered several miscarriages due to an autoimmune disease
An autoimmune disease is a condition arising from an abnormal immune response to a functioning body part. At least 80 types of autoimmune diseases have been identified, with some evidence suggesting that there may be more than 100 types. Nearly ...
and endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside the uterus. Most often this is on the ovaries, ...
and was unable to have biological children. They adopted
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
a son, Roan Joseph Bronstein, in 2000. Bronstein filed for divorce in 2003, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce became final in 2004, with a judge ruling that Roan would remain primarily with Bronstein and Stone would have visitation rights.
Stone adopted her second son, Laird Vonne, in 2005 and her third son, Quinn Kelly Stone, in 2006. As of 2018, Stone resides with her three sons in West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages in ...
, in a home once owned by the actor Montgomery Clift.
Activism
In March 2006, Stone traveled to Israel to promote peace in the Middle East through a press conference with Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...
winner Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres (; he, שמעון פרס ; born Szymon Perski; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the ninth president of ...
. In 2013, she referred to Peres as her "mentor". On October 23, 2013, Stone received the Peace Summit Award
The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates was initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1990s, as a forum in which the Nobel Peace Laureates and the Peace Laureate Organizations could come together to address global issues with a view to encourage an ...
for her work for people with HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
.
In 2015, Stone was guest of honor at the Pilosio Building Peace Award in Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4  ...
. She began an impromptu auction on stage in front of a crowd of CEOs from the construction industry and other dignitaries. She gained enough pledges to build 28 schools in Africa.
Selected filmography and accolades
In a career spanning over four decades, Stone has had over one hundred acting credits in film and on television. She has won 10 awards from 41 nominations, including one Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
(for ''Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...
''), one Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
(for ''The Practice
''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy i ...
''), and two MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie & TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie Awards) is a film and television awards show presented annually on MTV. The first MTV Movie Awards were presented in 1992. The ceremony was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards for its 26th editi ...
(for ''Basic Instinct
''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film follows San Francisco police detective Nick Curran ( Michael Douglas), who is investigating the brutal murder of a w ...
''). Her top-billing roles and most notable films include:
Bibliography
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References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, Sharon
1958 births
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Activists from California
Activists from Pennsylvania
Actresses from Pennsylvania
American Buddhists
Converts to Buddhism
21st-century American Buddhists
American female models
American female taekwondo practitioners
American film actresses
American health activists
American people of Irish descent
American voice actresses
Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners
California Democrats
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania alumni
HIV/AIDS activists
Living people
Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Pennsylvania Democrats
People from Meadville, Pennsylvania
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Tibetan Buddhists from the United States