Sharon Stone

Infobox Actor
name = Sharon Stone

---

imagesize = 270px
caption = Sharon Stone in Berlin in 2007
birthdate = birth date and age|1958|3|10
birthname = Sharon Vonne Stone
birthplace = Meadville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
emmyawards= Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
2004 "The Practice"
goldenglobeawards = Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
1996 "Casino"
goldenraspberryawards = Worst Actress
2006 "Basic Instinct 2"
1994 "Intersection & The Specialist
spouse= George Englund, Jr.
Michael Greenburg (1984-1987)
Phil Bronstein (1998-2004)

Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning actress, producer, and former fashion model. She came to international attention for her performance in the 1992 Hollywood blockbuster film "Basic Instinct". She was nominated for an Academy Award for best actress for her role in "Casino", won a Golden Globe for her role in "Casino", and has won an Emmy Award.

Early life

Stone was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania. The second of four children, she is the daughter of Dorothy (née Lawson), an accountant and homemaker, and Joseph Stone, a tool and die manufacturer. [ [http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,188,00.html Cigar Aficionado | People Profile | Sharon Stone ] ] [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/33/Sharon-Stone.html Sharon Stone Biography (1958-) ] ] Stone graduated from High School early in an accelerated study program in conjunction with Edinboro State University. She attended this college briefly. Reports of her dropping out of High School are not accurate. She is regarded by many as bright and a quick study.

As a teen, she worked at a fast food restaurant. [ [http://money.aol.com/special/mcdonalds-most-famous-employees McDonald's Most Famous Employees - AOL Money & Finance ] ]

Career

1970s

Stone won the title of Miss Crawford County in Meadville. One of the pageant judges said she should quit school and move to New York to become a fashion model. When her mother heard this, she agreed, and, in 1977 Stone left Meadville, moving in with an aunt in New Jersey. Within four days of her arrival in New Jersey, she was signed by Ford Modeling Agency in New York. After signing with Ford, Stone spent a few years modeling and appeared in TV commercials for fast food restaurant, Clairol and Maybelline

1980-1990

While living in Europe, she decided to quit modeling and become an actress. "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. While auditioning, she met Michelle Pfeiffer, recognized her from the pageant she competed in, and the two began a friendship that lasts to this day. Stone was cast for a brief but memorable role in Allen's "Stardust Memories" (1980), and then had a speaking part a year later in the horror movie "Deadly Blessing" (1981). When French director Claude Lelouch saw Stone in "Stardust Memories", he was so impressed that he cast her in "Les Uns et Les Autres" (1982) starring James Caan. She was only on screen for two minutes and did not appear in the credits.

Her next role was in "Irreconcilable Differences" (1984), starring Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long, and a young Drew Barrymore. Stone plays a starlet who breaks up the marriage of a successful director and his screenwriter wife. The story was based on the real-life experience of director Peter Bogdanovich, his set designer wife Polly Platt and Cybill Shepherd, who as a young actress had starred in Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" (1971). The highlight of Stone's performance is when her cocaine-addict character plays Scarlett O'Hara in a musical pitched as a remake of "Gone with the Wind".

Through the rest of the 1980s she appeared in "Action Jackson" (1988), "King Solomon's Mines" (1985) and "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold" (1987). She also played the wife of Steven Seagal's character in "Above the Law" (1988). She appeared in a two-part episode of "Magnum, P.I.", titled "Echoes of the Mind", where she played identical twins, one a love interest of Thomas Magnum (1984).

1990-2004

Her appearance in "Total Recall" (1990) with Arnold Schwarzenegger gave Stone's career a much-needed jolt. To coincide with the movie's release, she posed nude for "Playboy" magazine, showing off the buff body she developed in preparation for the movie (she pumped iron and learned Tae Kwon Do). In 1999, she was rated among the 25 sexiest stars of the century by "Playboy".

The role that made her a star was that of Catherine Tramell, a brilliant, bisexual serial killer in "Basic Instinct" (1992). Stone had to wait and actually turned down offers for the mere prospect to play Tramell (the part was offered to 13 other actresses before being offered to Stone). Several better known actresses of the time such as Geena Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Meg Ryan, Melanie Griffith, Kelly Lynch and Julia Roberts turned down the part mostly because of the nudity required. In the movie’s most notorious scene, Tramell is being questioned by the police and she crosses and uncrosses her legs revealing the fact she was not wearing any underwear. According to Stone, upon seeing her own vulva in the leg-crossing scene [ [http://praesepe.users.btopenworld.com/Sharon_Stone_BAsic_Instinct.jpgScreencap taken from the classic interview scene where Stone's genitalia are displayed] Caution: image includes nudity. Screencap from DVD. Retrieved 14 June 2006] during a screening of the film, she went into the projection booth and slapped director Paul Verhoeven.

Stone claimed that although she agreed to film the flashing scene with no panties, and although she and director Paul Verhoeven had discussed the scene from the beginning of production, she was unaware just how explicit the infamous shot would be. [ContactMusic.com [http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/stone%20tricked%20into%20controversial%20basic%20instinct%20scene Stone Tricked Into Contoversial Basic Instinct Scene] ] She said, "I knew that we were going to do this leg-crossing thing and I knew that we were going to allude to the concept that I was nude, but I did not think that you would see my vagina in the scene. Later, when I saw it in the screening I was shocked. I think seeing it in a room full of strangers was so disrespectful and so shocking, so I went into the booth and slapped him and left." [ContactMusic.com [http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/stone%20attacked%20basic%20instinct%20director%20over%20vagina%20shot_08_03_2006 Stone Attacked Basic Instinct Director Over Vagina Shot] ] [ [http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/fs/20060313/114227738600.html Stone Ready to Bare All...Again] . FilmStew Staff Report, FilmStew.com. 13 March 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2006.]

Despite this, she claimed in an earlier interview that "it was so fun" watching the film for the first time with strangers [ContactMusic.com [http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/stone%20tricked%20into%20controversial%20basic%20instinct%20scene Stone Tricked Into Controversial Basic Instinct Scene] ] . Director Verhoeven has denied all claims of trickery and said, "As much as I love her, I hate her too, especially after the lies she told the press about the shot between her legs, which was a straight lie". [ [http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2000-08-23#celeb5 Movie & TV News @ IMDb.com - WENN - 23 August 2000 ] ] Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, who later befriended the actress, also claimed the actress was fully aware of the level of nudity involved in his memoir, "Hollywood Animal".

Following this film, she was listed by "People" magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.

In 1992, photographer George Hurrell took a series of photographs of Stone, Sherilyn Fenn, Julian Sands, Raquel Welch, Eric Roberts and Sean Penn. In these portraits he recreated his style of the 1930s, with the actors posing in costumes, hairstyle and makeup of the period.

Stone's stardom was such that she received top billing over Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio when cast as a gunslinger for Sam Raimi's 1995 western "The Quick and the Dead".

In November 1995, Stone received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. That same year, "Empire" magazine chose her as one of the 100 sexiest stars in film history. In October 1997, she was ranked among the top 100 movie stars of all time by Empire.

In 1996, she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Motion Picture for her role as "Ginger" in Martin Scorsese's "Casino" opposite Robert DeNiro. She also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for the role.

Stone was hospitalized in late 2001 for a subarachnoid hemorrhage, which was diagnosed as a vertebral artery dissection rather than the more common ruptured aneurysm, and treated with an endovascular coil embolization. [cite news|title=Basic instinct may have saved Sharon Stone|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/2001-10-23-stone.htm|publisher=USA Today|author=Mike Falcon|date=2003-10-23|accessdate=2008-06-03]

Stone starred opposite actress Ellen DeGeneres in the 2001 HBO movie "If These Walls Could Talk 2", in which she played a lesbian trying to start a family. In 2003, she appeared in three episodes from the 8th season of "The Practice" as Sheila Carlisle. For her performances, she received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.

2004-present

Stone attempted a return to the mainstream with a role in the film "Catwoman" (2004); however, the film was a critical and commercial flop.

After years of litigation, "" 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 movie; she wanted more, while they wanted much much less. A group sex scene was cut in order to achieve an R rating from the MPAA for the U.S. release; the controversial scene remained in the U.K. version of the London-based film. 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?" [ [http://www.insideeonline.com/news/details/20060315-57/sharon_stone_sought_%22brazen%22_nude_scenes.html Sharon Stone sought "brazen" nude scenes] . KP International. March 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2006.]

Despite an estimated budget of $70,000,000, it placed only 10th in gross on its debut weekend with a meager $3,200,000, and was subsequently declared a bomb. [Tatiana Siegel. [http://ca.yahoo.com/_ylh=X3oDMTEwcTkwM2YyBF9TAzE1NjI5MzQzBHRlc3QDMAR0bXBsA2luZGV4LWll/s/9339 Erotic thrillers lose steam at box office] . "The Hollywood Reporter". 3 April 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2006.] It ultimately ran in theaters for only 17 days and finished with a total domestic gross of under $6 million. Despite the failure of "Basic Instinct 2", Stone has said that she would love to direct and act in a third "Basic Instinct" film.

A subsequent film role came in the drama "Alpha Dog" opposite Bruce Willis, playing Olivia Mazursky, the mother of a real-life murder victim. Stone wore a fatsuit for the role.cite news | last =| first =| coauthors=| title =STONE STRUGGLES TO LOOK BAD IN A FAT SUIT| pages=| publisher =Contact Music| date =2006-12-11 | url =http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/stone%20struggles%20to%20look%20bad%20in%20a%20fat%20suit_1016226| accessdate =2006-12-11 ] In February 2007, Stone found her role as a clinically depressed woman in her latest film, "When a Man Falls in the Forest", strangely uplifting, as it challenged what she called "Prozac society". "It was a watershed experience," she said. "I think that we live in a... Prozac society where we're always told we're supposed to have this kind of equilibrium of emotion. We have all these assignments about how we're supposed to feel about something"." [http://newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/2/12/105219.shtml Sharon Stone Film Challenges 'Prozac Society'] " Reuters, February 12, 2007.]

In 2007, she appeared in a television commercial demonstrating the symptoms of a stroke. [ [http://ww2.heartandstroke.ca/Page.asp?PageID=1366&ArticleID=6121 I am a stroke video - Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada ] ]

Personal life

Stone lives in Beverly Hills, California, and owns a ranch in New Zealand. In March 2006, Stone traveled to Israel to promote peace in the Middle East through a press conference with Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres. [ [http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/sharon-stone/sharon-stone-talks-about-peace-her-naked-body-and-jews-in-her-employ-160429.php Sharon Stone talks about peace, her naked body, and Jews in her employ.] . "Defamer". 14 March 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2006.]

Chinese earthquake controversy

Stone sparked criticism for her comments made in an exchange on the red carpet with Hong Kong's "Cable Entertainment News" during the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2008. When asked about the 2008 Sichuan earthquake she remarked:

: "Well you know it was very interesting because at first, you know, I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else. And so I have been very concerned about how to think and what to do about that because I don’t like that. And I had been this, you know, concerned about, oh how should we deal with the Olympics because they are not being nice to the Dalai Lama, who is a good friend of mine. And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that Karma? When you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?" [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gMBwAZGV9myQXcApApwJgIyulJ0gD90UIQ8O0] Dead link|date=July 2008] [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcRiAytaD6w YouTube - Sharon Stone calls China quakes "karma" for tibetans] ]

Observers have also noted that Wenchuan County, the epicenter of the earthquake, is located in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, where ethnic Tibetans comprise over half of the population. According to the "Hollywood Reporter", after her comments, one of China's biggest cinema chains released statements stating its company would not show her films in its theaters.cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080528/ap_en_mo/people_sharon_stone_quake|title=Sharon Stone: Was China quake 'bad karma?'|publisher=Yahoo!|date=2008-05-28 |accessdate=2008-05-28] 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 not be releasing her films in the future. Christian Dior advertisements featuring Stone's image were also dropped from all ads in China amidst the public uproar.cite news|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYMs8IJwj_FL1Mdbf2cF6jjGYPUQ|title=Sharon Stone apologises for China quake 'karma' remark|publisher=AFP|date=2008-05-29 |accessdate=2008-05-29] Stone was also struck from the 2008 Shanghai International Film Festival guest list, with the event's organizers considering a permanent ban for the actress. [ [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hdWt3efCeCfR3z6G0LrWamjIiNNA Sharon Stone not welcome at Shanghai film fest: organisers] ]

Dior China had originally posted an apology in Stone's name, however, Stone later denies making the apology during an interview with the New York Times, 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 does admit she had "sounded like an idiot".cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/fashion/01stone.html?_r=2&oref=slogin--&oref=slogin|title=Actress Stone and Dior Differ Over Apology|publisher=NYT|date=2008-06-01 |accessdate=2008-06-01] The Dalai Lama reportedly has distanced himself from the Hollywood star. [ [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hrhcOOB3RcowPGGsf53PYBvxhX8g AFP: Dalai Lama baulks at Sharon Stone's 'karma' quake remark] ]

Tanzania controversy

On January 28, 2005, Stone helped solicit pledges for $1 million in five minutes for mosquito nets in Tanzania, ["Sharon Stone raises $1 mil. for Tanzania in 5 minutes", "Daily Yomiuri", January 30, 2005. ] turning a panel on African poverty into an impromptu fund-raiser at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Many observers, including UNICEF, 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; if she had done so, she would have found out that most African governments already distribute free bed nets through public hospitals.

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. This diverted funds from other UNICEF projects. According to prominent economist Xavier Sala-i-Martín, 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.

Stone hosted the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Concert.

AIDS research support

In April 2004, she was awarded the National Center for Lesbian Rights Spirit Award in San Francisco for her support and involvement with organizations that serve the lesbian, gay and HIV/AIDS communitycite web |title=Sharon Stone recognized by lesbian group |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1082983585198_7/?hub%3DEntertainment |work=CATV.ca |date=2004-04-26 |accessdate=2007-06-26] and performed "Can't Get You Out of My Head" with Kylie Minogue in Cannes for AIDS research. She was presented the award by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

It has been said that her parents raised her with feminist values. "My dad never raised me to believe that being a woman inhibited any of my choices or my possibilities to succeed. To be a feminist like Dad in that blue-collar, middle-class world is a big stand."

Religion

In the early 1990s, Stone became a member of the Church of Scientology. Stone remained with the religion until recently when she converted to Tibetan Buddhism, after fellow actor Richard Gere introduced her to the Dalai Lama. [ [http://www.livingdharma.org/Real.World.Buddhism/S.Stone-BuddhismPractice.html Sharon Stone-Balancing Religion and Acting, Buddha and God ] ] She is an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church. [ [http://chicagoscope.com/index.php?post_id=151494 ChicagoScope Podcast ] ]

Relationships

She was first married briefly to George Englund Jr., however she left him for television producer Michael Greenburg. In 1984, she broke up the marriage of Michael Greenburg, who became her second husband. That marriage lasted three years. [cite web| url=http://www.calgarysun.com/cgi-bin/publish.cgi?p=128766&x=articles&s=showbiz| title=Stone by the basics| first=Yuri| last=Wuensch| date=2006-03-28| publisher=Calgary Sun| accessdate=2007-08-17] She married Michael Greenburg in 1984 on the set of "The Vegas Strip War", a TV movie he produced and she starred in, along with Rock Hudson and James Earl Jones. They separated three years later, and their divorce was finalized in 1990.

She was engaged to producer Bill McDonald after they met on the film "Sliver" (1993). McDonald left his wife, Naomi Baca, for Stone. The tabloids initially labeled her a homewrecker, but their attention turned to Baca after she got involved with "Basic Instinct" screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, who would leave his wife for her. Soon after her fling with Eszterhas, she began a secret affair with her married bodyguard Joel Swigart. Swigart, her bodyguard since 1988, was married with 2 children. He and Stone had a secret relationship until 1995 when tabloids found out about the affair while Stone was filming the movie "The Quick and the Dead." During the film Stone relieved Swigart of his duties as her bodyguard and stated he needed to be home with his family as the reason he was let go. Stone still denies to this day that either one had a passionate relationship. Swigart has not been seen in hollywood since 1995. [ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,4053230-102280,00.html Observer | The Hollywood hitman ] ]

On February 14, 1998, she married Phil Bronstein, executive editor of the "San Francisco Examiner" and later "San Francisco Chronicle". Stone and Bronstein were divorced in January 2004, after he had suffered a severe heart attack. They have an adopted son named Roan Joseph Bronstein, born on May 22, 2000. She also adopted her second son, Laird Vonne Stone on May 7, 2005. On June 28, 2006, Stone adopted her third son, Quinn Kelly.

In 2005, during a television interview for her movie "", Stone hinted an interest in bisexuality, stating "Middle age is an open-minded period". [ [http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid02813.asp Sharon Stone promises "lesbian love" in Basic Instinct 2] . AP. 25 February 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2006.] Stone has said that in the past she's "dated" girls. While filming Basic Instinct, her best girlfriend was there to hold her hand out of camera range during some of the scenes. And in a biography, "Naked Instinct", author Frank Sanello details a sexual liaison with a woman in the bathroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel [ [http://www.planetout.com/people/columns/szymanski/archive/20000316.html Planetout.com] Retrieved September 20, 2007] . In an interview on the Michael Parkinson talk show in England on March 18, 2006, she said she was "straight". However, in January 2008, she was quoted as saying, "Everybody is bisexual to an extent. Now men act like women and it's difficult to have a relationship because I like men in that old-fashioned way. I like masculinity and, in truth, only women do that now". [ [http://www.keyetv.com/entertainment/story.aspx?content_id=f6307ace-f2e1-4372-aa81-1426560d6c42] Stone tempted to date women, keyetv.com, retrieved 11 January 2008 ]

It has been rumored that Stone has recently been dating Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson, host of "The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson". [ [http://news.softpedia.com/news/Sharon-Stone-In-a-Romantic-Relationship-With-Craig-Ferguson-9778.shtml Sharon Stone Has a Romantic Relationship with Craig Ferguson - Stone happy again - Softpedia ] ]

Mensa

For many years it was believed that Sharon Stone was a member of Mensa, [ [http://movies.nytimes.com/person/68496/Sharon-Stone Sharon Stone - Trailer - Showtimes - Cast - Movies - New York Times ] ] but in April 2002, she admitted she was not, and had never been, a member of the high-IQ society." [http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2002-04-04#celeb2 Sharon Stone's Mensa Madness] ", IMDB.com, April 4, 2002] Jim Blackmore of Mensa said, "It's delightful to finally see Ms. Stone admit that she's not and never has been a member of our society. But then she goes on to say, 'I went to a Mensa school.' Not so." Blackmore said that would not have been possible as there have been no Mensa schools since the early 1960s.

Filmography

Awards And Honors

Academy Awards Nomination

*1996 - "Casino" (1995) Academy Award for Best Actress

Golden Globe Nominations & Awards

*1993 - "Basic Instinct" (1992) Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
*1996 - "Casino" (1995) Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama (Won)
*1998 - "The Mighty" (1997) Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture

Emmy Awards

*2004 - "The Practice" (2003) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Drama Series (Won)

Razzie Nominations & Awards

*1988 - "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold" (1987) Razzie Award Worst Actress [ [http://www.razzies.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=337&PN=2 1987 Razzie Awards] ]
*1994 - "Sliver" (1993) Razzie Award Worst Actress [ [http://www.razzies.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=343&PN=2 1993 Razzie Awards] ]
*1995 - "The Specialist" (1994) Razzie Award Worst Actress (Won)" [http://www.razzies.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=344&PN=2 1994 Razzie Awards] ]
*1995 - "The Specialist" (1994) Razzie Award Worst Screen Couple (Won)"
*1997 - "Diabolique" (1996) Razzie Award Worst Actress [ [http://www.razzies.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=346&PN=2 1996 Razzie Awards] ]
*2000 - "Gloria" (1999) Razzie Award Worst Actress [ [http://www.razzies.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=349&PN=1 1999 Razzie Awards] ]
*2004 - "Catwoman" (2004) Razzie Award Worst Supporting Actress [http://www.razzies.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=354&PN=1 2004 Razzie Awards] ]
*2004 - "Catwoman" (2004) Razzie Award Worst Screen Couple
*2007 - "Basic Instinct 2" (2006) Razzie Award Worst Actress (Won)" [ [http://www.razzies.com/history/06winners.asp 2006 Razzie Awards] ]

References

External links

*imdb name | id=0000232 | name=Sharon Stone

Persondata
NAME= Stone, Sharon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Stone, Sharon Vonne
SHORT DESCRIPTION=actress, producer, model
DATE OF BIRTH= March 10, 1958
PLACE OF BIRTH= Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States of America
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=