Sharon Stone Biography

Sharon Stone Best known for her role in Basic Instinct (1992), Sharon Stone has been known for pushing the envelope in both her acting career and charitable works. While her beauty may have given her a start in the entertainment business, her brains have given her staying power. Sharon Stone was born in Pennsylvania in 1958 to blue collar parents of Irish descent. Unlike many men of his time, Sharon's father considered himself to be a feminist. He believed that being a woman should not inhibit career choices. Sharon's parents raised her and her three siblings with those same feminist values. Stone was born with brains, which has been both a gift and a torment for Sharon. She started second grade at age five and was ostracized from her peers because she would rather sit and read a book at recess rather than play games with the other children. By the time she was 15, Stone was unwillingly transferred from her high school to Edinboro University. Growing up she often described herself as the awkward ugly duckling with low self-esteem. She never felt like she was beautiful and it took a bribe from her uncle before she began to understand her beauty. Her uncle told her he would give her 100 dollars if she entered a local beauty contest. Even though she lost, the judges were very optimistic toward the young Stone and told her she should continue to pursue beauty pageants. After winning a county beauty pageant becoming Miss Crawford City one of the judges approached Stone and suggested that she quit school, move to New York, and become a model. With her mother's blessing she decided to pursue this option. She moved in with an aunt in New Jersey and within four days had been signed with Ford Modeling Agency. After modeling for a few years Stone realized that she did not enjoy her work anymore. It was at this time that she decided to pursue acting. To obtain her first role she stood in line for a non-speaking extra role the Woody Allen film, Stardust Memories (1980). Throughout the 1980 s, Stone played small parts in mostly forgettable films. Finally in 1990 Stone received a break co-starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film Total Recall that became a box office success. The role was just what her career needed. Over the next two years she posed for Playboy magazine and starred in several unforgettable movies. It was not until 1992 that Stone's next big break came along. When Sharon Stone knows what she wants, she will do almost anything to get it. When the role for Basic Instinct came around Sharon knew she wanted it. The controversial part of Catherine Tramell was offered to 13 other well-known actresses before it was offered to Stone. One of the highlights of her career was getting an Academy Award nomination for her role in Casino co-starring Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro. Recently, Sharon Stone has been concentrating more on her charitable work than her movies. She has been strongly involved and supportive and gay and lesbian rights being presented with the National Center for Lesbian Rights Spirit Award by the mayor of San Francisco. In 2006 she went on a peace mission to Israel with Nobel Peace Prize winner, Shimon Peres.

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