Sharon Stone

Lore & Background

Sharon Stone was born on March 10, 1958, in Meadville, Pennsylvania, to Methodist parents Dorothy Marie Lawson, an accountant, and Joseph William Stone II, a tool and die manufacturer. She has three siblings and is mostly of Scots-Irish and English descent. Stone was considered academically gifted, entering second grade at age five, and graduated from Saegertown High School in 1975. She attended Edinboro State College on a creative writing scholarship at age 15 but quit to become a fashion model in New York City. In 2016, inspired by Hillary Clinton, she returned to Edinboro University to complete her degree.

After modeling in television commercials and print advertisements, Stone made her film debut as an extra in Woody Allen's Stardust Memories (1980) and had her first speaking part in Wes Craven's Deadly Blessing (1981). She appeared in films such as Irreconcilable Differences (1984), King Solomon's Mines (1985), Action Jackson (1988), and Above the Law (1988). Her breakthrough came with Paul Verhoeven's science fiction film Total Recall (1990), and she rose to international recognition portraying Catherine Tramell in Verhoeven's erotic thriller Basic Instinct (1992), earning her first Golden Globe Award nomination. Her performance as a trophy wife in Martin Scorsese's Casino (1995) won her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Reader's Guide

Sharon Stone's significance lies in her transformation from a model and extra into a defining screen presence of the 1990s. Her role in Basic Instinct established her as a major star and a cultural icon, while her performance in Casino demonstrated her dramatic range, earning critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination. Stone's career includes a wide variety of films, from action and thriller to drama and comedy, and she has also worked extensively in television, winning a Primetime Emmy Award for her guest appearance on The Practice. Her legacy is that of a versatile actress who navigated both mainstream popularity and artistic recognition, and she was honored as Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 2005, later elevated to Commander in 2021.

Did You Know?

• Stone has a reported IQ of 154.
• She was named Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 2005 and Commander in 2021.
• She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her appearance on The Practice.
• Stone returned to Edinboro University in 2016 to complete her degree, inspired by Hillary Clinton.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress, model and producer." — Sharon Stone "My father has always been supportive of my individuality." — Sharon Stone "Interviewed by Barbara Walters (September 1993)." — Sharon Stone "An individual who isn't worth the ink it would take to write about him." — Sharon Stone