Despite her long and celebrated film career, actress and film producer Sharon Stone told Business Insider that modeling currently brings in more income than acting. She called it "a huge part of her reality."
Stone began modeling in her mid-teens after quitting school at 15 and moving to New York. She quickly signed with Ford Models. Soon she found work in Milan and Paris and eventually transitioned into acting.
Devastating Loss and Recovery
"I had zero money," Stone said. After her 2001 stroke, she discovered her $18 million in savings had vanished. In a 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she said, "My refrigerator, my phone — everything was in other people's names."
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"I decided not to hang onto being sick or to any bitterness or anger … if you hold faith … you will survive," she said. The stroke caused a nine-day brain bleed. Recovery took years. Despite the health crisis and financial fallout, Stone said she refused to dwell on anger or bitterness.
From ‘Stardust Memories' to ‘Basic Instinct'
Stone's acting career began in 1980 with a chance break in Woody Allen's "Stardust Memories."
She recalled roller-skating to auditions in New York with a large modeling portfolio. She was asked to sit on a train set with Allen — before learning she had gotten the part, she told Business Insider.
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Her iconic role in the 1992 erotic thriller "Basic Instinct” made her a global star. But she earned only $500,000. Co-star Michael Douglas received $14 million, she told Deadline in 2023.
Despite the pay gap, the film cemented her cultural status and led to roles in "Casino," "The Quick and the Dead," and "Sliver." She earned an Academy Award nomination for best actress for "Casino" in 1996.
A Reinvented, Multifaceted Icon
Stone returns to theaters this month in "Nobody 2," a darkly comic action thriller where she plays a villainous casino boss.
Her modeling slate also stays active. In late June, Stone fronted Mugler's "Re/Edit" capsule campaign. It revives 24 archival looks from designer Manfred Thierry Mugler's collections from 1985 to 2000.
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The brand highlighted the launch on its official Instagram account. The collection will be released in September online and in select boutiques worldwide. “I’m still one of the oldest women consistently modeling today,” Stone told Business Insider.
HBO confirmed in February that Stone has joined the cast of "Euphoria" for its third season.
Beyond the screen and runway, The Washington Post reported recently that Stone is exploring stage work in London's West End or on Broadway. She's also gaining recognition in the art world—her latest exhibitions include "My Eternal Failure" in San Francisco, "Welcome to My Garden" in Greenwich, Connecticut, and "Totem" in Berlin.
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Image: Shutterstock
