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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

Stone didn't rest on her laurels for long! Within two months she was heading the campaign for Italian jeweler, Damiani who opened a boutique on Rodeo drive, announcing none other than Ms. Stone as the face of its new international print ad campaign.