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1. Express yourself
I've written poetry all my life, and some short stories and songs. Then I did [comedian] Marc Maron's podcast and people said, “She's a lot more interesting than we thought!” So I wrote a memoir. It was an agonizing process.
2. Let go
I show up on time. I know my lines. I go out and sell the film. Then they say, “You're difficult!” The industry is built to keep women oppressed. I'm over it.
3. Forget the ice pick
I didn't think [Basic Instinct's] Catherine Tramell was sexy. She was a manipulative sociopath, and fear doesn't turn me on. I find super-authentic people sexy — people who are quirky or unusual.
4. You be you
God knows I swear. God knows I've had sex. God knows who I am. I don't have to pretend.
5. Wear a mask (yes, still)
Please. My sister, Kelly, and her husband, Bruce, got COVID. Kelly sort of recovered, but Bruce nearly died. One night he said, “I'm not going to make it.” I stayed on the phone with him for hours.
6. Embrace family
I tell my kids, “You're going to have lots of friends in your life, but your family will be yours for a lifetime. You won't always talk to each other. But even then, you'll love them. And if you need someone, that's who you'll call."
7. Stay focused
I've survived everything — sexual harassment, miscarriages, a brain bleed, divorce, a lightning strike. I don't have time to fool around. I'm here to be a healthy and present parent, a good daughter and an engaged citizen. Everything else is just a distraction.
—As told to Natasha Stoynoff
In March, Emmy- and Golden Globe–winning actress Sharon Stone published her memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice.