Sharon stone: from stroke survivor to abstract artist
On a crisp Los Angeles morning, Sharon Stone appears on screen, radiant in a white T-shirt proclaiming her intention to 'Break Up with Stress.' This is just a few weeks before her highly anticipated return to the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of Cristian Mungiu's Fjord. But today, it's just her and her laptop, offering an intimate glimpse into her life.
From hollywood to the studio
Stone takes her guest on a tour of her home, stopping at her spacious studio where she has revived a childhood hobby - painting. Today, she's a critically acclaimed abstract artist. A mother, stroke survivor, and so much more.
Instagram content You're inspiring so many generations of women—perhaps, because you seem not to feel the pressure of perfection. Sharon Stone: You're wrong, I'm just as neurotic and in just as much trouble as everyone else! People often only see the retouched version of you in photos. But I'm not as fantastically perfect as people imagine! I'm not exceptional. I have dark circles under my eyes like everyone else. I've just had to be very disciplined all these years, and I still am; it's like an OCD thing. Except for this winter, when we had four months here in Los Angeles with appalling weather, and I did nothing. The sun finally came out, though, and with it, my gym sessions and my usual routine.
A fitness regimen like no other
Stone exercises for an hour and a half, five days a week, in her swimming pool. She does aquagym routines underwater, with two-and-a-half-kilo weights on each ankle and then on each arm. 'It's important to do these exercises below the surface level, to be completely in the water,' she explains. When she's finished, she sits on the pool steps and pedals with her legs.
So, are you a classic Californian, obsessed with green juices and avocados? Or what do you love to eat? 'I come from a fairly modest background, so I like simple food,' Stone says. 'I drink milk, eat fruit and vegetables, and things like that. I eat healthy to be healthy. My ancestry is French, so I do love that cuisine.' She recalls an unforgettable memory of a dinner at the Grand Palais, where the chef prepared a magnificent Tournedos Rossini with mashed potatoes, just like her grandmother used to make - 'I love it!' she exclaims. 'When I think of that dish, all I want to do is return to France!'
You say you're very disciplined, and I've heard that you also practice your gym routine during shoots. On a film set, between takes, I do all those old-school gym workouts like sit-ups, lunges, push-ups, just stay moving, and trying to build muscle. You know all those moves that Jane Fonda taught us a hundred years ago, that still work!