Sharon Stone exclusively for Vogue Adria on her new projects, why she still believes in a better world, and her shift from acting to art

The world as we know it lately hasn’t been its best version, and honestly, I’m not sure what will save it anymore, except some incredible people I still believe in—those who know themselves and others, aren’t afraid to be honest about it, understand what a rollercoaster is, ride it without blinking, and despite everything, don’t stop carrying optimism.

It’s ten o’clock at night here, the day is almost over, and to be honest, so is my energy. After weeks of online messaging, scheduling, and a successfully completed shoot that made my workday flow through both Pacific and Central European time zones, I joined a Zoom call greeted by a woman with a huge smile. Goddess herself. Sharon Stone. I almost instantly smiled at the text on her shirt — “Let’s go somewhere.” That’s exactly what I would suggest, though I’m not sure where to run off to. Before I could ask how she was and where she suggests going, she beat me to it. “How are you doing? Do you feel well and safe?” I shrugged because I really didn’t know the answer. “I understand, me too. I think this is a moment when it’s okay to admit that we’re all a little worried, but that doesn’t mean those of us who do things out of love, joy, and with a purpose we understand should stop doing it and serving others by bringing care and love. That’s our role. Good people won’t let everything fall apart. I believe in good people. That’s my political credo.”

A powerful start and a powerful political stance, if I may say so. I told her that the idea of power is always the first thing that comes to mind when I think of her roles. It’s clear the femme fatale title that follows her, but in that blend of eroticism and danger, there’s always something inherently strong. A woman who, from Basic Instinct through Casino to Diabolique, doesn’t stand behind men but side by side with them, if not a step ahead, can only be strong. How does she perceive that word—what does it mean to be a powerful woman to her? What does that look like now? “Having the ability to stay authentically you, no matter what happens. To make decisions in the darkest moments that affirm your integrity. To remain true to yourself, making the best possible, gentlest choices. It might take longer, but it’s worth it because there’s a difference between happiness and momentary pleasure. Happiness is long-lasting, when you make choices for the long run. I’m Voltaire-level consistent about that. It takes a lot of courage to stay happy. I watched my father fight terminal cancer, and when asked how he was, he would say: ‘I’m great.’ And somehow, with that attitude, he survived. I think if we did that as humanity, we would create a great world. It requires a lot of courage, even more discipline, and an awful lot of focus to stay happy. But it’s worth it. I do it every day. Every day I decide to get up, to fight, even when I really don’t want to or don’t feel strong enough. Every day. But I keep proving to myself that I can and that I’m getting better.”

I smiled because it feels natural for me to struggle in my daily life, but hearing Sharon Stone confirm that being happy isn’t easy makes you feel a little less lost. Happiness is not a natural state; it’s hard work and a daily decision. There are days when we don’t want to get out of bed, days when everything feels impossible, and days when you have to be happy to make someone else happy. Being happy is hard work. “Yes. Sometimes I only succeed at six in the evening. But it doesn’t matter what we have to turn over to find our happiness—if we start looking for it, we’ll find it.” I shared with her the thought that those of us watching the world of celebrities from the other side of the screen sometimes find it hard to believe that even at the celebrity Olympus, it’s just as hard, even though it’s easy to imagine that beyond their roles, they’re just ordinary people. “We all struggle. When it comes to life, we’re all the same. We all struggle equally, we look for jobs, worry about our children, are equally scared, and all of us are damn trying to figure out this thing called life. More or less successfully.” Suddenly, I felt better and full of new energy—not because it’s hard for someone else, but because solidarity is so simple if we remember that at the base, we all share the same foundation, and that foundation is the complicated task of being human. With everything that phrase carries. “We are a global community; we have to love the person next to us, offer help when it’s needed. And we will survive everything together. And women—we’re a special club. Those of us who are relatively privileged need to be there for others as much as we can. To paint each other’s nails, style each other’s hair, and ask what you need today to feel better. If that’s the only way to help someone feel good and worthy, then that’s what we’ll do. If we don’t have anything good to offer, then we’ll offer the kindness we have. We must be organized, caring, calm, and communicate everything we go through.”

The talk about consistency in making good choices reminded me that I’ve always been curious how she chose her roles. As someone who has classics upon classics, did she pick them or did they somehow find her? “I’m a working-class woman from a small town, and it seemed like working was a good idea,” she joked. I told her that acting sounds like a great idea and a dream job, but it seems that the saying ‘darling, I don’t dream of labour’ fits everyone. “At the end of the day, it’s all work, you know? I took roles because I needed to, even though I was always paid less than my male colleagues. I became very famous, but even then, I had to worry about my future and how to secure myself. When I moved into my first house, it had no floors; that house was literally a shell, old and falling apart. I was a superstar, and that was the only thing I could afford. So I often lived in hotels while filming and slowly turned that house into my home, and my name too.” Pay disparity is a story well known today, though for a long time it was only known inside the industry and treated as something unfortunate but normal. Nowadays, many actors and actresses actively fight for equal pay, along with directors like Mike White, whose contract for The White Lotus reportedly ensured equal pay for everyone regardless of experience or gender. From the outside, it seems Hollywood has made significant progress regarding women’s status and the opportunities available, with more female directors and growing inclusion and pay equity.

I couldn’t resist asking if that’s really the case or just a good show. “It’s much better today. Many have changed the way they work, and many of those ‘old studio people’ are gone. The industry is changing, but not completely. As for directing, I wanted to do it once but never got the chance. Very explicitly — ‘great presentation, but a woman can’t direct.’ End of story. But I’ve always believed that when some doors don’t open, there’s usually a reason. I don’t think I would have achieved as much in humanitarian work if those doors had opened.” By now, I’m honestly fascinated by this amount of enthusiasm. And it’s true. If Sharon had started directing, we would probably have seen many amazing titles, and I wouldn’t complain at all, but who else would be one of the most active members of amfAR, raise tens of millions of dollars for AIDS research and treatment, which led to unimaginable progress we witness today, receive the Peace Summit Award in 2013, fight breast cancer, and help children and women in crisis situations? “I think the universe had bigger plans for me than directing,” she smiles.

Speaking of changing plans, her shift from acting to visual art has been attracting a lot of attention lately. Does painting offer her something that acting couldn’t, or do the two worlds peacefully coexist? “Few people know that I started painting as a child, it’s practically a second language to me, so it was just a matter of time before it became incredibly important. It gives me complete creative independence; I don’t depend on other people. Same goes for writing. And I write a lot — both prose and poetry.”

Still, we can’t say acting no longer holds the top spot in her life, considering what she’s currently working on.
“It’s true, the film In Memoriam, which will be a great comedy, is waiting for its premiere, and there’s also the second part of Nobody. Bob Odenkirk is fantastic, a rare kind of professional, and I think the sequel will be amazing. He’s wonderful, everyone is wonderful, the film is wonderful, and I’m very happy to be part of the team. Then I’m working on another series, but I can’t talk much about that yet, and of course Euphoria season 3, which I’m really excited about. There’s also another series I’m involved in, where I play a psychiatrist, but that one is in the final stages, so we’ll talk about it next time. But yeah, a lot is happening — as my friend says, ‘The Sharonaissance has begun.’”

I love that expression and quickly jot it down. Since she’s working on both films and series at the same time, I asked her what the difference is and which she enjoys more. “It’s very different when you do a film — you get the whole script and can build the character and the story arc. When you work on a series, you never get everything. You might start with episode three, then work on seven, then one, and you don’t know what happens in the others until you get to them. You’re constantly putting together a puzzle without having the whole picture. You keep making choices, acting, trying to figure out how things flow — you’re always adapting, but you don’t really know what your character is doing. You find out along the way. It’s kind of like life.”

Even though it’s almost midnight, I suddenly feel completely energized and like everything makes much more sense. This must be what they call contagious energy. “It’s easy to get overwhelmed. We’re so busy with life that we often forget to take a step back and see things from a broader perspective. To watch from the sidelines a bit. We don’t get the chance because life is so strange and fast, and everything we love and believe in can change so quickly — like someone has scattered a chessboard. We have to step back and look at that board, and decide if we really need to be part of every game. That’s been really interesting for me to learn.” Self-awareness. A big word and a lesson many don’t master, and one that’s been on the tip of my tongue throughout this conversation — but only now have I managed to put it into words. Having the ability to understand ourselves, to know our role, and recognize when to say no, when to stop — that might be one of the most valuable skills we can develop.

“I’ve had many roles and many lives so far (laughs). I think the key is to recognize your role at any given moment. Mine right now is to talk to other women and remind them that we all know who we are, even if sometimes we forget or if someone doesn’t want us to know. Remember when you wanted to be who you are now, or when you didn’t have what you have now? Well, now you’re here — so be that. Be proud of yourself. Maybe sometimes we’re insecure, maybe we’re scared, but do you know what courage is? Being brave despite fear. And dancing while you do it. People will think we’re protesting, but we’ll just be dancing because we deserve it. We’ll stay who we are and be proud of it. We don’t have to be more, but we won’t be less either. One day we’ll meet in person and dance together on the street.” Yes, queen.

Photo: Branislav Simoncik
Kreativna direkcija i moda: Paris Libby