Hollywood actress Sharon Stone has revealed that the stroke she suffered in the early 2000s wiped out job offers and halted her acting career.
Speaking in an interview with the Spanish edition of Elle magazine, the Basic Instinct star gave details about her recovery from the stroke she suffered in the early 2000s. Stone admitted that after the illness struck, she virtually lost all job offers as she was forced to relearn how to walk, speak and hear.
She also addressed how the experience derailed her film career. Stone stated that if you are a woman and disaster strikes you, your career is finished, explaining that although she eventually managed to recover, film offers ceased to arrive.
Seven years of recovery
The actress disclosed that her full recovery took more than seven years. Following surgery, Stone spent eight months in hospital, where she had to relearn how to perform everyday actions and basic routines.
A stroke is a serious life-threatening medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off or severely reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die within minutes, leaving many survivors facing extensive physical therapy and speech therapy to regain basic motor and language skills.
Stone rose to global prominence during the 1990s as one of the most recognisable actresses in Hollywood. After starring as Catherine Tramell in Paul Verhoeven's 1992 thriller Basic Instinct, she earned an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award for her role in Martin Scorsese's 1995 crime drama Casino.
Ending prescription drugs
Her latest disclosures follow earlier comments in which she spoke about the problems that followed giving up drugs. The Basic Instinct star explained that in September 2025, she made the decision to stop taking the prescription medicines doctors had ordered after her stroke.
After halting that medication, the actress decided to take another step and stop using marijuana as well. Stone has spoken candidly about navigating her long rehabilitation and managing the enduring effects of the illness decades after her initial diagnosis.
