>>> JOINING US NOW IS ACADEMY
AWARD NOMINEE, EMMY AND GOLDEN
GLOBE WINNING ACTOR AND PRODUCER
SHARON STONE.
>> HI, ARI.
>> YOU HAVE THIS NEW MEMOIR.
IN YOUR CORE YOU WRITE THAT YOU
FELT LIKE YOU STARTED OUT
INTROVERTED.
HOW DID THAT WORK FOR YOU IN
FIELDS THAT ARE SO MUCH ABOUT
PRESENTATION?
>> WELL, I THINK IM STILL
PERSONALLY A VERY SHY PERSON AND
AN INTROVERTED PERSON.
BUT I HAVE, AS A PROFESSIONAL,
MY JOB IS TO BE QUITE EMPATHETIC
ABOUT OTHERS.
I THINK A LOT OF SHY PEOPLE ARE
ACTUALLY IN MY FIELD.
AND SOME OF THE GREATEST.
I MEAN, I HAD THE GREAT, GREAT
HONOR OF WORKING WITH ROBERT De
NIRO, WHOS ONE OF THE FINEST
ACTORS, AND HES PROBABLY ONE OF
THE MOST SHY PEOPLE I HAVE EVER
MET IN MY LIFE.
>> MANY OF THE CHARACTERS SEEM
EXTRAVERTED, NO?
>> WELL, YES, BECAUSE I HAVE
PLAYED A LOT OF ANTISOCIAL
CHARACTERS WHO ARE WITHOUT
REGARD FOR OTHERS.
>> DID YOU FIND THAT THE CAREER
DREW YOU TO THESE CERTAIN
CHARACTERS BECAUSE THATS WHERE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR OR ACTUALLY
YOU LIKED DOING THAT?
>> WELL, I REALLY DID WANT THE
PART IN "BASIC INSTINCT."
I REALLY WANTED THAT PART
BECAUSE I WAS SO FASCINATED BY
PLAYING THIS PERSON WHO WAS SO
COMPLICATED BUT APPEARED SO
SIMPLE, SMOOTH, SERENE.
>> DID A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST HAVE
A PROBLEM SEPARATING YOUR
CHARACTER IN THAT FILM FROM YOU?
BECAUSE DONT WE KNOW THAT YOUR
WHOLE JOB AS AN ACTOR IS TO
BECOME A DIFFERENT CHARACTER
AND, YET, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS
YOU TO SOME DEGREE?
>> YOU HAVE TO FORM LIKE A
PUBLIC PUBLICITY PERSONA.
THAT WAS A FUN, GOOD IDEA FOR ME
SO THAT I WASNT JUST GOING TO
CRY WHEN PEOPLE INTERVIEWED ME.
SO I GOT KIND OF SASSY AND
FUNNY.
AND IT WAS EASIER BECAUSE WHAT
HAPPENED IS PEOPLE WOULD SEE THE
FILM AND THEN IMMEDIATELY COME
IN A ROOM AND BE LIKE THIS,
INTERVIEWING ME AND THEY WERE
SCARED OF ME.
>> WELL, YOU DID KILL A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
>> I ICE PICKED THEM LEFT AND
RIGHT.
THEY CAME IN AND I WAS LIKE, OH,
THEYRE SCARED OF ME AND THAT
WAS KIND OF FUNNY TO ME.
>> I WANT TO READ FROM SOMETHING
WE DUG UP.
THIS IS "THE NEW YORK TIMES" IN
1994.
SHARON STONE IS ONE OF THE TOP
TWO FEMALE STARS IN HOLLYWOOD,
ALONG WITH JULIA ROBERTS, WHO
PLAYS VICTIMS IN NEED OF RESCUE
BY MEN.
WHILE MS. STONE, BY CONTRAST IS
AT HER BEST PORTRAYING STRONG,
CAPABLE WOMEN.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THAT
ARTICLE WAS HEADLINED?
>> I DONT.
>> THE ULTIMATE QUESTION: CAN
SHARON STONE ACT?
WHY DO YOU THINK AT A TIME WHEN
YOU WERE FACTUALLY BEING
RECOGNIZED FOR PLAYING STRONG
CHARACTERS IN CONTRAST TO WHAT
HOLLYWOOD WANTED, THERE WAS
STILL THIS ENDURING PUBLIC OR
CRITICAL QUESTIONING OF YOUR
TALENT?
>> BECAUSE I THINK MISOGYNY IS
STRONG AND IS STILL INCREDIBLY
STRONG.
AND I THINK IF YOU PORTRAY
STRENGTH, IT IS EASIER TO SAY
THAT YOU -- THERE IS SOMETHING
WRONG WITH YOU.
AND IF YOURE STRONG AND IF
YOURE SMART AND IF YOU HAVE
BOUNDARIES, THERE MUST BE
SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU.
IT COULDNT POSSIBLY BE THAT YOU
JUST SELF-POSSESSED FEMALE WHO
HAS BOTH FEET ON THE GROUND.
>> HOW DO YOU THINK THAT PLAYS
OUT IN HOW WE FEEL WITH WOMEN IN
POWER, IN GOVERNMENT, IN
REALITY.
>> WE SEE THIS VERY STRONGLY
EVEN WITH LIZ CHENEY WHO, LETS
SAY, I DONT AGREE WITH ALL OF
HER VIEWS, BUT I CERTAINLY AGREE
WITH HER RIGHT AND ABILITY TO
HAVE THEM.
AND I THOUGHT SHE HAD THEM QUITE
WELL.
BUT WERE TRYING TO, I DONT
KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT.
IT IS ALMOST LIKE McCARTHYISM
ALL OVER AGAIN.
IT IS LIKE IT IS JUST SUCH AN
INSISTENCE THAT WE HAVE A
CONGRESSMAN OPINION ABOUT THIS
AND A COMMON OPINION ABOUT THAT.
AND IF YOU DONT, SEE YOU LATER.
I FEEL THAT EVERY TIME WE DO
THAT ITS AGAINST WHAT THIS
COUNTRY IS ABOUT.
THAT IS NOT DEMOCRACY.
>> AND IN THE BOOK YOU WRITE
ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
CRITICAL RECEPTION OF THE TIMES,
WHICH IN MANY CASES JUST DOESNT
ENSURE VERY WELL.
IT DOESNT LOOK ALL THAT GREAT
IN THE REARVIEW.
>> IT DOESNT LOOK GOOD IN
THEERER VIEW AND IT DOESNT LOOK
GOOD RIGHT OUT THE WINDSHIELD.
>> YOU HAVE THIS GREAT LINE
WHERE YOU SAY A CRITIC TELLS
MOVIES FOR FREE AND TELLS YOU
WHAT THEY THINK.
AN AUDIENCE TELLS YOU HOW A
MOVIE MAKES THEM FEEL.
WHEN I WAS READING FEEL.
>> YES.
>> WE LOOK TO THE WISDOM OF
LYRICS SOMETIMES AROUND HERE.
YOU WRITE SONGS YOURSELF.
>> OH.
>> WHAT DO YOU GOT?
YOU GOT SOMETHING?
>> I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LIKE RAP.
IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A LITTLE
BEAT BOX, I HAVE A RAP FOR YOU.
>> I DONT KNOW HOW TO BEAT BOX,
AND I WOULDNT CLAIM TO. BUT THIS IS LIKE A --
BUT THIS IS LIKE A -- >> IM ON THE AIR WITH ARI.
>> IM ON THE AIR WITH ARI.
HEART BEATING LIKE A FERRARI.
I COULD HAVE BEEN A-ZOOMIN.
WHILE I WANTED TO BE IN THE
ROOMIN.
WHO WOULD WANT TO MISS THAT?
>> HOW CAN I SAY THIS IN THE
MOST PROFESSIONAL WAY POSSIBLE,
THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO
DREAMED TO HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE
WITH YOU.
SO IM HAPPY YOURE SHARING IT
WITH US.
[ LAUGHTER ]
HOW MANY SONGS HAVE YOU WRITTEN?
>> ME, IVE WRITTEN A COUPLE
HUNDRED SONGS.
>> THE LINE FROM YOUR BOOK, IF
YOU KNOW METHOD MAN FROM WU
TANG, HE SAYS WITH REGARD TO
CRITICS, FOR HIM, ITS MUSIC
CRITICS.
HE SAYS "F" A RAP CRITIC, HE
TALK ABOUT IT WHILE I LIVE IT.
>> THATS REALLY IT.
PEOPLE SAY TO ME, WHEN WAS THE
LAST TIME YOU WATCHED WHATEVER?
IM LIKE, I DONT REALLY WATCH
THEM.
I LIVE THEM.
>> RIGHT.
>> YOU KNOW, I WAS THERE.
I DONT NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK
AT IT, BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY ON
THE INSIDE OF IT.
>> AND IN YOUR WORLD AND OURS,
PRESTIGE MATTERS TO MOST PEOPLE,
ITS STILL FACTORED IN.
AND THE CRITICS AND AWARDS
FIGURE IN SOMEHOW.
IT SEEMED MEANINGFUL TO YOU WHEN
YOU GOT, BY MANY ACCOUNTS, THE
WELL DESERVED GOLDEN GLOBE
FOR "CASINO".
>> I WAS SO SHOCKED.
>> YOU LOOKED A LITTLE
SURPRISED.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW
THESE AWARDS?
>> I NEVER SAW IT.
>> OKAY.
>> AND THE WIN IS SHARON STONE
FOR "CASINO".
>> AND NO ONE IS MORE SURPRISED
THAN ME.
ITS,OKAY, ITS A MIRACLE.
THANK YOU TO THE FOREIGN PRESS
ASSOCIATION FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO
ME TONIGHT, AND FOR THE 19 YEARS
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
MOMENT.
I HAVE TO THANK MARTY SCORSESE
FOR TOUCHING ME WITH HIS
INCREDIBLE GENIUS, AND MAKING
ROOM FOR THE BREADTH AND
ANNOYING MOMENTS OF MY
UNCONTROLLABLE PASSION FOR THIS
PART.
>> WHAT DID IT MEAN TO YOU?
>> A LOT.
OH, ITS SO TOUCHING TO SEE
THAT.
IT MEANT EVERYTHING TO ME.
I MEAN, THATS SO TOUCHING.
OH, MY GOD.
ITS SO FUNNY.
HE ASKED ME --
>> WHAT MAKES YOU TEARFUL ABOUT
IT NOW? >> LOOK, IM A KID FROM NOWHERE.
>> LOOK, IM A KID FROM NOWHERE.
YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN A FARMING
COMMUNITY.
THERE WERE 87 KIDS IN MY SCHOOL
CLASS.
ITS A ONE-STOPLIGHT TOWN.
I HAD A VERY BIG DREAM THAT GREW
UP FROM WATCHING BLACK AND WHITE
MOVIES ON A TV THAT HAD THREE
CHANNELS ON GOOD DAYS.
YOU KNOW?
AND BUNNY EARS ON THE TOP.
IM NOT THE PERSON PEOPLE PICK.
IM, LIKE, THE DARK OF DARKEST
HORSES.
YOU KNOW?
AND SO I WENT AND I TOLD VERA
WANG, MY FRIEND -- THANK YOU,
ARI, THANK YOU.
I TOLD HER, JUST MAKE ME A DRESS
THAT LOOKS LIKE I JUST JUMPED
OUT OF THE SWIMMING POOL,
PLEASE, AND CAME OVER.
I DONT WANT TO LOOK LIKE A BIG
LOSER IN A BIG, PUFFY DRESS.
>> YOU WERE PROJECTING AHEAD.
AND THE INDUSTRY MAKES YOU DRESS
FOR WHAT YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN
AND ALL THAT.
YOU WERE PROJECTING AHEAD THAT
YOU WOULD BE THE DIGNIFIED LOSER
IN THE CONTEST.
>> AND SO WHEN I WON, IT WAS
LIKE, OH, MY GOD.
I WAS ALREADY A BEAT BEHIND.
SO I GOT UP AND I STARTED UP THE
STAIRS, AND I KIND OF DIDNT
KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND TOM HANKS GRABBED ME BY THE
ARMS AND HE WENT, YOU DESERVE
THIS.
AND THEY WANT A GOOD SHOW.
DONT CRY.
>> HE SAID DONT CRY?
WHY?
>> BECAUSE THEY WANT A GOOD
SHOW.
YOU DESERVE THIS.
GO GET IT.
I WAS LIKE, OH,OKAY OKAY.
>> BUT YOU STILL SAID IT WAS
OVERDUE.
>> IT WAS FUNNY.