Sharon Stone Says She Has Left Her Sex-Symbol Image Behind: “I’ve Gone the Distance”

Sharon Stone has opened up about how she managed to move beyond her image as a Hollywood “sex symbol.” The 68-year-old actress was honored for her philanthropy and advocacy for women’s rights at Variety’s Power of Women ceremony, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

Ahead of the star-studded event, Stone spoke with Page Six reporters on the red carpet. The actress, who shot to fame after starring in the 1992 erotic thriller Basic Instinct, emphasized that women’s influence is not limited to high-profile public statements but is also reflected in the ordinary decisions they make every day.

“I think it’s very important to understand that we are all women who have power and influence, because the very fact that we are women makes us powerful and influential,” Stone said.

“Women make all the major everyday decisions in the world. I think it’s very important to remember that. That is an enormous amount of power and influence,” she added.

Stone urged women to use that power “with compassion, consciously and meaningfully,” while also supporting and caring for one another.

During the ceremony, the actress also spoke about her work with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the individual rights and freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

“I am a product of the American Dream,” Stone said from the stage, recalling her father, Joseph William, a Pennsylvania factory worker who grew up in a family with very limited financial means.

Reflecting on her own career, the actress stressed just how far she has come from the image that made her famous.

“I’ve gone the distance from being a sex symbol… And I’ve done it while continuing to stand firmly on the ground with both of my tired feet, which hurt after four-inch heels on concrete floors,” Stone said.

“I continued to stand firmly on the ground because there is no room for gray in red, white and blue,” she added, referring to the colors of the American flag.

“So the power that I feel in the power of women, I understand because I am standing here among you. And when I stand here, I am not alone,” the actress emphasized.

Sharon Stone was one of several entertainment-industry figures honored at this year’s Variety’s Power of Women ceremony for their philanthropic work and advocacy for women’s rights.