Sharon Stone, Golden Globe and Emmy-award winning actress, is still one of the hottest sex symbols that have graced the movie screen. Even at age 50, Stone still has a body that oozes with sex appeal. Former fast-food restaurant employee turned beauty queen turned commercial model turned actress, Stone has rewritten the meaning of “aging gracefully.” Born and raised in Meadville, Pennsylvania, she used her beauty queen fame as a ticket to stardom.

Stone left school and went to model for the Ford Modeling Agency. After years of modeling, Stone decided to pursue a career in acting and auditioned for a Woody Allen movie in 1980, where she met Michelle Pfeiffer and formed a lifelong friendship that has lasted up to the present.

In an interview with Barbara Walters in the middle of 1993, Stone recounts how, after starring in several films, nobody seemed to see her as an actress with legitimate acting skills. Instead, she was always viewed as a sex symbol with roles that involve nudity and indecency. Movie makers began noticing Stone after her performance as the lead female antagonist in the movie Total Recall. To amplify her impact, she posed nude in an issue of Playboy magazine. It was her performance in Basic Instinct though, that cemented her status as a bankable actress with serious acting capabilities. As her acting career blossomed, Stone began to take more serious roles. Her performance as Ginger in Martin Scorsese’s Casino earned her a Golden Globe award for Best Actress as well as an Oscar nomination for the same role. Although some of her movies fared poorly in the box office, she nevertheless remains as one of Hollywood’s most popular female stars.

In terms of religion, Stone was a vigorous member of the Church of Scientology. When fellow actor Richard Gere introduced her to the Dalai Lama, Stone converted to Buddhism. Stone is now an ordained minister with the Universal Life.

Aside from doing films and other show business arrangements, Stone is also actively involved in championing the recognition of homosexuality. A self-declared feminist, Stone is also a leading advocate of gay, lesbian, and HIV/AIDS communities and organizations. Stone also travels across the world to promote peace, especially in the Middle East.

Just recently, Stone again became the ire of an animal rights and welfare organization when a former co-star of Stone divulged that Stone had a tarantula’s limbs amputated after she refused to film a scene with it. Ernest Borgnine said that the event took place in 1981 while filming the movie Deadly Blessing. Stone and the said animal welfare group once locked horns when the latter criticized Stone’s lack of empathy towards furred animals. Stone is a big fan of fur coats.

Check out the profile of Courtney Ross on the Faces of Philanthropy website.

Courtney Ross is the founder of the remarkable Ross School.

To learn more about Courtney Ross, check out Interview Nation.