Sharon Stone says she’s “hurt” by the way the entertainment industry turned its back on her after a serious health crisis sidelined her career.
The actor gave a candid interview to Good Morning Britain about taking a break from Hollywood following a stroke and subsequent brain hemorrhage that almost killed her in 2001.
“My real first step of recovery was about seven years and that’s a long time to lose your momentum,” Sharon said to hosts Kate Garraway and Ed Balls on Thursday.
The star said shifting her focus to her health had a profound impact on her career, which soared throughout the ’90s with parts in Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Casino and more.
“In seven years, you’re no longer the flavour of the time, you no longer have box office heat,” Sharon explained. “The same people you were working with are no longer in power anymore.”
“Everything changes and people don’t really care about that person anymore,” she went on. “It’s like going back to your old job seven years later. It doesn’t matter if you’re a banker or a car salesman. Seven years go by, you don’t just walk back into your job and think nothing’s changed.”
Sharon admitted: “I was sort of hurt that the world moved on without me,” but said she has “kind of gotten over it” by now.
Later in the interview, she also spoke about living with an “invisible disability” from her brain injury, noting how “people can help you when they see you are walking with crutches but when you are having a bit of a problem with brain function, people don’t see that”.
Staying creative has been key for Sharon, who has taken up painting in the years since her life-threatening stroke and brain hemorrhage.
“When I get to be creative, whether it’s on film or on the canvas, I feel very much in my element and that all is right with the world,” she said.
Sharon’s paintings are currently the focus of two solo gallery shows. Sharon Stone: My Eternal Failure opened in San Francisco last month and she made her European debut with Totem, which runs through June in Berlin.
Watch Sharon Stone’s powerful full interview below: