'I thought no one would accept me': Sharon Stone talks about life-threatening stroke she suffered in 2001

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sharon Stone embarks on a journey for her latest magazine photoshoot, and the 'Basic Instinct' star reflects on the life-threatening stroke she endured in 2001.

She told Harper's Bazaar Spain that the incident changed her for life and in fact it didn’t scare her even though she almost died.

“My stroke left me with an intense sense of peace. Today I can say that I have known death very closely. In those moments I felt that my deceased friends were coming to get me, and that removed all traces of fear,” she began.

“I lost my panic to try anything. When you experience something like this, you learn that nothing in life is really important and you understand that failure is just the beginning of success.”

At what age did Sharon Stone suffer a stroke?

At the age of 43, the 'Sliver' actress experienced a stroke but chose to keep it private. Sharon underwent a challenging journey to achieve a full recovery, having to re-learn essential skills such as walking, talking, speaking, and writing.

However, only now has she found the strength to open up and share her experience.

“I hid my disability and was afraid to go out and didn't want people to know,” adding that it was Michael J Fox who encouraged her to share her experience.

“I just thought no one would accept me,” the actress said, per DailyMail.

Hollywood let Stone down after her health scare

The 'Mosaic' star believes that Hollywood hasn't been supportive of her career during her health struggles, expressing that she doesn't receive many job offers because she is considered a "disability hire."

“I think many people identify with their illness as 'I am this thing,' and it cannot be your identity,” Sharon reflected.

“In my case, so much was taken from me. I lost custody of my child, I lost my career and was not able to work, I was going through a divorce and being put through the wringer, I lost so much, and I could have allowed that to define me,” she explained.

The actress further inquired, “But you have to stand up and say, 'Okay, that happened, and now what? What am I made of?’”