SHARON STONE

I think, at a certain point, it's better for women not to have any alcohol because it can make your face, breasts and midsection get very bloated.

I've been famous for a long, long time. So I don't think of it - I think of it very differently. It's the normal temperature of my room.

I have known for some time that I can meet any man I want but that does not mean that I want to meet anyone. I certainly don't like being forced into situations.

Realise when you are 'middle aged' you have a chance for a whole second career, another love, another life.

I'm not trying to make myself look like a girl because I'm not a girl anymore. I'm very happy about being a grown woman.

I go on benders where I just exercise like a maniac. And then I go on benders where I just can only take baths. Like, I have to lay down to bathe, and I could go on that for six months.

There's a value to getting the meal on the table every night, and there's a value to being an old-school kind of parent.

Stardom is no longer the fuel of my soul. It is the deeper aspects of life that nurture me. And I realise I am very blessed.

Divorce is hard and painful and complicated, and something you have to grow through.

I knew what I wanted to do even when I was a little girl.

Any man in Hollywood will meet me if I want that. No, make that any man anywhere.

There are a lot of good things about being famous but there are a few not so good things too.

You know, sometimes I feel well and vital in the world, and sometimes I just feel so distressed I want to pull my hair out by the roots.

It seems to be unfathomable to people that I just happen to be 49 and look good. I am totally capable of accepting myself.

It was not always easy because I was always an individual and found it difficult to be one of a group. One person who was very supportive was my father. My mother was great but my father really recognised my individuality and supported me in that.

To be happy, to make other people happy, to get into movie production more and probably to give some other people the chances that I had, to carry on enjoying being a mum and never to stop having flowers bought for me. I've still got a long way to go.

I was a short order cook in a pool hall in college. So, I am the fastest cook in the world.

I don't think there is anything wrong with cosmetic surgery at all. I think it's great. But I don't think it's alright to distort yourself.

I like porterhouse steak, rib-eyes and New York strip. This works for me because I have very low cholesterol and low blood pressure. It's not good for everyone; you have to talk to your doctor about that. I also eat fish and cheese. I like clean food prepared as simply as possible.

I'm relentless. My mother says I could sell ice to the Eskimos.

Dior makes the best lip glosses going. I'm nuts about them, especially the clear one with the silver sparkles. I got addicted to DiorShow Mascara, too. It makes you look like you're wearing false eyelashes. It's the only one that rivals Maybelline.

My weakness is dark chocolate. I carry little tins of it in my purse.

At first it was exhilarating but when I realized it wasn't going away, it became scary and claustrophobic. Fame is a weird thing.

The doctor told Phil, my then husband, that my condition was really bad news. They had found an artery tearing and said I could die. They said they could try to patch it up but it could go horribly wrong. It all turned out okay in the end but it was touch and go.

I'm enjoying my years, I'm enjoying my life, I'm enjoying my family. I'm just happy - a happy person.