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Sharon Stone to Appear on 'The Practice'

Posted on: Wednesday, 16 July 2003, 06:00 CDT

Sharon Stone will appear on three episodes of the ABC legal drama "The Practice" this fall.

Series creator David E. Kelley wouldn't discuss the character the 45-year-old actress will play. "That will be a part of our plot development that we'll want to keep for a surprise for the audience," Kelley told the Television Critics Association.

But Kelley said there's a possibility she'll stick around for more.

Stone, best known for her role in 1992's "Basic Instinct," was nominated for a best-actress Oscar for her work in "Casino."

She and her husband, San Francisco Chronicle Executive Editor Phil Bronstein, recently announced they are divorcing after five years of marriage. They have a 3-year-old son, Roan.

"The Practice" is returning for its eighth season without star Dylan McDermott and other cast members including Kelli Williams, Lara Flynn Boyle and Lisa Gay Hamilton.

Steve Harris, Camryn Manheim, Michael Badalucco and Jessica Capshaw will be back, joined by James Spader and Rhona Mitra.

The series was on the brink of cancellation after a schedule change hurt its ratings. ABC renewed it for the 2003-04 season but at a reduced license fee, reportedly halved to about $3.5 million per episode.

Kelley said he decided there was still "creative life" in the drama and went ahead with cast cuts under the new budget.

He also kept in mind the need to add new actors to allow for a "re-energized" show, he told TV critics Tuesday.

Last week, Kelley received a Humanitas Prize for an episode of "The Practice" in which the lawyers tried to prevent a mentally ill woman's execution.

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