Stone began acting as a child in a theater production ofThe Wind in the Willows in 2000. As a teenager, she relocated to Los Angeles and made her television debut inIn Search of the New Partridge Family (2004), a reality show that produced only an unsold pilot. After small television roles, she appeared in a series of well-received comedy films, such asSuperbad (2007),Zombieland (2009), andEasy A (2010), which was Stone's first leading role. Following this breakthrough, she starred in the romantic comedyCrazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and the period dramaThe Help (2011), and gained wider recognition asGwen Stacy in the 2012 superhero filmThe Amazing Spider-Man andits 2014 sequel.
Emily Jean Stone was born on November 6, 1988, inScottsdale, Arizona,[2][3] to Jeffrey Charles Stone, the founder and CEO of a general-contracting company, and Krista Jean Stone (née Yeager), a homemaker.[4][5] She lived on the grounds of theCamelback Inn resort from ages 12 to 15.[6][7] She has a younger brother, Spencer.[8] Her paternal grandfather, Conrad Ostberg Sten, was from a Swedish family thatanglicized their surname to "Stone". She also has German, English, Scottish, and Irish ancestry.[9] She was raisedLutheran.[10]
As an infant, Stone hadbaby colic and cried frequently. She consequently developednodules and calluses on her vocal cords while she was a child.[11] Stone has described herself as "loud" and "bossy" while growing up.[12] She was educated at Sequoya Elementary School and attendedCocopah Middle School for sixth grade. Stone did not like school, though once said that her controlling nature meant that "I made sure I got allA's".[13] She sufferedpanic attacks andanxiety as a child,[14] and said they caused a decline in her social skills.[15] Stone underwent therapy but said it was her participation in local theater plays that helped cure the attacks, recalling:
The first time I had a panic attack I was sitting in my friend's house, and I thought the house was burning down. I called my mom and she brought me home, and for the next three years it just would not stop. I would go to the nurse at lunch most days and just wring my hands. I would ask my mom to tell me exactly how the day was going to be, then ask again 30 seconds later. I just needed to know that no one was going to die and nothing was going to change.[14]
Stone attendedXavier College Preparatory—an all-girlCatholic high school—as a freshman, but dropped out after one semester to become an actress.[4] She prepared aPowerPoint presentation for her parents titled "Project Hollywood" (featuringMadonna's 2003 song "Hollywood") to convince them to let her move to California to pursue an acting career.[16] In January 2004, she moved with her mother to an apartment in Los Angeles. She recalled, "I went up for every single show on theDisney Channel and auditioned to play the daughter on every single sitcom", adding, "I ended up getting none."[7] Between auditions for roles, she enrolled in online high-school classes and worked part-time at a dog-treat bakery.[5][14]
Career
Career beginnings (2004–2009)
When Stone registered for theScreen Actors Guild at age 16, the name "Emily Stone" was already taken, and she briefly went by "Riley Stone".[20] She made her television debut as Laurie Partridge on theVH1 talent competition reality showIn Search of the New Partridge Family (2004). The resulting show, retitledThe New Partridge Family (2004), remained an unsold pilot.[21] After guest-starring in the television showsMedium (2005) andMalcolm in the Middle (2006), she decided to change her stage name to "Emma"—chosen in honor ofEmma Bunton of theSpice Girls—as she struggled to adapt to the name Riley.[a][20][24] She next appeared inLouis C.K.'sHBO seriesLucky Louie (2006),[14] and unsuccessfully auditioned to star asClaire Bennet in the NBC science fiction dramaHeroes (2007), later calling this her "rock bottom" experience.[5] In April 2007, she playedViolet Trimble in the Fox action dramaDrive, but the show was canceled after seven episodes.[4]
Stone made her feature film debut inGreg Mottola's comedySuperbad (2007), co-starringMichael Cera andJonah Hill. The film tells the story of two high school students who go through a series of comic misadventures after they plan to buy alcohol for a party. To play Hill's romantic interest, she dyed her hair red.[25] Stone has described the experience of acting in her first film as "amazing ... [but] very different than other experiences I've had since then".[26] The film was a commercial success, and earned her theYoung Hollywood Award for Exciting New Face.[27][28]
Stone in 2009
The next year, Stone starred in the comedyThe Rocker (2008) as Amelia Stone, the "straight face"bass guitarist in a band; she learned to play the bass for the role.[29] The actress, who has called herself "a big smiler and laugher", said she found it difficult to play a character whose personality was so different from her own. The film and her performance received negative reviews from critics and was a commercial failure.[30][31] Her next release, the romantic comedyThe House Bunny, performed better at the box office, becoming a moderate commercial success.[32] The film saw her play the president of a sorority, and perform acover version ofthe Waitresses' 1982 song "I Know What Boys Like".[33] Reviews were generally negative,[34] but Stone was praised,[35] withTV Guide's Ken Fox writing that she "is well on her way to becoming a star".[36]
Stone voiced anAustralian Shepherd inMarmaduke (2010), a comedy from directorTom Dey based onBrad Anderson'slong-running comic strip of the same name.[43] Her breakthrough came the same year with a starring role inEasy A, a teen comedy directed byWill Gluck.[44][45] Partially based onNathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novelThe Scarlet Letter, the film tells the story of Olive Penderghast (Stone), a high school student who becomes embroiled in a comic sex scandal after a false rumor circulates that she is sexuallypromiscuous. Stone read the script before the project was optioned for production, and pursued it with her manager while production details were being finalized. She found the script "so different and unique from anything I'd read before", calling it "funny and sweet".[46] When Stone discovered that the film had begun production, she met with Gluck, expressing her enthusiasm for the project. A few months later, the audition process started and she met again with Gluck, becoming one of the first actresses to audition.[47] The film received positive critical reviews, and Stone's performance was considered its prime asset.[48] Anna Smith ofTime Out wrote, "Stone gives a terrific performance, her knowing drawl implying intellect and indifference with underlying warmth."[49] The film was a commercial success, grossing $75 million against its $8 million budget.[50] Stone was nominated for aBAFTA Rising Star Award and aGolden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, and won theMTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance.[51]
In October 2010, Stone hosted an episode of NBC's sketch comedySaturday Night Live; her appearances included a sketch playing off her resemblance toLindsay Lohan.[52] Stone called it "the greatest week of my life".[7][53] She hosted again in 2011, appeared in an episode in 2014, and inits 40th anniversary special in 2015.[54] A brief appearance in the sex comedyFriends with Benefits (2011) reunited her with Gluck.[55] She followed this with a supporting role inGlenn Ficarra andJohn Requa's romantic comedyCrazy, Stupid, Love (2011) alongsideSteve Carell,Ryan Gosling andJulianne Moore. The film featured her as a law school graduate, and the love interest of Gosling's character. Despite finding "some inevitable collapses into convention" in the film, Drew McWeeny ofHitFix wrote that Stone "ties the whole film together".[56] At the2012 Teen Choice Awards, she won theChoice Movie Actress – Comedy award for her performance in the film.[57]Crazy, Stupid, Love was a box office success, grossing $142.9 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million.[58]
Dismayed at beingtypecast as "the sarcastic interest of the guy", Stone co-starred withViola Davis inTate Taylor's period dramaThe Help (2011), a film she found challenging.[59] The film is based onKathryn Stockett's2009 novel of the same name and is set in 1960sJackson, Mississippi. She met with Taylor to express a desire to work on the film. The director said, "[Stone] was completely awkward and dorky, with her raspy voice, and she sat down and we got a little intoxicated and had a blast, and I just thought, 'God! God! This is Skeeter."[60] She was cast as Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, an aspiring writer learning about the lives of the African-American maids. In preparation for the part, she learned to speak in aSouthern accent and educated herself on theCivil Rights Movement through literature and film.[61] With a worldwide gross of $216 million against a $25 million budget,The Help became Stone's highest-grossing film to that point.[62] The film, and her performance, received positive reviews from critics. Writing forEmpire, Anna Smith thought Stone was "well-meaning and hugely likable" despite finding flaws in the character.[63] The film was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Picture,[64] and won Best Ensemble Cast from theWomen Film Critics Circle and theBroadcast Film Critics Association.[65][66]
In 2014, Stone reprised the role of Gwen Stacy inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2. She believed that her character did not depend on the film's protagonist, asserting: "She saves him more than he saves her. She's incredibly helpful to Spider-Man ... He's the muscle, she's the brains."[84] Her performance was well received by critics;[85] anEmpire reviewer commended her for standing out in the film, writing, "Stone is theHeath Ledger of this series, doing something unexpected with an easily dismissed supporting character."[86] The role won her the Favorite Movie Actress award at the2015 Kids' Choice Awards.[87] Later that year, Stone took on a role inWoody Allen's romantic comedyMagic in the Moonlight, a modest commercial success.[88] A. O. Scott criticized her role, and pairing withColin Firth, describing it as "the kind of pedantic nonsense that is meant to signify superior intellect".[89]
The black comedyBirdman, directed byAlejandro González Iñárritu, was Stone's final film release of 2014. Co-starringMichael Keaton andEdward Norton, it featured her as Sam Thomson, the recovering-addict daughter of actor Riggan Thomson (Keaton), who becomes his assistant. Iñárritu created the character based on his experience with his daughter.[90]Birdman was critically acclaimed,[91] and was the most successful film at the87th Academy Awards; it was nominated for nine awards, winning four, including Best Picture.[92]The Movie Network deemed it one of Stone's best performances to date, andRobbie Collin ofThe Daily Telegraph found her to be "superb" and "tremendous" in her role, while also highlighting her monologue in the film which he believed to have been "delivered like a knitting needle to the gut".[93][94] She receivedAcademy,BAFTA,Golden Globe, andSAG Award nominations.[95]
From November 2014 to February 2015, Stone starred in a revival of theBroadway musicalCabaret asSally Bowles, taking over the role fromMichelle Williams.[96] Deeming it "the most nerve-racking thing ever", Stone listened to a French radio station to mentally prepare herself for the role.[97][98]Marilyn Stasio ofVariety was critical of her singing abilities and found her performance to be "a bit narrow as an emotional platform, but a smart choice for her acting skills, the perfect fit for her sharp intelligence and kinetic energy."[99] Stone's 2015 film, the romantic comedyAloha byCameron Crowe, was a critical and commercial failure. Her portrayal of an air force pilot, alongsideBradley Cooper, was panned by critics for itscontroversialwhitewashing of the cast, as Stone's character was meant to be of Asian, Hawaiian, and Swedish descent. She later regretted taking part in the project, acknowledging whitewashing as a widespread problem in Hollywood.[100][101][102] Despite the backlash, Stone was nominated for Choice Movie Actress – Comedy at the2015 Teen Choice Awards.[103] Also in 2015, Stone starred oppositeJoaquin Phoenix as his character's love interest in Woody Allen'sIrrational Man, which received mixed reviews.[88][104] She also appeared in the music video forWill Butler's single "Anna".[105]
During her run onCabaret, Stone met filmmakerDamien Chazelle, who, impressed with her performance, cast her in his musical comedy-dramaLa La Land.[106] The project, which marked her third collaboration with Gosling, starred Stone as Mia Dolan, an aspiring actress living in Los Angeles.[107] Stone borrowed several real-life experiences for her character, and in preparation, watchedThe Umbrellas of Cherbourg and films ofFred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.[108][109] For thefilm's soundtrack, she recorded six songs.[b]La La Land served as the opening film at the2016 Venice Film Festival, where it generated critical acclaim and earned Stone theVolpi Cup for Best Actress.[111] It emerged as a commercial success, with a worldwide gross of over $440 million against a production budget of $30 million.[112]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian wrote that "Stone has never been better: superbly smart, witty, vulnerable, her huge doe eyes radiating intelligence even, or especially, when they are filling with tears."[113] For her performance, Stone won theAcademy,Golden Globe,SAG, andBAFTA Award for Best Actress.[114]
Stone's sole release of 2017 wasBattle of the Sexes, based on the 1973eponymous match between tennis playersBillie Jean King (Stone) andBobby Riggs (Steve Carell). In preparation, Stone met with King, watched old footage and interviews of her, worked with a dialect coach to speak in King's accent, and drank high-calorie protein shakes to gain 15 pounds (6.8 kg).[115][116] The film premiered to positive reviews at the2017 Toronto International Film Festival, and certain critics considered Stone's performance to be the finest of her career.[117] Benjamin Lee ofThe Guardian praised her for playing against type, and for being "strong" and "convincing" in the part.[118] Even so, the film earned less than its $25 million budget.[119] Stone received her fourth Golden Globe nomination for it, and attended the ceremony with King.[120]
Films with Yorgos Lanthimos and professional expansion (2018–present)
In 2018, Stone andRachel Weisz playedAbigail Masham andSarah Churchill, respectively; two cousins fighting for the affection ofQueen Anne (Olivia Colman), inYorgos Lanthimos's historical comedy-dramaThe Favourite. She found it challenging to be an American among an all-British cast, and struggled with mastering her character's accent.[121] The film premiered at the75th Venice International Film Festival to critical acclaim.[122] Michael Nordine ofIndieWire praised Stone for taking on such a bold role following the success ofLa La Land, and termed the three lead actresses "a majestic triumvirate in a period piece that's as tragic as it is hilarious."[123] Stone then executive-produced and starred in theNetflix dark comedy miniseriesManiac (2018), directed byCary Joji Fukunaga. It featured Stone and Jonah Hill as two strangers whose lives are transformed due to a mysterious pharmaceutical trial. An admirer of Fukunaga's work, she agreed to the project without reading the script.[124] Judy Berman ofTime magazine was impressed with Stone and Hill for their growth as actors sinceSuperbad and noted the complexity in their performances.[125] Stone received her fifth Golden Globe nomination and third Oscar nomination forThe Favourite, and additionally earned SAG nominations for bothManiac andThe Favourite.[126][127][128] That same year, Stone appeared inPaul McCartney's music video for his song "Who Cares".[129]
Stone reprised her role as Wichita inZombieland: Double Tap (2019), the sequel to 2009'sZombieland, which received mixed reviews and grossed $125 million worldwide.[130][131] She narrated the Netflix documentary seriesThe Mind, Explained (2019) and reprised the voice role of Eep inThe Croods: A New Age (2020), the sequel to 2013'sThe Croods.[132][133][134] In 2021, Stone playedCruella de Vil (originated byGlenn Close in the previous live-action adaptations) inCraig Gillespie's crime comedyCruella, a Disney live-action based on the 1961 animationOne Hundred and One Dalmatians. Starring oppositeEmma Thompson, Stone also served as an executive producer of the film alongside Close.[135][136] The film was released in US theaters and onDisney+ Premier Access to positive reviews and grossed $233 million worldwide against its $100 million budget.[137][138]Justin Chang ofLos Angeles Times wrote that despite the film's flawed screenplay, Stone was "wholly committed, glammed-to-the-nines"; Chang favorably compared it with her performance inThe Favourite, adding that she "nailed every nuance as another lowly young woman turned ambitious schemer".[139] ForCruella, Stone garnered another Golden Globe nomination.[140]
Continuing her collaboration with Lanthimos, Stone starred in his short filmBleat (2022) and feature filmPoor Things (2023).[150] The latter, a fantasy coming-of-age film, is based on thenovel of the same name byAlasdair Gray.[151] Stone also produced the film, in which she starred as Bella, a young Victorian woman who is crudely resurrected after her suicide. She found the experience of playing a character liberated of societal pressures to be "extremely freeing",[152] and she performed nudity and several sex scenes in it.[153] David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote that Stone "gorges on it in a fearless performance that traces an expansive arc most actors could only dream about", and particularly praised her ability to perform physical comedy.[154]Stephanie Zacharek ofTime termed her performance "wonderful—vital, exploratory, almost lunar in its perfect oddness".[155] Stone next executive produced and starred in theShowtime satirical comedy seriesThe Curse.[156] She played Whitney, an influencer who hosts anHGTV show with her husband.[157] Commenting on her achievements of the year,BBC Culture'sCaryn James opined that "Stone has quickly moved past Hollywood stardom to claim serious artistic credentials".[158] She received two more Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress for her performances inPoor Things andThe Curse, winning for the former.[159][160] Also forPoor Things, she won her second Academy Award and BAFTA for Best Actress in addition to a Best Picture nomination.[161][162]
In 2025, Stone first appeared inAri Aster'scontemporary Western filmEddington, which premiered at theCannes Film Festival, and also starredJoaquin Phoenix,Pedro Pascal, andAustin Butler.[167][168] Ben Croll ofThe Wrap felt that while Stone and Pascal were "no doubt game and ready to let loose", their characters "aren’t given an awful lot to actually do – with both set up less as fully fledged characters than as images for [Phoenix] to pine-for or run against."[169] Stone reunited with Lanthimos inBugonia, a remake of the South Korean filmSave the Green Planet!.[170] She shaved her head for her role in the film and wore wigs in public in the months that followed to disguise the look, wanting to keep it a surprise for the audience.[149]
Reception and acting style
Stone at the 2011San Diego Comic-Con. Her hair, eyes, and husky voice have been described by the media as her trademarks.[171][172]
Commenting on her performance inThe Help, Kirk Honeycutt ofThe Hollywood Reporter called her "one of our very best young actresses".[173]Time's Daniel D'Addario stated in 2015 that Stone "appears to have fairly limited options" and choosing roles in independent films by "less established directors would represent a substantive risk".[174] Analyzing her on-screen persona, Jessica Kiang ofIndieWire noted that Stone "usually [plays] the approachable, down-to-earth, girl-next-door type, [and] in person she demonstrates many of those qualities too, along with an absolute refusal to take herself too seriously."[175] Biographer Karen Hollinger wrote that at the beginning of her career, Stone was often labeled a "staringénue", a perceived limitation she escaped despite not being a classically trained actress as she "crafted a brilliant career based on performative skills, careful choice of roles and distinctive personality".[176] In a 2024 analysis of Stone's career trajectory,IndieWire suggested that from breakout roles to acclaimed performances in indie films, Stone is positioned as a potential new movie star in Hollywood's evolving landscape.[177]
In 2008, Stone toppedSaturday Night Magazine's Top 20 Rising Stars Under 30 and was included in a similar list compiled byMoviefone.[178][179]LoveFilm placed her on their list of 2010 Top 20 Actresses Under 30, and her performance inEasy A was included inTime's Top 10 Everything of 2010.[180][181] She appeared in the 2013Celebrity 100 list, a compilation of the 100 most powerful people in the world, as selected annually byForbes. The magazine reported that she had earned $16 million from June 2012 to June 2013.[182] That same year, she was ranked first in the magazine's Top 10 Best Value Stars.[183] In 2015,Forbes published that she had become one of the world's highest-paid actresses with earnings of $6.5 million.[184] The magazine ranked her theworld's highest-paid actress two years later with annual earnings of $26 million.[185] In 2017, she was included onTime's annual list of the100 most influential people in the world.[186]
Stone has been described as a style icon, with her hair, eyes, and husky voice listed as her trademark features.[171][172]Vogue credits the actress for her "sophisticated, perfectly put-together looks", writing that "her charisma, both on-screen and off-, has charmed many" and for her embrace of "Old Hollywood Glamour".[187][188] Bee Shapiro ofThe New York Times called Stone a "likable ... spunky, talented, self-deprecating and slightly goofy" actress who is diverse in her fashion choices.[189] In 2009, she was featured onFHM's100 Sexiest Women in the World andMaxim's Hot 100;[190][191] the latter also placed her on the list on three other occasions—2010, 2011, and 2014.[192] In 2011, she featured onVictoria's Secret's list of "What is Sexy?" as the Sexiest Actress.[193] She was mentioned in other media outlet listings that year, includingPeople's 100 Most Beautiful Women, each ofFHM's andFHM Australia's 100 Sexiest Women in the World, andMen's Health's 100 Hottest Women.[194] She was ranked sixth onEmpire's list of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in 2013.[195] Stone was named the best-dressed woman of 2012 byVogue and was included on similar listings byGlamour in 2013 and 2015, andPeople in 2014.[196][197]
Stone moved from Los Angeles toGreenwich Village,New York, in 2009.[16] In 2016, she moved back to Los Angeles.[14] Despite significant media attention, she refuses to publicly discuss her personal life. Concerned with living a normal life, Stone has said she dislikes receiving paparazzi attention outside her home.[198] She has expressed her fondness for her profession,[14] and has citedDiane Keaton as an acting influence, calling her "one of the most covered-up actresses of all time". Stone has a close relationship with her family.[5] She says, "I am blessed with a great family and great people around me that would be able to kick me in the shins if I ever for one minute got lost up in the clouds. I've been really lucky in that sense."[190]
Stone dated herPaper Man co-starKieran Culkin for two years. In 2011, she started dating herAmazing Spider-Man co-starAndrew Garfield for four years.[199][200] Their relationship was reported in the media with various speculations; the pair refused to speak publicly about it, though they made several appearances together. In 2014, on an occasion in New York City, Stone and Garfield encouraged paparazzi to visit websites that spread awareness of causes such asautism.[201] In 2015, they were reported to have broken up.[202][203]
Stone metSaturday Night Live segment directorDave McCary on December 3, 2016, while hosting the show. They began dating the following year. On December 4, 2019, they announced their engagement. They married in a private ceremony in September 2020.[204] In March 2021, Stone gave birth to their daughter named Louise Jean.[205][206][207] As of 2021, the family lives inAustin, Texas.[208] In 2022, Stone sold her house inMalibu, California for $4.425 million,[209] and in 2024, she sold herLos Angeles home for $4 million.[210]
In an interview withTerry Gross ofNPR, Stone said of herLutheran upbringing: "I have great respect for religion...but I very early on realized that religion didn't resonate for me. And so I guess the sort of relationship I had to it was a more of a guilt and a sort of self-judgment rather than, you know, focusing on the wonderful things that it can teach you...there's guilt around sexuality. There's guilt around your body. There's, you know, different stories about womanhood and what it means to be a woman and to be of service to a man or to not ever be jealous or not covet and, you know, all these things that are just sort of human and live in the shadow side. I went from religion intoJungian therapy, obviously. So learning that being complex and complicated and female was OK, you know, that took me a while, I think, to unpack in myself."[10]
Philanthropy
Stone appeared in aRevlon campaign that promoted breast cancer awareness.[216] In 2011, she appeared in a collaborative video betweenStar Wars andStand Up to Cancer to raise funds for cancer research.[217] From 2012 to 2014, she hosted theEntertainment Industry Foundation's Revlon Run/Walk, which helps fight women's cancer.[218]
According to the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes and the box-office siteBox Office Mojo, Stone's most critically acclaimed and commercially successful films areSuperbad (2007),Zombieland (2009),Easy A (2010),Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011),The Help (2011),The Amazing Spider-Man (2012),The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014),Birdman (2014),La La Land (2016),Battle of the Sexes (2017),The Favourite (2018),Cruella (2021), andPoor Things (2023).[225][226]
She has also been nominated for fiveBritish Academy Film Awards: BAFTA Rising Star Award, Best Supporting Actress forBirdman andThe Favourite, and Best Actress in a Leading Role forLa La Land andPoor Things, winning for the last two.[51][95][114] Her other awards include twoGolden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical forLa La Land andPoor Things,[114][160] theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role and the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at Venice Film Festival, both forLa La Land.[227][228]
^In 2024, Stone revealed that she had asked her colleagues and close collaborators on set to call her Emily, adding that she prefers to be called by her birth name.[22][23]
Hollinger, Karen (2022). "Amy Adams and Emma Stone: Escaping the Ingénue". In Rybin, Steven (ed.).Stellar Transformations: Movie Stars of the 2010s.Rutgers University Press. pp. 34–52.ISBN978-1-978818-33-0.
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