Top 10 Coolest Things About Emma Stone

Emma Stone has built a career that’s packed with range, smart project choices, and memorable collaborations that keep paying off. From grounded indies to giant franchises and bold TV swings, she’s consistently chased roles with craft challenges—singing live, mastering complex physicality, and toggling between comedy and razor-edged drama. She’s also stepped behind the camera to produce, backing the kind of distinctive stories audiences love to discover. Here are ten film- and TV-centered highlights that show why her body of work keeps sparking conversation.

‘Poor Things’ (2023) – star and producer on a bold literary adaptation

Stone reunited with director Yorgos Lanthimos to lead and produce this adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s novel. She worked closely with movement experts to craft Bella Baxter’s evolving physicality, using posture, gait, and gesture to track the character’s development. The film’s elaborate production design and makeup demanded lengthy, precise setups, and she anchored them with extended, dialogue-heavy scenes. Her performance swept major awards, including Best Actress at the Academy Awards, underscoring how fully the creative risks landed.

‘La La Land’ (2016) – live vocals and long-take musical numbers

For Damien Chazelle’s modern musical, Stone recorded key vocals live on set, most famously during the ‘Audition’ sequence captured in an intimate long take. She trained extensively to balance singing, dancing, and acting without cutting corners on any of the three. The film’s rehearsal process mirrored classic Hollywood musicals, building ensemble timing before cameras rolled. Her turn opposite Ryan Gosling became a contemporary reference point for actor-driven movie musicals and earned her the Best Actress Oscar.

‘The Favourite’ (2018) – first Lanthimos collaboration and a pivotal pivot to dark comedy

Stone’s role as Abigail began her ongoing partnership with Yorgos Lanthimos. The production leaned into natural-light interiors and wide-angle lenses, giving actors room to play with rhythm and subtext. She calibrated a precise comic-dramatic balance within the film’s barbed dialogue and shifting power games. The performance earned her an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress and opened a lane to even riskier material with the same director.

‘Birdman’ (2014) – navigating the continuous-shot illusion

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film was staged to feel like one continuous shot, demanding exact blocking, deep rehearsal, and split-second timing from the cast. Stone’s scenes as Sam often hinge on abrupt tonal turns, delivered within long takes where there’s no coverage to hide mistakes. Working amid real Broadway spaces added logistical complexity, from backstage corridors to rooftop setups. She earned an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress, with the film itself winning Best Picture.

‘Cruella’ (2021) – performance meets couture-driven worldbuilding

Taking on the title role, Stone worked within an elaborate fashion framework led by costume designer Jenny Beavan. The character’s transformation is charted as much through tailoring, makeup, and hair as through dialogue, requiring seamless coordination across departments. Large-scale, practical costume reveals—plus heist-like set pieces—asked for exact timing and physical control. She also served as an executive producer, helping steer a stylized origin story that blends comedy, caper, and character study.

‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ (2012–2014) – a grounded Gwen Stacy in a major franchise

Stone’s Gwen Stacy is characterized as a top student and problem-solver, giving the character agency within the web-slinging spectacle. She performed across large-format sets and effects-heavy sequences, integrating emotional beats with stunt timing. Her on-screen partnership with Andrew Garfield helped root the action in character stakes rather than pure spectacle. The two-film arc remains a touchstone for how supporting leads can shape a superhero narrative.

‘Easy A’ (2010) – a breakout lead powered by sharp, rapid-fire dialogue

This teen comedy—which riffs on ‘The Scarlet Letter’—showcased Stone’s command of timing, fourth-wall asides, and layered sarcasm. She carried the film through dialogue-dense scenes that depend on breath control and precise comic pacing. The performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. It also established her as a bankable lead who could open a studio comedy.

‘Zombieland’ (2009–2019) – ensemble survival comedy with a long-tail sequel

As Wichita, Stone played within an ensemble that balances action beats with character banter. The movie’s rule-driven worldbuilding required quick tonal shifts between suspense and joke-payoffs. Returning for ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ years later, she helped the core cast recapture the original rhythm while adding new group dynamics. The two-film set shows her durability in audience-friendly genre storytelling.

‘Kinds of Kindness’ (2024) – multi-role work in an anthology structure

Stone reteamed with Lanthimos for an anthology that casts actors in multiple roles across distinct segments. That structure asks performers to reset physicality, voice, and emotional temperature from story to story. Her contributions stitch through the film’s shifting moral puzzles without leaning on a single protagonist arc. It’s a clear example of her appetite for formally adventurous projects with high performance difficulty.

‘The Curse’ (2023–2024) – executive producer and co-lead in a genre-bending series

Stone starred opposite Nathan Fielder in a series that blurs cringe comedy, domestic drama, and surreal tension. As an executive producer through the company Fruit Tree, she helped guide a show that relies on extended takes, uneasy silences, and layered subtext. The production’s documentary-like framing and real-location shoots place heavy emphasis on in-the-moment reactions. The role expands her television footprint while keeping the same creative risk profile as her recent films.

Share your favorite Emma Stone moments—and what you think belongs on this list—in the comments!