Charismatic actress Emma Stone has distinguished herself as a promising screen talent over the past few years. She made her film debut in “Superbad” where an inebriated Jonah Hill passed out on her. In the midst of all the over-the-top violence in “Zombieland,” she still managed to create a charming and resilient character.
While Stone might have fallen victim to the gratuitous talking dog atrocity, “Marmaduke,” last summer, she has the makings of a certified movie star not only capable of great comedic work but dramatic roles as well.
Stone is an Arizona native, brought up by her parents in Scottsdale. During her youth she participated in numerous productions at Valley Youth Theater in Phoenix. While there she took part in several musicals such as “The Little Mermaid,” “The Wiz,” and “Titanic.”
Despite her musical theater background, Stone said she is not keen on doing any movie musicals.
“I would not be the best candidate. Singing makes me really depressed and nervous a lot of the time,” the actress said. “The only real musical role I would be dying to play is Sally in Cabaret. I think she’s just the greatest.”
After emerging into stardom through several supporting performances, Stone will be tackling her first leading lady part in the comedy, “Easy A,” which opens Sept. 17.
In this coming of age story, inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter,” Stone plays a clean-cut high school student named Olive. One night the virgin Olive stages a fake sex scene with a homosexual friend, played by Dan Byrd, jumpstarting a string of nasty rumors. In due course, Olive turns that around to start her own service where she pretends to have intercourse with other virgins.
In addition to staring in “Easy A,” Stone has several other projects in the cannon for next year.
In 2011 she will star in “Crazy, Stupid, Love” with Steve Carell, an animated feature called “The Croods” and “Friends with Benefits” alongside Mila Kunis. In this mix of comedies, Stone will also be tackling the complex role of Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan in the screen adaptation of “The Help,” based on The New York Times bestselling novel. When asked about the possibility of a second “Zombieland” movie though, Stone was reluctant to reveal any information.
Stone has certainly evolved as a performer since she caught the acting bug in Valley Youth Theater’s production of “The Wind and the Willows” at age 11. She might have never made it to Hollywood though had it not been for a slide show presentation she made for her parents as a proposal to move to California. Stone said she is grateful to her parents for their support in her road to stardom. With two big hits already under her belt and numerous upcoming films, the future looks bright for this talented Valley native.
Reach the reporter at nspake@asu.edu
