Emma Stone has been acting for a long time—since she was a teenager, actually. Now, fans can recognise the actor by her roles in everything from La La Land to Superbad. Many people (myself included) would call Easy A her masterpiece, but it is a point that can be tough to argue, especially considering just how much great work she’s done in her career to date.



It’s always interesting to discover the inspiration for actors that have a specific style, voice, and technique — and Emma Stone is no different. Even though she has veered towards the dramatic in recent years, Stone has a dry humour and wit that’s unique to find in Hollywood. Her delivery and reactions are recognisable almost instantly.

When asked about movies, characters and actors that inspired her, she came back with a unique retort, “The Chatty Cathy part in Planes, Trains and Automobiles [where Steve Martin tells John Candy he talks too much]. You go from laughing hilariously at Steve Martin to your heartbreaking for John Candy in that one scene, and that was, I think, the first time that I saw that you could do both,” Stone explained. “Also Harold and Maude — Ruth Gordon was a big one for me. The moment where she’s sitting by the tree and she sneezes when he sees her for the first time? That was huge.”

It appears that although her taste is quite varied, it is also rooted in the world of classic cinema. Stone raised on gems from the past, so when she was asked about the very first movie she remembers watching, she replied: “It’s my dad’s favourite movie. Laughter is what symbolises love to me because of watching The Jerk with my dad. I think that’s partially why I do comedy.”



When it comes to her rooted inspirations, we have both Planes, Trains and Automobiles and The Jerk to thank, which might be a bit of an odd combination, but you can see the style reflected in her somewhat vintage, slapstick humour, especially on the early edge of her career.

Looking forward to her own career, Stone said of her favourite movie moment of her own: “The whole scene with Ryan [Gosling] from Crazy, Stupid, Love where we get to know each other. It was all improv, so most of the things we’re saying there are true. Like when he’s talking about the stuff he ordered online or makes me do my Lauren Bacall impression, which is an actual thing that I like to do.”

This makes it clear just how much Emma Stone has grown as an actress, but also that she’s never afraid to let that initial inspiration shine through. However she takes her career in the future, there’s bound to be a great mix of styles in there.