Do movie stars exist anymore? The consensus seems to be no. Or, at the very least, new ones aren’t being created past the generation of roughly Leonardo DiCaprio. Which is a shame, because if movie stars were still allowed to thrive in Hollywood now, Emma Stone would certainly be one of them.
After several supporting roles in films like “Superbad” and “Zombieland,” Stone practically burst onto the scene in “Easy A,” her first leading role. As the sharp-tongued but likable teen protagonist in Will Gluck’s comedy, Stone defined her star image immediately: an everywoman appeal mixed with pure charisma, a playfully snarky disposition, and a genuine talent at comedy that makes her pop off the screen. From that film and her Golden Globes nomination, the then 22-year old Stone quickly moved from the teen comedy world into broader pastures, though the projects she chose (including “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” movies, and “The Help”) didn’t always match her potential.
2014 was a course correction; she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for “Birdman,” before firmly establishing herself as an awards darling for her role in the movie musical “La La Land.” She won the Best Actress Oscar before she turned 30. Rather than rest on sweetheart roles, Stone has proved ambitious in the projects she has picked since. The Disney “Cruella” films aside, she’s avoided franchise fare in favor of one-off projects like Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite,” which netted her a second Oscar nomination for her hilarious scheming performance.
“The Favourite” was another pivotal film for Stone, as it gave her a bit of arthouse credibility that she has since used to expand her career in new and interesting ways. Through her Fruit Tree production banner, established with husband Dave McCary, Stone got a first-look deal with A24, where she’s helped bring indie films like “When You Finish Saving the World” and the upcoming “Problemista” and “I Saw the TV Glow” to life. She also produced Benny Safdie and Nathan Fielder’s oddball cringe TV series “The Curse” in addition to starring in it, giving an extremely unflattering but thrilling performance as a delusional and self-absorbed reality TV host.
Most importantly, “The Favourite” established a creative partnership between Stone and Lanthimos that has stretched to include three films so far, among them the upcoming anthology “Kind of Kindness.” But first, there’s “Poor Things,” which sees Stone play a Frankenstein monster figure — imagined here as a Victorian woman reanimated by a mad scientist who embarks on a comic odyssey of liberation and sexual awakening. Stone’s performance in the film is among her most acclaimed to date, and netted her a third Oscar nomination. In a strong Best Actress race, she’s a top contender, and it won’t be hard to imagine her up on stage come the ceremony.
In celebration of Stone’s Best Actress nod ahead of the 2024 Academy Awards, IndieWire updated our look at the gifted performer’s best work. In addition to her film performances, we also decided to consider her television roles, which include Showtime’s “The Curse” as well as a Netflix limited series and a smattering of other titles. For this list, we’re ranking based on the quality of Stone’s performance, not necessarily the quality of the film or TV show itself. Read on for Emma Stone’s 15 best performances, ranked.
[Editor’s note: This list was originally published in December 2023. It has since been updated with new entries.]
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17. “The Help” (2011)
Image Credit: ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a young White college graduate living with her family in 1963 Mississippi as she tries to get a career in journalism. Befriending a group of older Black women who work as maids for the town’s white population, she decides to publish a book about their experiences and hardship.
Why she’s great: Tate Taylor’s adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help” was widely derided upon release as a white savior story, and its true that the focus on Stone’s Skeeter is often detrimental to the film itself. Putting the film’s many issues aside, Stone is still terrific in the role, managing to make Skeeter genuinely awkward and gangly despite her obvious beauty. She’s also perfectly willing to play a supporting role to costars Viola Davis and Octavia Butler, and her nonfussy performance gives the film some much needed grounding. —WC
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16. “The House Bunny” (2008)
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Natalie Sandler, a socially awkward and nerdy member of the downtrodden Zeta sorority. “The House Bunny” makes Natalie the main comic foil of Anna Harris’ Shelley, a playboy bunny who gets kicked out of the mansion and becomes the Zeta’s house mother.
Why she’s great: “The House Bunny” was a vehicle for the more established Farris, but Stone ends up the highlight of the film, showing effortless comedic timing and a sweet likability that makes her the heroine you really root for in this college comedy. Before “Superbad” and “Easy A” made her a name, “The House Bunny” showed that Stone had serious potential. —WC
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15. “Movie 43” (2013)
Image Credit: Relativity Media/Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: In 2013, while Stone’s career was on the rise thanks to “The Amazing Spider-Man,” she was one of the many bizarrely big names to appear in “Movie 43,” the widely panned gross out sex comedy anthology that was immediately labeled an all-time disaster. But the film has a so bad its unmissable appeal that’s hard to deny, and it’s greatest story is undoubtedly Stone’s segment, “Victoria.” Playing the title character, Stone is a force of raunchy sexual energy as she bitterly argues over her failed relationship with ex-boyfriend Neil (Kieran Culkin), broadcasting their explicit and intimate details through a grocery store intercom.
Why it’s memorable: The sketch is a one-joke premise Stone and Culkin are able to do a lot with, thanks to their magnetic chemistry that’s alternatively sour and sweet. Is “Movie 43” the film from her career Stone most wants to be remembered for? Almost certainly not. But it’s proof that she can spin the worst material into gold. —WC
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14. “Saturday Night Live: The Actress” Sketch (2019)
Image Credit: NBC Who Stone plays: There’s an alternate universe where Emma Stone is a hall of fame worthy “Saturday Night Live” cast member. In the five times she’s hosted, the star has blended in with the long-running sketch comedy institution’s cast incredibly well, coming across less like an invading A-lister and more like a standout in the ensemble (Stone probably enjoys her time in the “SNL” studio as well; it’s where she met her husband, segment director Dave McCary). Her shining pinnacle over the course of her time at “SNL” is the 2019 pre-taped short “The Actress,” a mesmerizingly specific send-up of the thankless roles women get in the world of gay porn.
Why it’s memorable: As the low-rent method actress in the role of the mother whose godson gets with her husband, Stone channels as much delusion and embarassment seen in future roles like “The Curse” with only four minutes to work with, making a meal out of the name “Jared” with her bizarre line deliveries. It’s a performance filled with both hilarity and odd pathos. —WC
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13. “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012)
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Step aside MJ; Stone’s Gwen Stacy is the key love interest in this Andrew Garfield-led “Spider-Man” iteration. Stone is the capable classmate of Garfield’s Peter Parker, and also the daughter of the sheriff who seems to be on to who Spider-Man really is.
Why it’s memorable: While Garfield’s take on Spider-Man has proven to be divisive, Stone’s understanding of Gwen (and her subsequent chemistry with Garfield) rivals Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire’s Spidey coupledom for best in the comics’ adaptation history. Stone delivers on a slew of emotions right up until her heartbreaking end, grounding “Spider-Man” in an ethos the franchise had missed prior. —SB
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12. “Superbad” (2007)
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Jules, one of the attainable cute girls at the high school where “Superbad” takes place. Jonah Hill’s character has his sights set on her, so much so that he is determined to steal alcohol with the help of his best friend (Michael Cera) to make their final high school party one to remember.
Why it’s memorable: Back in the day, before “Easy A” made Stone a household name, her performance in “Superbad” already shone with star power. Stone’s comedic timing stands its own next to Hill, Cera, Bill Hader, and Seth Rogen, which not only says a lot about the then up-and-coming actor, but also that we needed another Stone comedy pronto. —SB
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11. “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (2011)
Image Credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Unlucky-in-love lawyer Hannah encompasses the full title of the beloved rom-com that blends together a series of threaded relationships. One of the many twists is that Stone’s parents are in fact the core estranged couple, played by Steve Carell and Julianne Moore; while Carell finds solace and mentorship in a local womanizer (Ryan Gosling), that very same man about town has seduced and fallen for his daughter (Stone).
Why it’s memorable: We stay up at night thinking about how the conversation between Gosling and Stone about compulsively purchasing informercial products was improvised. Yes, their chemistry is just that good. Arguably, Stone and Gosling’s storyline should have been the entirety of the film, but alas, not every rom-com gets the genre formula right. It still doesn’t take away from Stone’s scene-stealing dynamic with Gosling, though, and nor does Stone’s rom-com prowess as embodied in “Easy A” flounder at all. —SB
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10. “Maniac” (2018)
Image Credit: ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Her first foray into executive producing television, Stone played a big role in making “Maniac” a small screen sensation in 2018. She more than earns her credits on screen too, starring opposite Jonah Hill as Annie Landsberg: a participant in a pharmaceutical trial that sends the actress flying through the character’s subconscious, as manifested across genres and time periods.
Why it’s memorable: Whether she’s wielding a bow and arrow or bouncing a baby on her hip, Stone injects every second of her time in “Maniac” with energy. Franticness beams from her icy, eyes even as the surprisingly uplifting meaning behind the sci-fi series becomes apparent. —AF
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9. “Cruella” (2021)
Image Credit: ©Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Maybe not everyone realized the world needed a “101 Dalmatians” prequel but Stone’s turn as the titular villain in “Cruella” comes with some surprising roots for the Disney character. This Cruella isn’t born evil, nor does she set out to kill dogs; instead, Stone’s take on the campy fashion designer begins with her tutelage under a sociopathic boss (Emma Thompson) and her own search for freedom.
Why it’s memorable: Stone saw Glenn Close’s take on Cruella and decided to chew it up, spit it out, and totally rebrand the character in a deliciously punk rock way. Set in 1960s London, “Cruella” arguably laid the groundwork for Stone’s “Poor Things” performance, adding a wide-eyed wonder element into the eventual descent into downright noncomformity. Who said being bad couldn’t look good? —SB
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8. “Birdman” (2014)
Image Credit: Fox Searchlight / Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Sam Thomson, the daughter of a washed-up superhero actor (Michael Kaeton) making his run at Broadway. Strung out but newly sober and stuck working as her dad’s assistant, the beleaguered bleach blonde has an appetite for chaos that quickly attracts the lecherous interest of another actor (Ed Norton).
Why it’s memorable: Alejandro G Iñárritu’s brilliant black comedy netted four Academy Awards, and saw Stone receive her first Oscar nod. The layered, fiery performance was a major leap forward in Stone’s filmography (merits of “The Help” notwithstanding) and gave us just a taste of her depths as a dramatic actor. Her face makes the end of the movie, of course. —AF
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7. “Zombieland” (2009)
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: There are no names in “Zombieland,” but you can call Stone’s warmly tough big sister character by her place of origin: Wichita. Looking after Abigail Breslin’s Little Rock, flirting up a storm with Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus, and going toe-to-toe with Woody Harrelson’s Tallahassee, the eyeliner-loving survivor is the heart of director Ruben Fleischer’s beloved horror comedy.
Why it’s memorable: It’s a blast seeing Stone take on so much fight choreography, and the witty Wichita is a perfect mask for the actress to wear opposite Harrelson. But more than making the case for Stone as an action star or verbal sparring partner, the edgy love interest role allowed audiences to romanticize Stone’s quirky charms and quietly discover the magnetic leading lady presence that was there all along. —AF
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6. “Battle of the Sexes” (2017)
Image Credit: Fox Searchlight / Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s 2017 film “Battle of the Sexes” dramatizes the real-life 1973 tennis match between star players Bobby Riggs (Steve Carrell) and Billie Jean King (Stone), which was promoted as a battle of the sexes given Riggs’ chauvanism and King’s activism for women in sports, and remains the most widely-watched match in U.S. tennis history.
Why it’s memorable: “Battle of the Sexes” is a bit too much of a boring respectful biopic to leave much of a lasting impression. But that doesn’t change the fact that Stone is very good as tennis icon King, unpeeling the layers of the real-life woman and her struggles as a closeted lesbian in the homophobic world of professional sports. If she gives more interesting and eclectic performances in other films, “Battle of the Sexes” proves that base-level Stone is still pretty damn great. —WC
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5. “Easy A” (2010)
Image Credit: ©Screen Gems/Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone Plays: Stone’s first leading role is such an incredible shot of pure movie star charm that her Golden Globe nomination that year felt both inevitable and well-deserved. In Will Gluck’s modernized version of “The Scarlet Letter,” Stone is snarky teenager Olive, whose white lie about a date to get out of going on a caping trip with her best friend’s parents soon escalates until she’s widely branded a slut around the school. She embraces that image by starting a business to spread rumors about hooking up with unpopular boys in exchange for gift cards.
Why it’s memorable: The great premise of “Easy A” never quite goes as far as you want it to — the fact that Olive never actually has sex in the film feels like a bit of a cop-out for an anti-slut shaming project — but as a star vehicle for Stone, the whole thing is damn near flawless, as she displays her comedic, dramatic, and romantic chops for all 92 minutes. It’s been great to see the ambitious path Stone has taken her career, but her performance in “Easy A” is so good you wish her teen movie queen era lasted just a little bit longer. —WC
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4. “The Curse” (2023)
Image Credit: ©Showtime Networks Inc./Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Whitney Siegel, an anxiously overcompensating property developer desperate to distinguish herself from her gentrifying real-estate mogul parents with designs focused on sustainability — and a reality series memorializing her benevolence.
Why it’s memorable: Stone brings high-wattage stardom to this uneasy black comedy, offsetting the intentional strangeness delivered by co-stars Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie with a calculating, “nice girl” awfulness that’s at once charismatic and suffocating. Committed performances elevate the entire show and make the eerie supernatural elements of “The Curse” feel real. —AF
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3. “La La Land” (2016)
Image Credit: ©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: There was a lot of discourse when “La La Land” came out about the quality of Stone and her co-star Ryan Gosling’s singing. And it’s true, for a film that practically billed itself as the Second Coming of the classic movie musical, the two leads at its center aren’t exactly the triple threats you would find in a Gene Kelly or Judy Garland classic. But counterpoint: when the performances are as good as they are in “La La Land,” who cares? Stone has always been a charismatic performer, but the role of the young struggling actress Mia in Damien Chazelle’s candy-colored musical romance is the only time she’s really been given a proper movie star part — pitched perfectly for a Best Actress Oscar win.
Why it’s memorable: Stone wasn’t the first choice for the lead in “La La Land” (Emma Watson was first considered instead), but the part truly feels made for her specific onscreen personality. And she’s predictably spectacular, channelling her everywoman relatability and snarky humor (the “I Ran (So Far Away)” scene? Classic!) while tempering it with a wide-eyed romantic streak and her sizzling chemistry with Gosling. And although she’s not a natural singer, her acting talent shines through in the emotion she provides centerpiece songs like “Audition (Fools Who Dream).” —WC
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2. “The Favourite” (2018)
Image Credit: Fox Searchlight / Everett Collection Who Stone plays: In hindsight, Stone’s darkly comedic performance in “The Favourite” seems like a turning point in her career. Obviously, it was her first collaboration with director Yorgos Lanthimos, who she would go on to work with her on “Poor Things” and the still to come “Kind of Kindness.” But more broadly, it represented Stone’s dive into stranger, more auteur works, paving the way for her role in something like Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie’s “The Curse.” All of that might not have happened if Stone’s work as a fictionalized Abigail Masham, a woman in Queen Anne’s court here imagined as a viciously opportunistic social climber, wasn’t as good as it was. But it was terrific.
Why it’s memorable: As Masham, Stone twists her innate charm and cutting humor into something crueler and faker, barely hiding her all-consuming desire for comfort and protection behind her polite demeanor. She fits so comfortably in the cruel, beautiful world Lanthimos creates that it feels like the type of work she should have been making her whole career. —WC
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1. “Poor Things” (2023)
Image Credit: ©Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Who Stone plays: Stone’s fourth collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos might just yield her second Oscar statue. Stone plays Bella Baxter, a woman resurrected by an empathetic yet crazed scientist (Willem Dafoe). Yet Bella’s brain isn’t yet fully formed. Instead, her mind is replaced with that of her unborn infant’s, and so Bella’s fast-paced coming of age coincides with her second chance at life. Good thing Bella sees no problem breaking social norms, and thus one of cinema’s most iconic and beloved heroines is born.
Why it’s memorable: It’s not an understatement to say that “Poor Things” may very well be Stone’s career best performance. She portrays a fumbling, wordless infant and a thirty-something capable woman all in the span of some two-odd hours. The physical nature of Stone’s performance coupled with her no holds barred onscreen nudity is the easiest way to point to her fearlessness as an actor; however, it’s Stones’ sheer dedication to the heart of Bella and her plight for freedom that makes “Poor Things” not only a Best Picture contender but a new Stone masterpiece. —SB
