The Frustrating Things About Being An Actress, According To Emma Stone

Emma Stone

We assume, from the outside looking in, that acting is a glamorous life where everything is perfect. However, according to Emma Stone, actresses have to deal with a bunch of the same crap that the rest of us do. As a woman, Stone has to deal with that much more. While the actress says she doesn't want to assume that the problem is one of sexism, it's difficult to dispute that based on the evidence.

There are times in the past, making a movie, when I've been told that I'm hindering the process by bringing up an opinion or an idea. I hesitate to make it about being a woman, but there have been times when I've improvised, they've laughed at my joke and then given it to my male costar. Given my joke away. Or it's been me saying, 'I really don't think this line is gonna work,' and being told, 'Just say it, just say it, if it doesn't work we'll cut it out' --- and they didn't cut it out, and it really didn't work!'

Some of these issues could be chalked up to particular filmmakers just not being interested in collaborating. While many directors view filmmaking as a team effort, and they want input from the actors, some just don't. They see the movie as their vision and don't want anybody messing with it, even if Emma Stone can tell you when your line is bad. However, when the actress improvs a line, they clearly like the line, because they keep it, but then they give it to the guy to say instead, that certainly smacks of sexism. The people doing it may not even be conscious of it, but that's what sexism looks like. In the interview with Rolling Stone, Emma Stone apparently went into further detail, but she did so off the record so we don't know what she said. We're going to guess it wasn't nice.

Everybody wants to feel like their contribution is appreciated, regardless of what job they're doing. Bringing up opinions should not be viewed as hindering the process, that is the process. Everybody involved is trying to make the best movie possible. Whether Emma Stone is being ignored because she's a woman or simply because the director or writer doesn't want to listen to anybody else's opinion, it still sucks for the person trying to help.

Emma Stone says that she likes being "a cog in the machine" but clearly she still wants to see that machine produce something great and be part of that. Not every idea is going to be a good one, but if you don't consider every idea, you won't find the great ones. Also, let Emma Stone tell her own jokes. She was probably funnier than the guy anyway.

Dirk Libbey
Content Producer/Theme Park Beat

CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.