After kicking off her movie career in Superbad as the high-school hottie throwing the cool party, Emma Stone is rapidly carving a niche for herself as a young actress with good comic chops. Her latest outing is the fright-com Zombieland, in which she plays one of four human survivors (with Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin) blowing away zombies in America. Rotten Tomatoes meets up with an actress who, as she explains, was instructed to move to LA by a voice in her head...
How did you hook up with Zombieland?
Emma Stone: I read the script and told my agent I loved it and then I auditioned with a lot of other very cool actresses who probably would have been way better for the part than me. I auditioned with Jesse -- we did some improv together. I knew he was going to be amazing in the movie.
Did you find anything challenging about it?
ES: I had never done any action before and I'm not very good at running so that was hard. I kept injuring myself. Other than that, it was just fun -- learning how to shoot guns and pretending to be a bad-ass.
What was your favourite part?
ES: I got to shoot a lot of zombies but my favourite thing was to watch Abigail shooting them. She is way more bad-ass than any 12-year-old I've ever met. Needless to say, there were nights that it was incredibly scary and you're being chased by 30 ravenous extras dressed as zombies.
Come on. You weren't really scared, were you?
ES: Yeah! On the second day, Abbie and I had to be chased by something like 30 zombies and it was two o'clock in the morning and I was really overtired. I started getting these paranoid thoughts that one of them was really crazy. I was like, How do you know you can trust these people?! So we're running from these people and shooting at them and in my mind I'm thinking, What if one of them snaps and attacks me? I got myself into a paranoid tizzy about it.
Stone in Zombieland
Abigail Breslin's only 12. Did you start that young?
ES: No, I moved out to LA when I was 15 and I didn't get my first role until I was almost 18 so I was lucky to have most of my teenage years off camera. Not to say I haven't had breakout acne explosions since on camera! That's been nice.
How did your move to LA come about?
ES: I had a revelation in history class, sixth period. I was 14 and in my freshman year, and that night I made a presentation to my parents to move to Los Angeles. Two months later, my mom came with me. I auditioned for three years and nothing happened and finally I got Superbad.
What was the revelation?
ES: It was this feeling that overtook me... it was like a voice and it's happened a couple times throughout my life, and all it said was, "You have to move to LA right now." And I hated LA -- I'd been to LA before, I still can't stand it. In fact I'm moving to New York I hate it so much.
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Funkmaster Flex writes: on Oct 07 2009 06:50 AM Loved Zombieland when I saw it this weekend and Emma does a very good job. She's fortunate that she seems to find castmates that she has good chemistry with. (Reply to this) |
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rle4lunch writes: on Oct 07 2009 07:10 AM I love how RT thinks that using British grammar instead of American makes them more acceptable to the world population. Get over yourselves RT, no one really gives a *****. Favorite is spelled FAVORITE, you can leave the British 'U' out of the picture next time. Other than that, yes, she is quite good and I look forward to seeing Zombieland tonight. I'm sure it's a riot. (Reply to this) |
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Joe Utichi writes: on Oct 07 2009 07:16 AM rle4lunch: This article is from the UK version of RT. We have our own ideas about how to spell favourite. (Reply to this) |
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Gordon Franklin Terry Sr writes: on Oct 07 2009 07:31 AM Emma Stone has AWESOME parents . . . there is NO way my kid would say "hey Dad--let's move to LA so I can be a movie star," and I would agree. A LOT of people move to LA and say LA stinks and move away from LA. Los Angeles has a SMOG that hangs over it all morning and then dissipates by the afternoon (Reply to this) |
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rle4lunch writes: on Oct 07 2009 07:35 AM In reply to this comment (#2551410) Not knocking the language Joe and I understand the difference. Even the western writers at RT America use it, not just the UK version. :) (Reply to this) |
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Shaun H. writes: on Oct 07 2009 07:45 AM In reply to this comment (#2551414) Technically speaking english should be the UK version seeming as that's where ENGLAND IS, english - England? Yeah, that's our invention, besides why so pedantic it's only a word? Besides most international spoken English is the UK version so why use the US version? Just becuase it appeases your patriotism, RT is fine, I say get over yourself. (Reply to this) |
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rle4lunch writes: on Oct 07 2009 08:17 AM Calm down, calm down. I'm pointing it out because I've seen it on this site for 4 years now and it's annoying to see American journalists trying to be above themselves for one reason or another. My grandparents are from England, I have no qualms with the Brits. It was an observance, that is all. And I'll never get over myself. :) (Reply to this) |
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Lt. Aldo Raine writes: on Oct 07 2009 08:25 AM Favourite Favourite Favourite (Reply to this) |
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Bulletproof_Animal writes: on Oct 07 2009 08:25 AM Amazing how this turned into a debate on spelling. Mental. (Reply to this) |
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CFM writes: on Oct 07 2009 09:03 AM This debate on spelling is more interesting than this interview, Bulletproof_Animal. RT should have asked: "Tally-ho, Emma! What is your favourite colour?" (Reply to this) |
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tomwaitsjr writes: on Oct 07 2009 09:11 AM I demand CRUMPETS! Lots and lots of CRUMPETS! (Reply to this) |
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CFM writes: on Oct 07 2009 09:47 AM *nods to rle4lunch* Yeah RT, get over yourselves! And stop it with the Grey Poupon, it's MUSTARD dammit! Hey rle4lunch, let us know if Zombieland is as good as The Dark Knight, because TDK is the best movie EVER! (Reply to this) |
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rle4lunch writes: on Oct 07 2009 09:47 AM And now it's time to bring in the TDK references too. Annnnd, go...! (Reply to this) |
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CFM writes: on Oct 07 2009 09:50 AM I wonder if, during the movie, Emma has to wear any ARMOUR ? (Reply to this) |
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rle4lunch writes: on Oct 07 2009 10:17 AM Good question CFM, I wonder if it would help her in her defence? (Reply to this) |
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tomwaitsjr writes: on Oct 07 2009 12:11 PM The Brits use more letters for their words, they simply aren't as efficient as us Yanks. That is why England is referred to as the 51st State! *runs away with all the beef wellington* (Reply to this) |
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FURY.UK writes: on Oct 07 2009 12:22 PM Efficient or lazy? lol You even stole our word for football and put into that NFL thing. ha ha (Reply to this) |
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Bigbrother writes: on Oct 07 2009 02:12 PM rle4lunch you have no honour, you've shown your true colours, I'm so tyred of you...not really I can't back that up. I just wanted to joint in the fete. (Reply to this) |
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rle4lunch writes: on Oct 07 2009 03:00 PM BigBro, there's always room for more. (Reply to this) |
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RT-Ryan writes: on Oct 07 2009 03:53 PM No desire to get wrapped up in the fray here, but as far as I know, we US RT writers have never used the British spelling of words in our articles. What might be confusing for some is that many articles that run on the UK version of RT also show up here on the US site (and vice versa, really). And Joe is our absolute favourite UK editor. (Reply to this) |
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