The road to indomitable success is seldom free of hurdles, but the thrill of reaching the top despite all the obstacles is an especially delightful one. Much is the case with Emma Stone, one of Hollywood’s finest, who went from being screamed at for a disheveled audition to landing an Oscar and becoming one of the industry’s most beloved actresses.
Emma Stone’s Harrowing Experience During An Audition
In an industry as bustling and competitive as Hollywood, actors are bound to incur losses; whether it’s losing out big roles to someone else or having to pass up on golden opportunities, the sting of rejection is one familiar to every other accomplished face in showbiz. But just because it’s a shared experience doesn’t make it any less bitter.
Back when Emma Stone was still busy working her way up the ladder of triumph, she’d missed out on a few major projects, including Tim Kring’s popular superhero drama titled Heroes. There was a time when the NBC series was crowned as a powerhouse hit, so losing the leading role obviously acted as salt to the already throbbing wound. What’s more, Stone later had a meltdown after losing the role. But even that didn’t compare to the Easy A star’s excruciating experience of being shouted at during an audition.
In an old interview with Psychologies, Stone, 34, opened up about her “worst memory” from the early years of her career when she was mistreated during an audition; because she wasn’t allowed to rehearse her lines beforehand, the Cruella star found it difficult “getting them right” during the actual audition. And that in turn infuriated the casting director who shrieked at a young Stone for her apparent “unprofessionalism.”
“I came to Hollywood when I was 15, and I’ve had many bad auditioning experiences […] My worst memory was when I wasn’t allowed to have my lines before the actual audition took place. I was 16 at the time and I was having trouble getting them right, and this woman [a casting director] started screaming at me and telling me how unprofessional I was.”
If only the casting director knew she was belittling someone who’d turn out to be one of the most renowned and prosperous actresses in Hollywood.
Rising Like A Phoenix From the Ashes
Stone might have been through a heap of unfortunate experiences, but it wasn’t all in vain. In fact, the brutal audition from her teenage years would later go on to fuel her Academy Award-winning performance as Mia in La La Land.
Damien Chazelle’s groundbreaking musical saw Stone lead the screen as an aspiring actress treading through failed auditions along with Ryan Gosling‘s struggling jazz pianist. And, as it turns out, The Amazing Spider-Man star drew a good chunk of inspiration from her own sordid experiences, especially the one wherein the casting director yelled at her, for her character in the 2016 film.
Not only did she garner critical acclamation for her awe-inspiring performance in La La Land, but Stone star also went on to receive a horde of accolades for the same. Furthermore, 2017 saw her become one of the highest-paid actresses as well as one of the most 100 influential people in the world, as named by Time magazine.
So, it looks like the joke’s on the casting director.
La La Land can be streamed on Netflix.
Source: Psychologies
