"I can't do it anymore": How Emma Stone's birth name freaked her out

Emma Stone has become a household name in Hollywood. However, the Poor Things star has clarified that it's not her real name. Her birth name is Emily, but she changed it when starting her professional acting career. Born in Arizona, the actress has found critical success, with two Oscars under her belt. With the goodwill she has amassed over the years, she also helps independent filmmakers like Jane Schoenbrun and Julio Torres bring their vision to life.

So, it doesn't come as a surprise that her Zombieland co-star Jesse Eisenberg dedicated an entire speech to her after winning an award for writing Oscar-winning A Real Pain.

“I think it’s so important that somebody like her [Stone] who is so unbelievably successful in mainstream movies looks for people like me and Julio [Torres], and Jane [Schoenbrun], to try to produce our movies."

Despite all this love and recognition, Stone has a soft spot for her birth name. That's why she beamed when someone called her Emily during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival at the press conference for Kinds of Kindness. She looked at the film's writer-director, Yorgos Lanthimos, and said,

"That's my name!"

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Why Emma Stone is not actually who the world thinks

Emma Stone has "rightly and deservedly" achieved success in Hollywood, as Jesse Eisenberg mentioned in his Film Independent Spirit Award speech. She has won two Academy Awards for her performances in La La Land and Poor Things, out of five nominations she has received so far. While starring in movies with mainstream appeal, she also maintained a strong relationship with independent and art-house cinema. Her filmography ranges from The Amazing Spider-Man movies to less accessible projects like The Curse or Fantasmas.

This led the world to know her by her stage name, but her real name is still dear to her, as evident from what she and her co-stars have said over the years.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Curse co-creator Nathan Fielder introduced her by saying,

"Before we continue, I’d like to say something. Her name’s Emily, but she goes by Emma professionally. So when there are people that don’t know her, I end up saying Emma. But I’m going to just say Emily from here on."

Later in the interview, Stone spoke about her relationship with her birth name and why she decided to change it. When the interviewer asked if her co-stars call her Emily, Stone said,

"When I get to know them, people that I work with do. It’s just because my name was taken [by another actress in SAG]. Then I freaked out a couple of years ago. For some reason, I was like, “I can’t do it anymore. Just call me Emily.” Nathan calls me Em, which is easier."

Stone appreciates people calling her by her real name, as shown by her reaction at the Cannes Film Festival. In line with this, she doesn't mind if her fans call her Emily.

"That would be so nice. I would like to be Emily."

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What do Emma's fans think of her name change?

Emily Jean Stone, more famously known as Emma Stone, had to change her name due to a clause in the Screen Actors Guild. Her birth name was already registered, which is why she had to adopt a stage name. She is not the only star who has done this—her Birdman co-star Michael Keaton made a similar change since his real name, Michael Douglas, was already taken by the Wall Street and Fatal Attraction star.

In a discussion about this topic, Emma’s fans shared their thoughts in a Reddit thread. A particularly insightful comment said:

Another user made a clever quip about her stage name.

Then, another user pointed out that reporters should not bring up this unimportant topic about her personal life.