Although it came out back in January, Emma Stone is currently still promoting a TV series called The Curse that she stars in with The Rehearsal’s Nathan Fielder. The Curse, which aired on Showtime, had 10 one-hour long episodes. Emma and Nathan recently sat down for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to talk about the series, their mutual respect for each other’s work, and more. They even touch upon Nathan’s feelings on Emma’s second Oscar win and Emma’s first impressions of The Rehearsal. The entire interview is very charming, and the tone is set from the very beginning, when Nathan declares that he’s going to be calling Emma by her birth name, Emily, throughout it. Emma affirms this, saying that she’d love to widely be called by her real name again.
Interviewer: Nathan, what was it like watching Emma win the Oscar, having just worked so intimately with her?
FIELDER: Oh my God. I texted her. I was like, “I’m so proud.” I texted her before she won, too. I was like, “Even if you lose, you’ll always be an Oscar winner to me.”
Interviewer: Which would have been true, since this was her second Oscar.
FIELDER: Before we continue, I’d like to say something. Her name’s Emily, but she goes by Emma professionally. So when there’s people that don’t know her, I end up saying Emma. But I’m going to just say Emily from here on.
STONE: You can say Emma. You can say anything.
Interviewer: Does anyone in the industry call you Emily?
STONE: 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.
FIELDER: That’s a way of bridging it.
Interviewer: If some fan came up to you and said, “Can I take a selfie, Emily?” would you be like, “It’s Emma.”
STONE: No. That would be so nice. I would like to be Emily.
FIELDER: I’ll switch it up. I’m going to go back and forth.
Interviewer: And you’re always Nathan?
STONE: Well, I call him Big Nate. Which is his preferred name.
I think one of the most basic decencies one person can give another one is to call them by the name they request to be called. If I ever saw Emily Stone on the street or at a San Diego Padres’ game, I would totally call out, “Hi, Emily!” and hope that it at least gave her a smile that someone read her interview and decided to give her that respect. You can read the rest of the interview here. They have great chemistry that really shines through on paper. I remember hearing about The Curse when it first dropped, but since it was right around the holidays, it fell off my radar. I’m definitely going to add it back on there now. While I’m at it, I probably need to watch The Rehearsal, too!
Emily, of course, joins a long line of celebrities who have changed their names because someone else already beat them to their real name in the SAG registry, although most of the more famous ones have changed their last names instead. Diane Keaton’s real name is “Diane Hall” (Keaton is her mom’s maiden name). Speaking of “Keaton,” Michael Keaton’s real last name is “Douglas,” but that was name was famously already taken by Kirk’s son/Catherine ZJ’s husband. Elizabeth Banks had to switch from her legal name of “Elizabeth Mitchell” because of the actress who played Juliet on Lost. David Bowie was born David Jones, but that conflicted with Davy Jones (The Monkees). Michael B. Jordan added his middle initial to not be confused with the basketball player/Space Jam star while Michael J. Fox’s real middle initial is “A” for “Andrew” but there was already another Michael Andrew Fox in SAG. I always think it’s kinda neat trivia to learn actors’ real names. If you’re interested, Elle has a great list of celebrities who changed them by choice.
Photos credit: Avalon.red
-
- Emma Stone poses backstage with the Oscar® for Actress in a Leading Role during the live ABC telecast of the 96th Oscars® at Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024.,Image: 855772469, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
-
- Emma Stone poses backstage with the Oscar® for Actress in a Leading Role during the live ABC telecast of the 96th Oscars® at Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024.,Image: 855772685, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
-
- Oscar® nominee Emma Stone and guest arrive on the red carpet of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024.,Image: 855782808, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
-
- Celebrities arriving at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Featuring: Emma Stone Where: Los Angeles, United States When: 11 Mar 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
That’s like Anne Hathaway who is actually Annie and everyone who knows her calls her that.
Why can’t SAG actors have the same name? Is that a universal union thing? What if you don’t want to change your name just because there’s already another John Smith there- is that the end of your career?
This is what I’d like to know! It seems ludicrous that people with common surnames and the same first names at normal jobs or schools, but this is confounding to SAG?
I think if there are two people with the same name, a casting agent may think it’s one and not the other, maybe often times to their own detriment depending on age or type of role. So it just makes everyone’s lives easier. Like if your name is Jennifer Lawrence, you probably would go by something else. I just used her as an example as I imagine that is a fairly common name, compared to like, Dakota Fanning. For all I know there may be legal issues involved as well.
An actors name is their ‘brand’ and that brand name is used to sell a film or tv show. Having two famous actors with the exact same name would only cause confusion.
How about the example of the two Michelle Williams though ? I know one is an actor but Michelle Williams the singer also has some acting credits.
My guess is destiny’s child Michelle isn’t a member of SAG.
I think you technically ~can~, like they can’t actually stop you from using the same name as someone else, but it’s strongly strongly cautioned against. There’s legal liability involved.
“Speaking of “Keaton,” Michael Keaton’s real last name is “Douglas,” but that was name was famously already taken by Kirk’s son/Catherine ZJ’s husband.”
And Michael Douglas is billed as Michael and not Mike, because there was already a Mike Douglas (real last name Dowd) the talk show host who was also an actor.
I would have changed my surname instead of my first name, because it must be so weird for people to refer to you with a different name. She could have gone by her mothers maiden name like Katy Perry. There is no way I could even get used to a different first name.
I don’t know what I’d do! Being a Jennifer from the 80s, I was called my whole first name last name during my early years of school because there was even another Jennifer with the same first initial for her last name. I’m strongly identified to the whole damned name.
oops, my edit timed out. My first name last name combo is quite common. Lots of us turn up in any search (google, linkedin, socials, etc) and I even graduated from my large university the same year as someone with the same name, from different programs. There is one who works in entertainment, including as an actor, so she may well be a member of SAG. I love that she followed me back on socials 😄
Julianne Moore is really Julie. She goes by Julie in her private life. Her real name is Julie Anne Smith.
I forgot to add what Julianne said about having to change her name.
“There was already a Julie Smith, a Julie Anne Smith, there was everything. My father’s middle name is Moore; my mother’s name is Anne. So I just slammed the Anne onto the Julie. That way, I could use both of their names and not hurt anyone’s feelings. But it’s horrible to change your name. I’d been Julie Smith my whole life, and I didn’t want to change it.”
— Moore explaining why and how she adopted her stage name”
I haven’t seen The Curse but the zinger at the end of the excerpt makes me think Emily vibes with Big Nate’s unique sense of humor. It feels like an extended Nathan For You bit to rebrand himself with a different name. Like being on a show with her was all a prerequisite to doing an interview where he reveals her preferred name and then she casually drops his all in a bid to have people accept it.
I had no idea her actual name is Emily. I wonder why she didn’t just use a middle name with it, or middle initial?
If I were a famous actor I actually wouldn’t mind having a stage name, you could use your real name for stuff and draw less attention.
I remember hearing about this years ago, and Olivia Colman calling her “Emily” in interviews.
Speaking of: Olivia Colman’s real name is Sarah. The name “Sarah Colman” was already registered with the Actors Equity Association. But she has always gone by “Colly!”
Emmalee Stone, Emma Lee Stone, Emilee Stone… the list goes on….