La La Land's Golden Girl

Emma Stone gets real about owning Hollywood, overcoming crippling anxiety and staying authentic in La La Land.

- Marli Meyer

This is a film for dreamers. I think that hope and creativity are two of the most important things in the world, and that’s what this movie is about. So to any creative person who’s had a door slammed in their face – either metaphorically or physically – or actors who have had their auditions cut off or waited for a callback that didn’t come, or anybody anywhere, really, who feels like giving up sometimes but finds it in themselves to get up and keep moving forward, I share this with you!’ This was Emma (whose real name is Emily) Stone’s inspiring message as she received her Golden Globe for best actress in La La Land in January this year.

Although the feisty redhead is on Hollywood’s hot list now, she too was a dreamer once – a very brave one. When she realised in Grade 9 that she wanted to become an actress, she proposed the idea to her parents with a PowerPoint presentation called ‘Project Hollywood’. They supported her dream so wholeheartedly that her mom moved to LA with her that year, where she was homeschooled while they tackled auditions together.