Emma Stone Talks Her Influences

Emma Stone sat down and talked with Entertainment Weekly about what influences her. Emma went into detail about the influences that helped prepare her for her roles in Cabaret, Birdman and more.

On her influences for Cabaret: “I’m listening to Radio Nova, which is this retro-feeling online French radio station. I don’t understand what anybody’s saying, but the music is so good that it just makes me feel perfectly misplaced. I listen to that in my dressing room, which I don’t think anyone else appreciates, but I do.

I’ve been watching this rare, live performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland on YouTube, and I play “It’s Only a Paper Moon” by Ella Fitzgerald a lot. That song just makes me think of Sally Bowles. I have a huge paper moon in my dressing room with [costar] Alan Cumming’s face in it. I also read Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin Stories before I go on each night. It’s what the play is based on, so I reread different Sally portions to re-remind me of the person I’m playing.”

On her influences for Birdman: “Alejandro [Iñárritu, the director] didn’t tell us to watch anything, but he gave us the picture of Philippe Petit from Man on Wire walking between the Twin Towers and said, “That’s what we’re trying to do in our script.” I saw Apocalypse Now at that time.

Oh my God, that movie is gorgeous, and watching it fueled my love for cinematography, which was good to have during Birdman. But I definitely came home and watched Sean Lowe on The Bachelor a lot, too. It was the only thing that made me feel like I could shut my brain off. That and Final Four basketball. To get in character, I was reading Internet forums about drug withdrawal all day and then watching The Bachelor at night. It was a heavy time.”

To read her full interview make sure to pick up the newest issue of Entertainment Weekly NOW!

Source: EW