Emma Stone movies: The actress' top 10 acting roles

Emma Stone navigates commercial success and critical acclaim with her universally loved performances. After debuting in an unsold pilot for a reality TV show named In Search of the New Partridge Family (2004), Stone found her big break in Superbad (2007) and Zombieland (2009). From then on, her career took off, cementing her popularity amongst fans and critics.

In 2017, Stone was named one of Time magazine's top 100 most influential people. By then, she had become famous for her romantic comedy roles and for playing Gwen Stacy opposite Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man. With Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs under her belt, there is no dearth of Emma Stone's top acting roles.

Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong to the writer. The list is in no particular order.

Poor Things, The Favorite, and other top Emma Stone roles

1) Poor Things (2023)

Stone as Bella (Image via YouTube/ SearchlightPictures)

In late-Victorian London, a mad scientist named Godwin Baxter and his assistant, Max McCandles, find a way to fuse a dead woman's body with her fetus' brain. The result? A childlike adult woman is born, ready to see the wonders of the world and discover her sexuality. What follows is a re-examination of humankind. Chaos ensues when she runs away with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo).

Emma Stone's role as Bella Baxter in the dark comedy navigates human greed, women's agency, and childish possibility seamlessly.

Her subtle mannerisms and body language change as she goes from being a baby in an adult's body to a grown-up, driving home the question: how would society treat an adult woman who is unaware of sexuality and its politics? What happens when she becomes more aware? Her liberation becomes the answer.

Widely considered her most iconic performance, Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for this Yorgos Lanthimos directorial.

Where to watch: Prime Video

2) The Favourite (2018)

Abigail climbs the ranks (Image via YouTube/ SearchlightPictures)

Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone came together for another absurdist dark comedy. In the early 1700s, England is at war with France, and Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman) is disinterested in her role. Her secret lover, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), rules the country in her stead. Enter Stone's Abigail, Sarah's disgraced niece, with sinister plans to reclaim her lost power.

Stone's unapologetically evil and understatedly queer portrayal of Abigail shows her immense versatility. She deftly handles her journey from the vulnerable and downtrodden disgrace to the scheming power grabber, making fans a part of her inner world where conflict and calculation go hand in hand. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards for her fan-favorite role.

Where to watch: Prime Video

3) La La Land (2016)

Emma Stone as Mia (Image via YouTube/ Hulu)

Emma Stone's Mia Dolan wears her heart on her sleeve in Damien Chazelle's La La Land. Instantly relatable yet elusive with her emotions, Mia toes the line between ambition and love when she meets Ryan Gosling's Sebastian Wilder. Their journeys intertwine in heartbreakingly artistic ways, as they try to make it big in the city of dreams.

The actor shines as a struggling artist, bringing vulnerability and emotional depth to her role. Her monologue about not being good enough is one of the highlights of the musical romance, and fans can see the culmination of years of struggle rise to the surface with nuance. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her memorable performance.

Where to watch: Hulu

4) Cruella (2021)

Emma Stone in an antagonist role (Image via YouTube/ Disney)

Driven by mischief and revenge, Emma Stone's Cruella de Vil rises from a grifter to one of the most well-known names in fashion. But with great power comes the penchant for chaos, and the antagonist lets loose her inner rage after being traumatized by Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson) and her dalmatians.

While this Craig Gillespie drama received mixed reviews, what stands out is Stone's ability to wholeheartedly embrace evil in this A Hundred and One Dalmatians spin-off. She embodies the moral ambiguity of a woman scorned, with a bold-faced edginess that resonated with fans. Her villainy evokes sympathy and gasps in equal measure, elevating the movie.

Where to watch: Disney+

5) Birdman (2014)

Emma plays Keaton's daughter (Image via YouTube/ SearchlightPictures)

Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Birdman introduces Michael Keaton as a washed-up actor named Riggan Thompson, with flamboyant ambitions in the Broadway world. But his glaring inadequacy comes to light when he clashes with his daughter, Sam, portrayed by Emma Stone. Underneath her tough exterior, Sam nurses a wounded vulnerability after being abandoned by her father over the years.

Sam's true nature is unveiled alongside their dysfunctional relationship, and while she is not central to the plot, she measures up on screen with Keaton's prowess. Stone's monologuing expertise comes into play as Sam's repressed emotions bubble over. Overall, this is one of her best performances, nominating her for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards.

Where to watch: Prime Video

6) Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Stone plays Gosling's love interest (Image via YouTube/ Warner Bros.)

In this chaotic and wildly entertaining ride, Steve Carell stars as Cal Weaver, whose idealistic life with a wife and kids comes crashing down when his wife demands a divorce. Ready to enter the dating world in his 40s, he runs into a self-proclaimed playboy named Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling).

Emma Stone plays Palmer's love interest and brings an understated romance to her role. She is endearing, with memorable wit and banter that makes fans root for her love story with Palmer. As the relatable girl next door, her breezy performance is a resounding fan-favorite, especially when her identity is revealed in the most comical climax the movie has to offer.

Where to watch: Netflix

7) The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Gwen Stacy is her most popular role (Image via YouTube/ Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy is one of the most well-liked and well-known roles of her career. Her deep emotional intelligence and the mischievous twinkle in her eyes perfectly match the introverted and anxious energy of Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man. She brings gravitas as not just the love interest, but someone the superhero relies on for her scientific smarts

Stone takes James Vanderbilt's cohesive script and makes Gwen the opposite of a damsel in distress. Her chemistry with Peter Parker is undeniable, making fans invest in her happiness. Her portrayal takes the comics version and boosts it with a modern update, giving the character agency and roundedness.

Where to watch: Disney+

8) Easy A (2010)

Stone in Easy A (Image via YouTube/ Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Before her award-winning roles, Emma Stone was known for Will Gluck's cult classic comedy Easy A. She plays Olive, a goody two-shoes whose white lie changes her reputation and makes her the school "Tramp." Fully leaning into her new personality, Olive reframes the remainder of her high school days.

It is Stone's first leading role, and she brings a conviction that makes heads turn even today. Although the premise is silly, her character's witty and rebellious personality is the perfect anchor to showcase high school life in the early 2000s. Her awkward personality works perfectly in tandem with her parents (played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson), making the movie entertaining.

Where to watch: Hulu

9) Battle of the Sexes (2017)

Stone as the iconic tennis player (Image via YouTube/ SearchlightPictures)

Directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton brought Steve Carell and Emma Stone back together in this sports comedy drama about the infamous tennis match between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Loosely based on the true rivalry, the movie focuses on King's struggles with equal pay in sport and her sexuality.

Stone delivers a convincing performance as King, down to the mannerisms and her strong tennis action. While the movie exaggerates the plot for dramatic effect, her grounding energy makes this one of the most memorable roles in her career. She weaves social pressures and personal growth into a rounded performance.

Where to watch: Prime Video/ YouTube

10) Zombieland (2009)

Stone as Wichita (Image via YouTube/ Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Meet the zombie attack survivors: Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Armed with survival strategies and zombie-killing methods, they travel to a safe haven in Los Angeles. This wildly entertaining horror comedy pits big personalities together to create raucous laughs.

Stone's Wichita brings a charming on-screen energy, perfect for an apocalyptic movie. Her journey from a wary con-artist to someone who lets her guard down and develops feelings for Columbus is memorable. The movie and her character have aged well and offer fans a high rewatch value.

Where to watch: Prime Video

Emma Stone fans will also love her performance in Hulu's The Curse (2023) and the Netflix miniseries The Maniac (2018).

About the author

Pooja Kumar is an entertainment writer at Sportskeeda. She holds a bachelor's degree in Electronic Media, which deepened her understanding of the entertainment industry.

With over six years of experience, Pooja has worked as a copywriter at Social Panga and as a part-time editor and social media manager at Revolutionaries. She has won five awards for best digital marketing campaigns during her tenure at Social Panga.

Pooja is passionate about crafting engaging and relatable content. She believes in thorough research and ethical reporting, ensuring accuracy by cross-referencing multiple reputable sources. She also avoids reliance on AI-generated material, preferring an authentic and personal writing style.

A devoted fan of the K-pop group Seventeen, Pooja admires their amazing performances, kindness, and humor. One of her most cherished memories is traveling to Bangkok in December 2023 to experience their live concert with thousands of fans, a moment she would relive if given the chance to travel back in time. Beyond writing, Pooja enjoys weightlifting, boxing, yoga, and reading. She also finds joy in watching K-dramas, listening to music, and the occasional nap.

Know More

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay