Emma Stone’s Early Career Name Change

Emma Stone, known to her fans by that name, actually started her career under a different moniker—though this lasted only about six months. During a recent appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” she shared a bit about her brief time as “Riley.”

She explained how the Screen Actors Guild operates sort of like a business bureau. This led to her adopting a stage name after about six months. “Only one person had that name,” she noted. When she was 16, she decided to be called Riley Stone for a short period.

However, adjusting to her new name wasn’t easy at all. Stone recounted an experience from her guest role on “Malcolm in the Middle” where she was confused when people called for “Riley” on set. It was unexpected and made her feel a bit lost. “I thought, ‘I can’t be Riley,’” she said, highlighting the oddity of it all.

She also reflected on how the name “Emma” came about, pointing out that it was a bit closer to her birth name, Emily. As a kid, she had blonde hair and was inspired by Baby Spice; thus, she opted to go by Emma. “That’s a cool name,” she thought at the time, and the change stuck.

Stone began her acting career as a teenager, landing roles in films like “Superbad” and “Zombieland,” but really hit it big with “Easy A.” Over the years, she has starred in various successful films such as “The Help” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

In more recent achievements, she co-starred with Ryan Gosling in “La La Land,” which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2016. Remarkably, she secured another Oscar in 2023 for her role in “Poor Things,” solidifying her status in Hollywood.