Emma Stone Appears Visibly Giddy When Reporter Uses Her Real Name

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Hey, even if it was a mistake, Emma Stone will take it. 

The Oscar-winning actor was answering questions during a press conference for her upcoming film “Kinds of Kindness” at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Saturday when a reporter from Kazakhstan stood up and addressed Stone in a way that made her visibly delighted. 

“My questions go to Emily Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos, so Emily...” the reporter asked Stone and the film’s director, Yorgos Lanthimos.

Thinking that the journalist had made a mistake with Stone’s name, Lanthimos quickly corrected the reporter by saying “Emma” — but Stone jumped in and said: “My name is Emily, thank you. Very nice.”

Although it’s unclear if the reporter knew Stone’s real first name, or inadvertently used a similar-sounding name, Emily is in fact the “Poor Things” star’s actual name — and the reporter’s timing in addressing her as “Emily” was exquisite.

Only a month ago, Stone made headlines after Nathan Fielder referred to her as “Emily” instead of “Emma” during a joint interview for the Hollywood Reporterto promote their Showtime series, “The Curse.”

When the outlet asked if Stone would like it if more people referred to by her real first name, the “La La Land” star gave a resounding yes.

“That would be so nice. I would like to be Emily,” Stone said.

Emma Stone attends the
Emma Stone attends the "Kinds Of Kindness" press conference ahead of the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival Saturday. Neilson Barnard via Getty Images

Stone has explained in the past that although her birth name is Emily Stone, she had to change it while earning her Screen Actors Guild card because there was already an actor named Emily Stone in the union.

But the reason why she chose “Emma” as her stage name may not be entirely because it sounds like “Emily.”

Stone implied to Jimmy Fallon in 2018 that her childhood obsession with the Spice Girls — and love for band member Emma Bunton aka Baby Spice — may have had a tiny influence. 

“Growing up …I was super blonde — and my real name is Emily — but I wanted to be called ‘Emma’ because of Baby Spice. And guess what? Now I am,” Stone said with an embarrassed laugh.

She added, “It wasn’t necessarily because of her, but yes, in second grade, did I go up to the teacher on the first day and ask her to call me Emma? Yes I did. Was it because of Emma Lee Burton from the Spice Girls? Yes it was. So…”