Mark Ruffalo Praises “Poor Things” Costar Emma Stone: 'She's a Once in a Generation Talent’ (Exclusive)

"This is probably one of the most daring female performances in decades," Ruffalo told PEOPLE of Stone's turn as Bella Baxter in the movie

Mark Ruffalo is full of praise for his Poor Things costar Emma Stone.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the New York City premiere of the movie on Wednesday, Ruffalo, 56, honored Stone’s performance in the dark comedy and hailed her as “a once in a generation talent.”

“She's just so game,” the actor says. “I mean, this is probably one of the most daring female performances in decades, in a sense.”

“It's just the kind of fearlessness that she has and a presence, and I mean presence with you as an actor,” he continues. “She's just right there, no matter what you do she goes with you. And she's a great talent.”

Stone, 35, brought the glamor to the red carpet at the premiere, sporting a yellow sheer embellished gown by Louis Vuitton as she posed with Ruffalo, who wore a black suit with a sequin flower on the lapel.

Related: Emma Stone Says She Made Poor Things to Explore 'What It Is to Be a Woman' in Extended Preview

The new film is based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray. Stone plays Bella Baxter, a woman who is on a journey of awakening after undergoing an experiment by mad scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter, played by Willem Dafoe. Meanwhile, Ruffalo plays Duncan Wedderburn, a debauched lawyer whom Bella runs off with to explore the world.

As for how he and Stone prepared for their quirky scenes together in the movie, Ruffalo tells PEOPLE, “It started with about three weeks of rehearsal, which was just playing theater games, really, and goofing off and cutting up. [That] gave us the feeling of safety with each other and a feeling of fun.”

“It was really daring to be able to be daring and safe with each other no matter how crazy s--- got," he says. "And we had Yorgos [Lanthimos, the director] with us the whole time and then we had this incredible script that really lays it all out in the most fun way.”

Related: Emma Stone Is Back on the Red Carpet — with Her Red Hair! — for Premiere of Her New Film Poor Things

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Calling Poor Things "a very, very funny film," Stone said in a preview that she wanted to play Bella “because it felt like acceptance of what it is to be a woman, to be free, to be scared and brave.”

"She's understanding what it is to be a member of society," the Oscar winner continued of her character. "The more autonomous she becomes, the more challenged these men seem to be by it."

The movie is written by Tony McNamara and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who helmed Stone's 2018 film The Favourite and 2015 drama The Lobster, starring Colin Farrell.

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