Diane Keaton: The actor who inspired Emma Stone to greatness
Speaking highly of Woody Allen is something that’s generally frowned upon these days, but Emma Stone at least had plenty to discuss with the controversial filmmaker due to their shared admiration of a Hollywood icon.
It’s incredible to think it’s only been a little over a decade and a half since Stone made her feature debut in the classic teen comedy Superbad, with the ensuing years marking her out as not just one of the most popular and highest-paid stars in the industry, but one of its very best performers.
To go along with her Academy Award win for ‘Best Actress’ from five nominations in total, Stone also has two Bafta wins from seven nominations, a pair of Golden Globes from eight nods, a trio of Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a ‘Volpi Cup’ from the Venice Film Festival among her many, many accolades.
Stone has two films with Allen under her belt after appearing in Magic in the Moonlight and Irrational Man, which gave them ample opportunity to talk about a hero of theirs. “He is the biggest fan of Diane Keaton and he knows how I feel about her,” she shared with The Independent. “He loved to regale me with how wonderful Diane Keaton is, and how much she made him laugh.”
The actor had already named Allen’s former muse as a massive inspiration several times over at that point, describing her as “so beautiful because she is so quintessentially Diane”. However, she was wary that her unabashed fandom may have dissuaded Keaton from ever getting too close for fear of her own safety.
“I haven’t met her, but I talk about her so damn much that she’s probably scared of me. I talk about her literally every day,” she continued. “She’s probably a little freaked out by me, so maybe it’s a better idea not to meet her because she’s probably going to have to get some sort of restraining order at this point. I’m kidding, I promise I am no threat.”
They did meet eventually, though, where Keaton would offer some sage advice that Stone would carry with her throughout the remainder of her career, and not just because it came from someone she idolised so much when she was trying to make her way in the industry.
The star informed Stone how she needs to “have the courage to be myself and follow my instincts without being worried or letting fear get in my way”. Putting her insecurities and self-doubts to one side, Keaton told her that if she’s “able to draw audiences towards me, it’s because of my eccentricities.” Based on her recent performance in Poor Things, it’s safe to say she’s taken it to heart.
