The 2015 role Emma Stone will always regret: “The insane history of whitewashing”
American actor Emma Stone has worked towards the apex of the film industry over a nearly two-decades-long career, establishing herself as a household name.
Her performances have brought her critical as well as commercial success, and with it, she has earned multiple accolades to her name, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award.
Another accolade often overlooked is that Emma Stone was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2017. This achievement is just as significant as her golden statues. A lifetime of dedication has led to this recognition, allowing her to explore more experimental roles, including her recent Academy Award-winning performance in Poor Things, where she delivered a mesmerising portrayal of Bella Baxter.
That performance further cemented Stone’s reputation as one of the most adventurous actors working today. Rather than settling into a comfortable niche, she has consistently sought out directors and projects that challenge both audience expectations and her own creative instincts.
Stone has been acting since she was four years old and made her debut at the age of 11 in a stage production of The Wind in the Willows, playing the part of Otter. Those early experiences gave Stone a foundation that would prove invaluable later in her career. Learning to perform in front of audiences at a young age helped build the confidence and discipline required to navigate the competitive entertainment industry.
Initially, the actor wanted a career in sketch comedy, but she shifted her focus to musical theatre and took voice lessons for several years. Her feature film debut came in 2007 with Superbad, co-starring Michael Cera and Jonah Hill.
During an interview, Stone said: “I think I connected with being able to bring to life what I wanted to more with acting. Performing helped me as a kid to channel my energy somewhere else, to put it out instead of turning it inward. Acting is therapy, especially as a kid; it was nice to have an outlet like that when I was really struggling with panic attacks. Being on stage early on made me less afraid to try things that are challenging and scary.”
It’s a genuine appreciation for the art form that has seen Stone be rightly regarded as one of the talents of her generation. Having outgrown roles in the aforementioned coming-of-age comedy and her subsequent stint in Zombieland, Stone has now put herself into the realm of Meryl Streep and Katharine Hepburn, not only in relation to their Oscar wins but also their career in totality. It might sound a stretch, but Stone hasn’t made many missteps during the latter years of her career thus far.
However, the actor hasn’t always achieved the desired outcome with her role choices, noting one particular character as the worst of her career. Not because she played the role particularly badly but because she should never have taken it on in the first place. A few years before her breakout year in 2017, Stone starred as Allison Ng in Aloha.
The movie focused on Ng as the central character of Chinese and Hawaiian descent, which immediately sheds light on why Stone was a less-than-desirable choice to play the role. Stone is not of Asian heritage, and to choose her to play the role was met with widespread anger and disdain. “I’ve become the butt of many jokes,” the actor said. “I’ve learned on a macro level about the insane history of whitewashing in Hollywood and how prevalent the problem truly is. It’s ignited a conversation that’s very important.”
For some years, Stone became the focal point of Asian whitewashing when discussed in the realm of Hollywood. Even when 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians, which did have a fully authentic cast, hit the headlines in 2018, Stone was once again the butt of the jokes. Nominated for two Golden Globes when the event’s host Sandra Oh made a joke about Aloha, Stone openly shouted “I’m sorry” to the audience at the venue and watching at home.
While there can be no doubt that Stone was not the right choice to play Ng, her actions as an actor and a human after the event have endeared her to her fans. She fully owned the situation and has never shied away from the conversation, often encouraging people to use it as a reason to cast authentically. It is this dedication to the practice that she has taken into her own work, catapulting her away from this misstep into a new echelon of fabled actor.
While Aloha remains a blemish on an otherwise impressive career, it has become a defining lesson rather than a defining failure. Stone’s willingness to reflect on the mistake and engage with the broader conversation surrounding representation has allowed her to move forward without attempting to rewrite history. In many ways, her response demonstrated the same self-awareness and honesty that continue to make her one of the most respected actors of her generation.
