Emma Stone was the last actress to audition with Ryan Gosling for Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), and the 21-year-old nailed it when she roasted Gosling for flubbing a line, according to co-director Glenn Ficarra, who shared the exclusive anecdote with PEOPLE for the film’s 15th anniversary.
Auditioning with Ryan Gosling might make even the most seasoned Hollywood actress blush, but not 21-year-old Emma Stone. During pre-production for the 2011 rom-com Crazy, Stupid, Love, a handful of hopefuls tried out for the part of Hannah Weaver, the eldest daughter of Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore) who falls in love with womanizer Jacob (Gosling).
“A lot of them were really good, but then once Ryan stepped into the room, they sort of were a little shaken,” co-director Glenn Ficarra told PEOPLE. The makers went through several talented candidates for Emma’s part, and they all read with Ryan, who was off screen. In most cases, they were a little taken by Ryan’s presence and nervous at the sight of him.
Stone walked in at the end of the long day of auditions and flipped the script on Gosling, who was just coming off his acclaimed performance in Blue Valentine. When he flubbed a line during their session, Stone didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, you’re killing this. You’re doing great,” she teased, as Ficarra recalled. “We were all just like, ‘Okay, that’s it. That’s the person.’ And we wanted to work with her desperately. Even in the small stuff she was doing, she’s so brilliant.”
Ficarra noticed Stone’s nonchalance and amiability, which she maintained throughout the auditioning process. She stood out by playfully calling out Gosling when he messed up his first line, displaying a quality that set her apart from the rest. She not just embraced Gosling’s presence, but also showcased a sense of humor that was strikingly similar to Gosling’s. This eventually led to the directors to zero in on Stone for the role of Hannah Weaver in Crazy, Stupid, Love.
The chemistry was evident from the start, and that continued during the film. According to Gosling, the directors had them improvise several sequences, which became some of the most memorable moments in the movie. “We had whole sequences where they just had us improvise. That sequence was all I mean, sort of a scene that we improvised and then created,” Gosling said during a 2017 Santa Barbara International Film Festival event.
While they began with the romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love, the pairing worked wonders in the musical romance La La Land, which won Stone her first Oscar for Best Actress in 2017. The two also had many memorable scenes in the Steve Carell starrer Crazy, Stupid, Love, where they played a budding couple.
Stone has become one of the most prolific actresses working in the industry today, with multiple Academy Award nominations and wins to her name. Her fearless approach to the audition process, even when facing established stars like Gosling, demonstrated the confidence and talent that would define her career.
The film Crazy, Stupid, Love went on to become one of the most beloved romantic comedies of the 2010s, featuring an ensemble cast that included Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon, and Marisa Tomei. The film’s success launched Stone and Gosling into one of Hollywood’s most celebrated on-screen partnerships, culminating in their collaborations on La La Land and later projects.
Ficarra’s revelation highlights how Stone’s natural charisma and ability to hold her own against established stars impressed the filmmakers from the very beginning. Her willingness to poke fun at Gosling during the audition demonstrated not only her confidence but also her instinct for the kind of playful dynamic that would make their on-screen relationship so compelling.
