Skip to main contentSkip to footer
emma stone© Photo: Getty Images

Why Emma Stone picked Emma as her stage name, and what she was nearly called

Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
March 6, 2017
Share this:

When Emma Stone decided that she wanted to be an actress, she discovered that she wouldn't be allowed to use her real name of 'Emily' as there was already an 'Emily Stone' registered with the Screen Actor's Guild. The star has opened up about choosing her new name, revealing that she called herself 'Riley' for the first six months of her career!

READ: Emma Stone's make-up artist shares her beauty secrets and tips with HELLO!

Chatting to W magazine, she said: "You know, my real name is Emily. But it was taken at SAG. To ask a 16-year-old to pick a new name is really an interesting process, because I was like, 'I'm going to be Riley. My name is going to be Riley Stone'. And so my name was Riley Stone for about six months and I did a guest spot on Malcolm in the Middle and one day they were like, 'Riley, Riley,' and I had no idea who they were talking to and they were like, "Hey, hey come on we need you on set. And I was like, 'Oh I'm not Riley, I can't be Riley.'"

emma stone best actress oscars 2017© Photo: Getty Images

Emma opened up about winning her Oscar

GALLERY: Oscars 2017: Inside the Governors Ball and more of the Academy Awards after parties

Another option was to be known as 'Emily J. Stone', but the actress decided against it. "I had the option of Emily J. Stone and it's kind of like Michael J. Fox, and I love Michael J. Fox, but I don't think I could pull off the J," she admitted. "I changed it to Emma because you know it's closer to Emily, but most people call me 'Em' that know me well." The 28-year-old recently received the Best Actress Oscar for La La Land, and opened up to the Sunday People about her future. She said: "[I want to] have a family. It makes me honestly flush because it feels like such a vulnerable thing to say. It’s such a crazy, incredible thing. I mean how wild to have children and a family."

More Celebrity News

See more