Emma Stone reveals why she pushed to have her first ever nude scene in The Favourite
'I chose to do it. I was like, this makes sense to me'
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Your support makes all the difference.In an industry where actresses are so often pushed into meaningless nude scenes, created simply to objectify them on screen, Emma Stone made the empowering decision to take control of her own body.
Her new film The Favourite, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, focuses on an incendiary love triangle between England's Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), who ruled during the 18th century, her top advisor Sarah Jennings Churchill (Rachel Weisz), and Sarah's scheming cousin, Abigail Mashan (Emma Stone).
Filled with violence, outrageous antics, and inflammatory language, The Favourite has arrived to tear down every preconception of the costume drama, while providing a platform for these three actors to shine.
During shooting, Stone came across a moment where she decided it was important for her character to be topless – making it her first ever nude scene on screen. It took time to convince her co-star and director that it was the right move, however.
"I had the sheet up around me," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "And as we were shooting it and we did a few takes, I said, 'Can I please just be [naked]?' I think it's going to give Sarah something to look at when she sees that I'm not just under the sheet covered up. Olivia was like, 'No, don't do it!' Yorgos was like, 'Are you sure that's what you want to do?' And I was like, 'Absolutely.' I chose to do it. I was like, this makes sense to me. It's an absolute [Stone flips the bird] to Sarah."
Stone did, however, express discomfort (as an American) at the film's liberal use of the word "c***", adding: "I've been around Brits long enough the shock has worn off, but hearing the word 'c***' a bunch, I was like, 'Oh my God.' It's the most offensive word."
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