Emma Stone's quest: From Spice Girls to screen name saga
Emma Stone, an Oscar winner for "La La Land" and "The Favourite", was given a different name by her parents, but she changed it because of a musical idol. She then tried out the name Riley, but this proved to be an unsuccessful experiment. After more than 20 years, she wishes for people to refer to her as they did in the days when she was still playing with dolls.
26 April 2024 19:34
The surname Stone has only been in the actress's family for three generations. Her paternal grandfather, Conrad Ostberg, originally from Sweden, had the last name Sten. Wanting to embrace his new American identity fully, he officially changed it to Stone.
Emma Stone embraced that name at the start of primary school, amidst the height of "Spicemania".
"I was extremely blonde and I wanted to be called Emma because of Baby Spice (Emma Bunton from Spice Girls - ed.). In Year 3, I went to my teacher and asked that everyone call me Emma. And it stuck," - she said on Jimmy Fallon's talk show.
My name is Riley, Riley Stone
As Emma matured and her career began to take off, she wanted to revert to her name as shown on her ID, which is Emily, but encountered an unexpected issue. Upon attempting to register with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), she discovered an Emily Stone was already a member.
"I was asked to select a different name. I thought: "I'll be Riley, Riley Stone". This went on for about six months. I made a guest appearance on "Malcolm in the Middle" during this period. One day on set, I kept hearing: "Riley! Riley!", but I had no clue they were calling me until someone came up to me, grabbed my hand, and said: "Come on, we need you for the shot". I then realised: "I don't feel like Riley, I can't be her". And so, Emma made a return," the actress reminisced.
To be Emily again
Emma Stone was 16 years old at that time. Today, she is 35 and dearly misses the name on her birth certificate.
"People call me Emma, some friends call me Em, but I would like to be Emily again," the star confessed.
