Emma Stone says an executive once told her that acting careers were a marathon for men but a sprint for women. She rejected that idea in her 2024 Palm Springs International Film Awards acceptance speech, arguing that the women she admired showed how life and work could grow more interesting and fulfilling with time.
What advice did Emma Stone say she received?
Recalling an early general meeting after she moved to Los Angeles, Stone said an unnamed executive told her, “for male actors, it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” while “for women, it was a sprint, not a marathon.” She described the conversation as having happened “20 years ago.” The exact date of the meeting is not specified. Us Weekly reported Stone’s recollection; People also reported the anecdote.
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The executive is not named in those reports. The account is Stone’s recollection, not an independently verified record of the original meeting, so the advice should not be attributed to a specific person.
How did Stone respond to the idea?
Stone countered the executive’s gendered comparison by pointing to women in the industry she looked up to. As reported by Us Weekly, she said they had shown that “as time goes on, life and work only get more interesting and more fulfilling.” Her point was that women’s creative lives need not be treated as having a shorter horizon than men’s.
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She closed by expressing hope for more years to “take swings,” try new things, and keep the marathon going. In context, the marathon was her own image for a continuing career—not a claim about how long any actor’s career lasts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When and where did Stone tell the story?
Stone recounted the meeting on January 4, 2024, while accepting the Desert Palm Achievement Award for her performance in Poor Things at the Palm Springs International Film Awards. The reports appeared the following day. The award and film provide the occasion for the anecdote, but Stone’s remarks focused on the assumptions women can face about their careers.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Emma Stone stars as one of cinema’s most notorious and stylish villains, Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians
Rank #3
- THE TWO EMMAS - Discover how real-life friends Emma Stone and Emma Thompson prepared for their roles as Cruella de Vil and the Baroness von Hellman, and transformed into the fashionably cool, but devilishly cruel, characters.
- THE SIDEKICK ANGLE - No Disney villain/hero is complete without their sidekicks! Meet the talented actors who play Horace and Jasper, and learn how their characters deepen the film’s story, and how the trio's friendship changes as the smart, feisty Estella becomes Cruella.
- CRUELLA COUTURE - Take in the spectacular artistry of this couture collection, with an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at some of the most fashionable moments in the movie.
- THE WORLD OF CRUELLA - Experience the city locations and elaborate sets of CRUELLA, each featuring extraordinary production design detail, which bring 1970s London to life and enhance the backstories of these iconic Disney characters in a whole new way.
- NEW DOGS…OLD TRICKS - Go behind the scenes of the on-set life of an animal actor, and meet the smart, expressive, delightful dogs who play Buddy, Wink and the Dalmatians, along with their devoted trainers.
Rank #2
- The Help (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy)
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