Los Angeles: Emma Stone clinched the prestigious best actress Academy Award on Sunday for her compelling portrayal of Bella Baxter in “Poor Things”.
“The women in this category… I share this with you,” Stone said, tears welling up during her heartfelt acceptance speech. “I’m in awe of you and it has been such an honor to do all this together.”
Expressing gratitude to the film’s director Yorgos Lanthimos and the entire cast and crew, Stone acknowledged the collective effort poured into bringing the film to life. She humorously remarked that the back of her gown had “broken”, jokingly attributing it to Ryan Gosling’s performance of “I’m Just Ken.”
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With a hoarse voice, Stone tenderly mentioned her daughter at the speech’s conclusion, noting that she was about to turn three.
Following her win, Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel returned to the stage, quipping about the infamous “Envelopegate” incident from the 2017 ceremony, where the wrong film was initially announced as the Best Picture winner.
This marks Stone’s second Oscar win for best actress in a leading role, following her first triumph in 2017 for “La La Land”.
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Previous best lead actress Oscar winners Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Yeoh, Sally Field, Charlize Theron, and Jessica Lange appeared on stage to present the award, each delivering poignant speeches about one of the current nominees before Yeoh announced Stone as the winner.
Upon reaching the stage, the astonished star embraced Lawrence, visibly moved as tears filled their eyes.
In “Poor Things”, Stone portrays a child-like woman brought back to life by a mad professor-type using the brain of her unborn child. The eccentric and imaginative film received a total of 11 Oscar nominations this year, including best picture, best supporting actor for Mark Ruffalo, best director for Lanthimos, adapted screenplay, cinematography, and production design, ultimately securing four awards.
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Stone and Lanthimos have a history of collaboration, having previously worked together on the director’s Oscar-winning 2018 film “The Favourite”, as well as a 2022 short film. They are currently collaborating on multiple future projects, including a film titled “Kinds of Kindness” featuring Margaret Qualley and “Euphoria” star Hunter Schafer.
In the 2024 lead actress category, Stone competed against Lily Gladstone for “Killers of the Flower Moon”, Annette Bening for “Nyad”, Sandra Hüller for “Anatomy of a Fall”, and Carey Mulligan for “Maestro”.
