Emma Stone's got a big fan in Woody Allen. At the New York premiere of his new film, Irrational Man, on Wednesday, July 15, Allen took some time to speak highly of the cast, and his leading lady in particular.
In the film, Stone plays a wide-eyed college student who crushes on, then gets in a secret relationship with her wise but tortured professor (Joaquin Phoenix). The film is the second collaboration between Stone, 26, and the iconic writer-director, 79. They first worked together on the 2014 movie Magic in the Moonlight.
“Emma can do everything: She can act, sing, dance, astonish, and she's beautiful and intelligent. She's really got it all. I was writing this script and I was worried about who could possibly pull off this part, and of course Emma could,” the five-time Oscar winner told Us Weekly.
He also explained that many share his sentiment. “Nobody ever has anything bad to say about Emma Stone,” he said. “Whenever I’ve mentioned I’m working with her on a movie, people brighten up, 'Oh I love her!' I know why they do. She’s just adorable."
Allen admitted in Cannes earlier this year that he hadn’t been familiar with Stone’s work until seeing her in 2011’s Crazy, Stupid, Love while on his treadmill. But now the two have a creative partnership reminiscent of Allen’s work with Dianne West, Scarlett Johansson, and Diane Keaton.
His working relationship with his leading man, Phoenix, seemed less serendipitous. After praising the actor’s acting ability, Allen went on to describe him as “charmfully erratic.” But Parker Posey, who steals scenes as a female professor that Phoenix’s character also becomes involved with, seems to have charmed the director and will be collaborating with Allen again on his next project, which starts filming in August with Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively, and Bruce Willis.
Irrational Man is now in theaters.
