Earlier this week, we were treated to Marc Webb's lengthy interview in the 2012 Comic-Con Annual (find it HERE if you missed it) and now here is Emma Stone's revealing chat with the publication. While there's not a lot in terms of new details, the actress does discuss both the character of Gwen Stacy as well as sharing plenty of interesting anecdotes from her time working on The Amazing Spider-Man.
What appealed to you about appearing in a big superhero franchise movie and taking on an iconic character such as Gwen Stacy?
When I auditioned for it, I didn't get the full script, I only got scenes between Gwen and Peter and I screen-tested with Andrew. I heard about Spider-Man and I didn't think it was something I would want to be a part of. I just thought that probably isn't right for me. Then I had the scenes and realised that this was a really interesting fantastic relationship between two people and that I was being really close-minded. I liked all the Spider-Man movies and I've liked so many superhero movies that I don't know why I had that kind of mentality about it. Then I went in and auditioned with Andrew and started learning more about Gwen Stacy and her history and just fell in love with the character and with the fans, too. I started reading forums and getting involved more in the comic book universe and it just became something I really wanted to be a part of, just because of all those elements.
You went from playing a literary character in The Help who was in a much beloved book with its own kind of following, to a comic book character who's iconic and has this rabid following. Was there a big difference for you between those characters and how they're treated by their fans?
Well of course the characters themselves are incredible different and there seems to be a different fan base between Spider-Man fans and fans of The Help. There are conventions for Spider-Man fans and there aren't for The Help fans, although I would love to see a convention of The Help fans. It could be like the big Lebowski Fest. But they're two tonally different worlds to me even though they both had such a rabid following. There's a difference just in terms of bringing the material to life. There are different incarnations of Gwen Stacy and of Peter Parker throughout comic book history, all these different storylines to pull from depending on what kind of script you're going to patch together. With The Help, it was such a distinct story that kind of needed to be matched line for line in a way. It felt different just in terms of becoming part of it and the way the material was adapted. But I'm so excited to be part of a movie with a built-in fan base in that way. You go to Comic-Con and there's so much passion in one room. Everybody's so passionate about these characters and how they've affected their own loves. It's a really cool thing as an actor to know that you're part of something that's so much bigger than you. You're not creating it from the ground up, you're trying to fill the shoes of someone that's been around a lot longer than you. It's really exciting. I love that aspect of it.
Why do you think the producers and writers went with Gwen instead of Mary Jane?
Well, Gwen's story happened before Mary Jane's, and I think that coming back to their roots, it was interesting to explore the woman who came before Mary Jane. I think she's such a definitive part of Peter Parker's relationship with Mary Jane ultimately, who is literally the polar opposite in personality of Gwen Stacy. I think just building that into Pter's life and seeing that story from the very beginning was really interesting. And of course Gwen's story is so beautiful and important to that story of Spider-Man that I think they wanted to come from that angle at this time.
Director Marc Webb's first film was (500) Days of Summer, which is more of a bittersweet romance. What do you feel he brought to Spider-Man with that kind of backround?
I think that a huge part of what he brought to Spider-Man was the true core of the relationship, and how even though this is a boy that's been bitten by a spider and given super powers, he is a very human teenage boy that just happens to be under these circumstances. He's lost his uncle and he's falling in love for the first time and he's going through som incredibly human experiences while not quite being human himself anymore. And I think that Marc's vision was just that it's a very huge world that we're operating in but the story itself is in a room between people. There are elements of Spider-Man all throughout that; big sequences and scenes with action and violence, but I think Marc really cared so much about the heart of the story and the humanity in his relationships.
When the comic was first created back in the 1960s, one of the things that separated it from other comics was the kind of soap opera elements of it. Do you think the heart of this movie is a romance story?
I think that a big part of the heart of this story is romance, but there's also the story of an orphan boy who's searching for his father and searching for his place in the world. I think that's a big element in this movie from the very beginning, him feeling instantly like an outcast because he was left as a chile. He still was put into a different set of arms [with Uncle Ben and Aunt May] and he's cognizant of that and you can see that in the movie. But it's not like it happened when he couldn't remember it. I think that's a pretty major element, too...coming to terms with who you are and what you're responsible for, even if people walked away from you.
What was it like working with Andrew Garfield?
I think his deep love and appreciation for Spider-Man were pretty apparent throughout the entire process of the movie. I think it's really awesome to have such a huge Spider-Man fan play Spider-Man because he was so protective of all the elements of Peter Parker's nature. It's a really nice thing to watch someone who's read all the comics and dreamt of being this person since he was four years old bring that dream to fruition. I think he's such an excellent actor and such a great person that I feel so pround of him and what he did in the movie.
What did you think when he stepped up to the mic at Comic-Con and revealed his own Spider-Man story and his history with the character?
I think we all were biting our nails for that moment because we knew like maybe an hour before that he was going to do that because they had to bring him out early through a different way. It was really last minute, and he was like, "This is what I'm doing, by the way," and it was so heartfelt, so honest, and couldn't be more indacitive of the way he played the character. It was just all heart and I thought it was fantastic. I loved it.
What did you think of the costume that he wore on that day?
I think it was from Target. It was pretty great. Yeah, he could have walked around Comic-Con in it.
A number of actors and directors have come to Comic-Con in disguise so they can walk the floow. Do you have any ambitions to do that or have you done that?
I would love to do that. I was going to be a Stormtrooper last year, but we had to leave right after the panel to fly back to L.A. so I didn't get to do it, but hopefully next year. Well, now I can't be a Stormtrooper, but I'll pick something else.
What was the one thing that surprised you most about making this film?
It was Marc's approach...at the end of the day you're sitting on the floor looking into they eyes of another actor and it's just like real life. I feel the heart if really remained, and it didn't ever feel bigger than us in that way. It fely like a human story. I like that. That surprised me because I thought it was going to feel so daunting every day, with wires and harnesses and green screens and it was a pleasant surprise.
So how do feel about the possibility of having your own action figure?
Is that going to happen?! If any kids get an action figure of me and act like I did with action figures then it's going to be a highly inappropriate situation.
That's the next question: would you keep it in the package or would you take it out?
I would take it out. Always take it out!
At Comic-Con you wore a button that read "What would Laura do," in reference to producer Laura Ziskin, who passed away last summer. What kind of influence was she on this film and you in particular?
Oh God, a huge one. I can only speak for myself but she was a huge influence on me. I named my dog after her husband [screenwriter Alvin Sargent]. She sat with me and would talk to me about how she met Alvin, and the feelings that she had when she met him and how she felt they mirrored certain elements of Gwen and Peter. So I couldn't play Gwen without thinking of Laura. And when she was on set, we were lucky. Every day that I was tehre she was there at some point. But that love story she was so in love with - Gwen and Peter's love story - and was so protective of, she had such beautiful ideas for it. I was very affected just in terms of playing that character by Laura.
STARRING:
Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy
Rhys Ifans as Curt Connors/The Lizard
Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben
Sally Fields as Aunt May
Denis Leary as George Stacy
RELEASE DATE: July 3rd, 2012.