Emma Stone left school as a freshman in order to pursue a career as an actress. She learned quickly that the road was not going to be an easy one.
The struggles were there early on as multiple Disney channel shows shut the door on the young actress.
She was forced to attend school part-time, while working a low-paying job at the same time, just to make ends meet and be able to pursue her dreams.
She needed just one gig to get the needle moving and that's exactly what would take place on a certain iconic FOX sitcom, alongside the likes of Bryan Cranston. Although the cameo was only for one episode, it would open the door to other projects on the small screen.
Soon enough, Stone was cast in the biggest project of her career, taking on a role in the iconic 'Superbad' film. Had she not been a part of this sitcom years earlier, who knows if the gig would've landed on her lap as it did.
We'll take a look at the early struggles, along with the gig that ultimately changed the trajectory of her career.
She Stopped Getting Auditions
Getting started in a competitive world like acting can be a major uphill battle at the start. Emma Stone learned that reality early on, as rejection started to become a bit of a norm.
Things got so tough for Emma, that she stopped getting called altogether at one point in time after three months.
"I auditioned for three months pretty steadily, got absolutely nothing, and then they stopped sending me out.”
In order to make ends meet and keep her dreams alive, Emma took on a job at the dog treat factory. At the very least, it was a means of bringing in an income, while her acting career took a bit of time to get off the ground.
Ultimately, she would land certain parts and although they didn't stick, they provided her with something very valuable, experience on her resume. When things were looking bleak, a major sitcom came calling for a one-episode appearance.
'Malcolm in the Middle' Came At The Perfect Time
As we've seen in the land of Hollywood, it takes one role to change the trajectory of a career. Now landing the gig wasn't her career breakthrough, though it did give her confidence while opening the door to other projects, as she revealed with Rolling Stone.
"I did an episode of Malcolm in the Middle,” she says. “And an episode of Medium.” Somewhat less glamorously: “I was the voice of a dog on The Suite Life of Zach and Cody.”
Stone appeared in the season seven episode, 'Lois Strikes Back'. Hard to imagine but Stone plays the role of a bully. A Quora user recalls the episode.
"She was in the last season and played one of four girls that bullied Reece. They made Reece think a girl wanted to date him and brought him a pig wearing lipstick. He was extremely hurt and Lois decided to get him some revenge. Emma Stone’s character was the second girl she terrorized, cutting off her doll’s heads and putting them in her locker."
Who could have predicted what a major star she would become, as a few years later, Stone changed her career with an iconic role that is still talked about today.
'Superbad' Launched Her Stardom
Casting agent Allison Jones turned out to be a major part of getting Emma Stone noticed. In fact, she asked Emma to make a tape during her day off, which turned out to be a 'Superbad' audition.
“I auditioned for Allison for three years,” Stone recalls. “She would bring me in for things and they’d never work, but then one Friday evening she called me and said, ‘Hey, my office isn’t even open tomorrow, but I want to put you on tape for something.’ It was Superbad.”
She got the role and it is safe to say her career took off from then on. She's already amongst the highest-paid actresses in the world, which is remarkable given that she's only 32.
Stone is in high demand but at one point, it was the exact opposite, as she was forced into making dog treats just to keep her dreams alive.
A good tale for all of us, never give up on something you believe in, especially when things get tough.