Emma Stone had a candid response when asked if it was difficult to play “an explicitly sexual character” in Poor Things.
The Yorgos Lanthimos-directed film follows Emma’s character Bella, who is brought back to life with the brain of an infant and goes on a powerful adventure of self-discovery. It has received a total of 11 Oscar nominations, making it the second-most nominated movie this year behind Oppenheimer, with Emma’s Best Actress win seeming increasingly likely.
This weekend, Emma took part in a Celebration of the Nominees for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures panel — where she was asked about whether it was challenging to embody the more sexual parts of the role. As per People, she replied that it “wasn’t.”
Emma credited an “intimacy coordinator” and “closed sets” for the ease of shooting, adding, “In some ways, that was the easiest part because that was choreographed.”
Instead, a moment where Bella gorges herself on pastel de natas proved to be far more challenging. “Figuring out how to walk or eat 60 Portuguese tarts, which the first bite is delicious, but by the end you really want to puke,” she explained.
The Oscar winner continued, “Or her seeing death and decay for the first time, much more challenging than the nudity, which is the only thing people want to seem to ask me about.”
Emma has long answered questions about the movie’s nudity and sex scenes, saying last month, “[Sex] is obviously a huge part of her experience and her growth, as it is, I think, for most people in life. But I see it as just one aspect of many to her — her discovery of food or philosophy, travel and dance. Sex is another aspect,” she continued.
Poor Things will have its digital release on Feb. 27.