OSCARS FAVE EMMA ON RECIPE FOR SUCCESS AS FILM P Pizza and a La-Large slice of Fred ’n Ginger landed us glory
Family the driving force for Dev
EMMA Stone prepared for La La Land by feasting on pizza and watching classic films. The screen beauty, left, is hotly tipped to win Best Actress at tonight’s Oscars for her role in the hit musical. After being cast by director Damien Chazelle, Emma spent months rehearsing to make sure she was on top form. She said: “I watched Singing In The Rain again and I definitely watched Fred and Ginger quite a bit. Top Hat was a big reference for us, and The Band Wagon. “And then Damien screened The Umbrellas of Cherbourg for us as a cast and crew. We all sat on the dance room floor where we were rehearsing every day and ate pizzas while it was projected on to the wall. “I had never seen it before and it was hugely inspiring. There was this beautiful heartbreak and subtlety. “And obviously they sing every line of that film. That DEV Patel says he would never have had the guts to act if it hadn’t been for his family.
The London-born star is Britain’s big hope for success at tonight’s Oscars.
He is second favourite to win Best Supporting Actor for his role in Lion as an adopted youngster looking for his real family. But Dev is secretly terrified when he goes for auditions for Hollywood films.
He said: “I’m stepping into an audition room with people I’ve never met before and bawling my eyes out or screaming like a mad man…
“My drive comes from family. I’m someone who’s a fairly unconfident was really startling at first, but it was really special.”
Emma plays struggling actress Mia Dolan in La La Land and it has made her the toast of Hollywood.
But just a decade ago she was as troubled as her character.
She said: “I could relate to every experience that Mia has in the movie. I moved to LA when I was 15 and started auditioning.
“In that time there were quite a few auditions and I think ultimately you’re lucky if you’re getting a lot of auditions.
“It doesn’t feel good if you’re getting rejected on a constant basis, but it’s much better than being ignored and not even being seen.
“In some ways the audition sequences were fun and exciting and cathartic to explore again.
“The thing that actually struck me on a deeper level was when Mia, after putting on her one-woman show and putting all her vulnerability out there, goes home.
“That was the tough part because that element never goes away – those lulls and times when you feel ED GLEAVE ED GLEAVE TV Editor human being. And it’s constantly that image of my family that makes me step into the spotlight and do it.” Dev’s Lion character Saroo Brierley is desperate to be reunited with his family after 25 years. He stars opposite Nicole Kidman, who plays his adoptive stepmother Sue.
Dev is convinced he would never have made it in Hollywood without his real-life mum Anita.
He said: “This film is about mothers and sons. My mum saw an audition in the Metro when she was travelling on the train and she dragged me to an open casting like you are delusional for being a creative person.”
Emma didn’t land a film role until she was cast in the comedy Superbad when she was in her late teens. She added: “It was interesting to revisit the idea that these things seem like rejection and I think this is for anything in life, not just actors auditioning.
“These horrible rejections in the moment can ultimately lead to something better than the path it looked like your career would take originally.”
La La Land has enjoyed success at all major awards this year, taking five BAFTAs and a recordbreaking seven wins at the Golden Globes. Emma got Best Actress at both.
Speaking about winning, she said: “The jitters are indescribable. It’s a crazy, shaky feeling. I’m incredibly honoured.”
La La Land has 14 nominations and is the hot favourite to take the Oscars for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Actress. which was Skins. I got it and now, 10 years on, it’s pretty amazing.” Lion had a modest budget of less than £10million and Dev didn’t expect it to be a hit.
But in recent weeks Oscars buzz has made it box office gold.
He said: “It’s really an audience movie. It has got a really big heart. We go around to film festivals and very few people would know anything about it. “But now I can see this power of word of mouth. People are telling their friends and now it’s just completely different. It’s been pretty amazing.”
Earlier this month Dev won Best Supporting Actor at the EE BAFTAs in London.