Stone honed dance skills to play tennis star King
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Emma Stone admits she’s never been a sports player, so when she was asked to play former world tennis No. 1 Billie Jean King in the movie “Battle of the Sexes,” the Oscar-winning actress approached it from a different direction — dancing.
King, by contrast, who pioneered the fight for equal pay in tennis more than 40 years ago, pictured herself in Stone’s position as she worked with the actress to portray her character.
“I tried to put myself in Emma’s shoes. That’s really taking a risk portraying someone who is still alive. I’m like, ‘God, that’s a little pressure,’” King said.
Stone, 28, and the 73-year-old tennis legend became good friends while making the movie that tells the story behind King’s 1973 exhibition match against former men’s champion Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) to fight sexism in the sport and society at large. It opens in US movie theaters next week.