Over the last two decades, Emma Stone has built one of the most impressive careers in modern Hollywood. Whether it’s blockbuster success or critical acclaim, she has demonstrated the capability to achieve anything.
But even a career as successful as hers has not been without its own mistakes. Among all her roles, there is one that Stone herself has openly acknowledged as one of her biggest missteps.
The Role That Brought A Blemish In Emma Stone’s Successful Career
A few years before reaching a new level of stardom, Emma Stone appeared in Cameron Crowe’s 2015 rom-com film ‘Aloha’. In the film, she portrayed the role of Allison Ng, a character described as being of Chinese and Hawaiian descent.
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The casting decision immediately sparked controversy. Stone, who is not of Asian heritage, was widely criticized for taking on a role that many felt should have gone to an actor of Chinese and Hawaiian background.
The movie became a commercial and critical failure worldwide and one of the most-discussed examples of Hollywood’s tendency to whitewash. Stone herself made no attempt to dismiss the concern. Instead, she acknowledged them directly.
“I’ve become the butt of many jokes,” she admitted. “I’ve learned on a macro level about the insane history of whitewashing in Hollywood and how prevalent the problem truly is. It’s ignited a conversation that’s very important.” To defend her casting, she said, “The character was not supposed to look like her background, which was a quarter Hawaiian and a quarter Chinese.”
How Stone Owned Up to Her Mistake
There is little debate that Stone was the wrong choice for the role of Allison Ng. But we still can’t help but praise the way she handled the controversy. Rather than avoiding the conversation, burying it, or attempting to rewrite the narrative, she accepted the responsibility and used it as an opportunity to learn.
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Stone continues to be referenced whenever the discussion about Hollywood whitewashing emerges. During the 2019 Golden Globe Awards, Sandra Oh made a joke about ‘Aloha’, and Stone jokingly shouted “I’m sorry” from the audience. The moment immediately went viral.
Since then, she has repeatedly acknowledged the importance of authentic casting. Her willingness to engage with criticism is very rare in Hollywood. So, it isn’t a surprise that Stone was able to regain the goodwill of even those who disagreed with the original casting decision.
Today, though ‘Aloha’ remains a blemish on her otherwise remarkable filmography, we remember it less as a career-defining failure and more as a valuable lesson. In the end, her humility and self-awareness only go to show why Emma Stone is still one of the most admired actors in Hollywood.
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