Emma Stone thanked her mother for giving her life and her “Poor Things” screenwriter Tony McNamara for the line “I must go punch that baby” when she accepted her leading actress BAFTA award on Sunday evening.
“Tony, thank you for the line ‘I must go punch that baby.’ It was life-changing for me,” Stone said on stage, while also thanking director Yorgos Lanthimos, her fellow cast and crew and her dialect coach Neil Swain.
“I was playing a British person in this movie and [Neil] did not laugh at me when he taught me how to say ‘wart-ter,’ even though as an American I say ‘wahter,'” Stone quipped. “So thank you England for accepting me.”
The actor also made sure to thank her mother. “Because she’s the best person I know in the whole world and she inspires me every single day. She’s always made me believe this kind of crazy idea that I could do something like this and I’m beyond grateful. Without her none of this exists – including my life! So thank you for that too, mom!”
Stone also served as a producer on “Poor Things.” “This was the first film that I’ve produced alongside of acting, and so it feels like doubly meaningful because they’ve just both in front of me behind. It was incredible to be part of it,” Stone said, addressing a post-awards press conference.
In “Poor Things,” Stone plays the Frankenstein-like Bella, who’s created by a reclusive Victorian doctor. She looks like an adult woman but, at the beginning of the film, has the mental capacity of a toddler and soon embarks on a sex-filled quest to understand the world around her.
Stone was up against Fantasia Barrino in “The Color Purple,” Sandra Hüller in “Anatomy of a Fall,” Vivian Oparah in “Rye Lane,” Carey Mulligan in “Maestro” and Margot Robbie in “Barbie” for the leading actress award.
This is Stone’s second BAFTA win, having previously taken home the golden mask for leading actress in 2017 for her role in “La La Land” opposite Ryan Gosling. Gosling was also nominated on Sunday evening for best supporting actor for his turn in “Barbie,” which failed to take home any awards.
Stone has also been nominated on three previous occasions: for the Rising Star award in 2011, supporting actress in 2015 for “Birdman” and leading actress in 2019 for “The Favourite.”
She is also up for a best actress Oscar at the Academy Awards next month.
“Poor Things” was the second most-nominated film at the BAFTAs after Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” earning nods in 11 categories. It took home five awards including best costume and production design.
Director Lanthimos was snubbed in his category, although he is up for a best director Oscar next month.
The film has earned 11 Oscar nominations overall, including best picture.
