When Emma Stone first started working in Hollywood, she went by a completely different name.
The “La La Land” actress, whose real name is Emily Stone, revealed on Wednesday’s episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” that she had been using the nickname Riley for several months.
“I think it took about six months for me to actually come up with a stage name,” she said. “Because the Screen Actors Guild is like the Business Bureau. There’s only one person with that name.”
Ms. Stone, 36, recalled that there was already someone named Emma Stone on SAG.
“I was 16 and decided for about six months that I wanted to be Riley,” she continued. “So, I was Riley Stone. What a beautiful name.”
Stone initially liked the new title, but eventually realized that Riley bore too little resemblance to her real-life identity.
“I did an episode of ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ which was like a guest part, and they kept saying, ‘Riley! Riley!'” And I didn’t know who they were talking to. Really,” she recalled.
“And I thought, ‘I can’t be Riley.’” It was like… it just came out of nowhere. I just thought, “Cool name.” I’ll just be Riley,” she added.
Stone said she eventually changed her name back to Emma because it was “close enough” to Emily.
In 2018, Stone revealed that he chose the name Emma because he loves Spice Girls member Emma Bunton.
“So when I was a kid, I was super blonde and my real name was Emily, but I wanted to be called Emma because of Baby Spice, and guess what? Now I am, and it’s really messed up,” Stone joked on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” at the time.
“It wasn’t necessarily her fault, but yes, in second grade, on my first day, did I go to my teacher and ask her to call me Emma? Yes, I did.”
Last year, Stone admitted that she prefers to be called by her real name, but later clarified that she has no problem being called Emma.
