NEW YORK – If you decide to read any reviews for Marc Webb’s “Amazing Spider-Man,” you’ll see a consistent theme. Critics have gone gaga for the on screen chemistry between stars Andrew Garfield (the new Peter Parker) and Emma Stone (playing Parker’s love interest Gwen Stacey). Of course, it’s a story we’ve heard time and time again about Ms. Stone. The 23-year-old actress seems to have great chemistry with everyone she’s romantically involved with on the big screen. Whether it’s Ryan Gosling in “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” Jonah Hill in “Superbad,” Jesse Eisenberg in “Zombieland” or Penn Badgley in “Easy A,” Stone has a remarkable ability to connect with her co-stars and the audience. It’s one of the reasons she should be a major movie star for a long, long time.
Speaking to Stone last month in New York before she began a world tour to promote the “Spider-Man” reboot, the Arizona native was incredibly complimentary to her leading man.
“He does so much work and so much preparation beforehand into figuring out who his character is that he can exist in any circumstance,” Stone reveals. “You can do improv with him and ask him what his [character’s] history was here, here, here and here. Or, what he’s going to do tomorrow and he can answer it in character. He knows that character like the back of his hand. So, it’s so easy for him to be so giving because he’s done so much preparation at home. Y’know what I mean? It’s a really incredible way to work.”
Stone smiles and pauses before adding, “I’m not saying he’s like Meryl Streep, but that’s the way she works. She does so much preparation at home that you just show up and you get to be free because you know the character so well. So, Andrew and Meryl, hand in hand.”
Considering the acclaim Garfield has received in his previous films she might not be that far off (even if she’s likely romantically biased).
Replacing Kirsten Dunst, who played Mary Jane Watson in the first three “Spider-Man” films, as Peter Parker’s girlfriend wouldn’t be easy for anyone. Making it more difficult for Stone was that she was portraying a character introduced in “Spider-Man 3” just five years ago. It also happened to be played by a well known colleague.
“I know Bryce Dallas Howard who played Gwen in ‘Spider-Man 3,'” Stone reveals. “Like, I was on the set of ‘The Help’ when I got the part and she’s so incredibly sweet and funny and wonderful that she was like, ‘Yay! We’re both the Gwens!’ and I was like ‘Yay!’ So, I felt totally fine with Bryce so I felt OK about the whole situation.”
A lot is riding on the new version of “Spider-Man” for Sony Pictures and Stone admits her screen test with Garfield “was the most intense audition” she’s ever had. Many would assume her recent commercial success would make Stone less nervous during the auction process, but that’s hardly the case.
“In the past year I realize I’ve auditioned a lot less. I used to audition six times a week when I was going through pilot season and all that. And, now, when I do audition I’m lucky enough that I get to meet the director and meet with the actual actor who is playing [the other main part] right away,” Stone says. “So, you walk in and ‘I, better not [expletive] this up.’ I’m gonna beat myself up for the next three months if I [expletive] this one up rather than moving on and auditioning for something else the next day.”
Considering Stone’s success, we’ll be surprised if she finds herself having to audition for anything anytime soon.
“Amazing Spider-Man” opens nationwide on July 3.