Willem Dafoe Asked Emma Stone to Slap Him 20 Times While Filming ‘And’ for a Scene Where He Does Not Even Appear on Camera
Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe will be starring in an upcoming film titled And, which is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Emma Stone recalled the time while filming when Willem asked her to slap him 20 times even though he was not set to appear on screen.
Actress Emma Stone, hasn't acted in a film since 2021, that will soon change thanks to two new collaborations with her The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos. The first is Poor Things, a Frankenstein-inspired story in which Stone plays a woman whose brain gets replaced by that of her unborn child, and the second is And, plot details for which remain under wraps. In both films, Stone stars opposite Willem Dafoe. But it was only And that required Stone to slap Dafoe across the face 20 times. Willem Dafoe Was the Most-watched Actor of 2022 on Letterboxd.
In a new Dafoe profile published by The New York Times, it's revealed that Dafoe asked to be slapped repeatedly for a scene in which he does not even appear on camera. Stone slaps Dafoe's character, who is off camera in the shot. But that didn't stop Dafoe from wanting to be present on set even though he wasn't required to be there.
"That's what you want from actors," Lanthimos said about Dafoe being on set even when he's not in the shot. "To want to be part of it in any way. There's this instinct to perform that many actors have - the 'look at me, look at me!' kind of performer," Stone added. "He's the opposite of that. Maybe it's changed through the years. A lot of actors I bond with have been doing this for a long time, and you know they've gone from 'I' to 'We'." Emma Stone Was Offered a Role in Paul Feig's 'Ghostbusters,' but She Turned It Down - Here's Why!
Poor Things will most likely arrive in theatres ahead of And. Both films have the backing of Searchlight Pictures, which previously released Lanthimos' The Favourite in 2018 to the tune of $95 million worldwide and 10 Academy Award nominations, including best picture. Stone earned a nomination in the supporting actress category for her work on The Favourite, while Olivia Colman won the best actress prize. Dafoe next stars in Focus Features' thriller Inside, opening in theatres on March 17.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 03, 2023 05:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).