Jesse Eisenberg's Viral Speech Thanking Emma Stone Reminded Me of the Importance of Having 'Fairy Godfriends'

Yahoo

02-03-2025

Lady Gaga once said (a few times), 'you can have 100 people in a room and 99 don't believe in you, but all it takes is one,' and I think Jesse Eisenberg found his one in Emma Stone.
On any given day — but particularly during awards season — Hollywood stars are waxing poetic about how some of their projects couldn't have been made if it weren't for that one special person. 'Unrehearsed' thank you speeches are usually brimming with thanks to mothers who have sacrificed so much, spouses who have carried the heavy load to accommodate the star's shooting schedules, studio heads who saw the potential in their one little idea or actors who did it "practically for free."
And while most of it is probably true — we cannot downplay the effort it takes to make a film — the repetitiveness of these themes in acceptance speeches can sometimes make the whole thing seem insincere.
Every now and again, however, there comes a moment that just seems so pure and is so heartwarming, it puts my cynicism on pause and makes my small heart grow three times.
For this award season, that moment came last weekend, when a clip of Jesse Eisenberg singing Emma Stone's praises while at the Film Independent Spirit Awards went viral. In the video posted by Film Independent, Eisenberg was on stage accepting an award for best screenplay for his film A Real Pain.
The film follows two cousins who are forced to battle through some deep-rooted family issues when they travel to Poland to honor their late grandmother. Eisenberg plays Kieran Culkin's cousin, and even before production started, Stone — a producer of the film — was working her fairy godmother magic to make the movie take off (having to use a little "reverse psychology" to get Culkin not to drop out at the last moment).
'I met Emma when we were in Zombieland together in 2009, and since then, I write little magazine articles and little things on McSweeney's, and she's the only person — I'm including my mom here — who would take little screenshots of it over the last 15 years and send me things like, 'This is such a funny line!'" Eisenberg said from the stage.
'At the time she was definitely — and still [is] — the most famous person I know and yet also the most dedicated to encouraging me as a writer. I think about her not as my producer but as a fairy godmother that I am riding the coattails of her goodwill,' he continued.
'I think it's so important that somebody like her who is so unbelievably successful in mainstream movies looks for people like me and Julio [Torres], and Jane [Schoenbrun], to try to produce our movies with all the goodwill that she's amassed so rightly and deservedly over the last several years. Thanks Emma."
As the camera cut to Stone, the actress could be seen fighting for her life, trying not to go into an ugly cry. 'Oh my God,' she mouthed at one point as she was visibly touched by the mention.
The moment was a display of pure, unadulterated gratitude that, I dare say, you don't often see in Hollywood. Entertaining as they are, there is some truth to the criticism that awards shows can often feel like beautiful people in fancy clothes patting themselves on the back for their own work.
Rarely do you see someone like Jesse Eisenberg — the guy who is so genuinely unaffected by the fare around him, he showed up in a T-shirt and grey cardigan to the Film Independent Spirit Awards, and who is known for the occasional awkward viral interview — have that leading man moment of recognition.
But a true friend sees you and elevates all the best parts of you even when you're out of your comfort zone, and it seems that's what Eisenberg feels Stone has done for him.
Those of us who have always been oddballs, who second guess our decisions and talk ourselves out of taking chances, having a "fairy godfriend" supporting you and cheering you on from the sidelines goes a long way. It's a vote of confidence that puts wind beneath your wings and makes you feel like the world is not so scary after all.
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It can be argued that in some way, the press run for A Real Pain has really shined a light on Jesse Eisenberg in a way that wasn't so in the previous years. Not only is he a brilliant writer, but we've gotten to see his quick wit, self-deprecating humor and I think we can all agree that seeing him try to get a word in when he's in an interview with Kieran Culkin is a movie unto itself.
Related: Jesse Eisenberg Shares He Writes Music with His 'Artsy' 7-Year-Old Son Banner: 'Brilliant Musical Kid' (Exclusive)
A Real Pain would probably still have been made had Emma Stone not been involved in the project. But perhaps the most important part of it isn't the all the front-facing stuff she's done for the film, but all those quiet texts and words of encouragement that she sent to Jesse that clearly meant so much him, he's mentioned it any chance he's gotten the opportunity to do so.
But that's what our fairy godfriends do for us. They shine a spotlight so we can be seen in and appreciated for all the quirky things that make us unique. They nudge you when no one is looking and take joy in supporting all the little things you do for yourself behind-the-scenes until one day, you're an Oscar-nominated screenwriter — reuniting with your pal at the ball of the year on March 2.
Read the original article on People