People exclusive reveals Emma Stone's audition instantly impressed Ryan Gosling's directors.
Emma Stone remained unfazed while other actresses felt intimidated opposite Ryan Gosling.
The beloved improvised romance scenes helped launch Hollywood's favourite on-screen pairing.
As Crazy, Stupid, Love celebrates its 15th anniversary, directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa have looked back at the casting process that brought Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling together for the first time. The filmmakers recalled that while several actresses auditioned for the role of Hannah Weaver, Stone's confidence and effortless chemistry with Gosling immediately set her apart.
Why Emma Stone's audition stood out
Speaking to People, Glenn Ficarra, recalled that getting Stone to audition was a challenge because she was living in New York at the time.
"We had this whole thing with Emma where it was really difficult to get an audition from her. And she was living in New York at the time, and I don’t know if she was busy or whatever. But we finally got her to read and she was fantastic," he said.
He revealed that several actresses had auditioned opposite Ryan Gosling, but many became nervous once they entered the room.
"We did this whole day of actresses reading with Ryan, and a lot of them were really good. But then, once Ryan stepped into the room, they sort of were a little shaken," Ficarra said, adding that Gosling "wasn’t trying to do anything. He was just being himself."
The turning point came when Gosling accidentally forgot one of his lines.
"Emma came in and Ryan said a line and he flubbed the line... Emma just, without missing a beat, was like, 'Oh, you're killing this. You're doing great.' She just flipped him the shit right then and there, and we were all just like, 'Okay, that's it. That's the person.' And we wanted to work with her desperately," Ficarra said.
How Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone's chemistry evolved
The directors also reflected on the now-iconic bedroom montage between Emma Stone and Gosling, revealing that much of the sequence was created through improvisation.
Ficarra explained that the cameras were left rolling for hours while the actors simply interacted naturally. John Requa added that many of the memorable moments came from jokes and impressions Stone had been doing around the set, with the filmmakers encouraging both actors to behave like themselves rather than strictly staying in character.
Looking back, Requa said the pair's chemistry was never something they had to manufacture. "People oftentimes say, 'You're good at finding actors.' We always like to say, it's like saying the sun is bright. They were just amazing. It was easy," he said, adding that their talent had been obvious from the beginning.
