Emma Stone Shines in Unfiltered ‘Bugonia’ Interview Chaos

Emma Stone took center stage on Friday, November 14th, dazzling an audience at the CAA Screening Room two days ahead of the 2025 Governors Awards. The event, centered on the film Bugonia, drew Stone, Jesse Plemons, and director Yorgos Lanthimos into an unexpectedly intense and entertaining panel discussion, moderated by Dakota Johnson, marking a notable moment in the ongoing Emma Stone Bugonia interview coverage amid awards season fervor.

This gathering, set against a backdrop of persistent rain and a packed press calendar, became a showcase of candid conversation, spontaneous humor, and the distinct chemistry between collaborators. Key personalities including Johnson, known for her witty presence, and the creative trio from Bugonia, joined forces to offer insights into not only the production process but also their personal dynamics and individual transformations during the making of the film.

Dakota Johnson Sparks Unscripted Energy Amid Bugonia Promotions

After a months-long campaign trail for Bugonia—from its Venice Film Festival debut through a series of media events—there was palpable anticipation for this particular interview, given Johnson’s reputation for unscripted energy. Johnson immediately set the quirky tone by shuffling her notes and declaring,

“I’m an idiot. No one vetted me before I came in here. O.K. So this movie is one of the first that you have signed on to direct that you weren’t fully involved in writing. Am I right?”

— Dakota Johnson, Moderator.

Lanthimos responded with amusement, affirming the unique dynamic of taking on a project he hadn’t written extensively himself. Johnson further pressed on the adaptation, openly sharing,

“It was originally called ‘Save the Green Planet,’ which I did read a long time ago,”

— Dakota Johnson, Moderator, and asked about the director’s approach to such a well-developed project, seeking details about the contrast with his past creative experiences.

Lanthimos appreciated the ease of working with near-finished material, recounting how collaboration with writer Will Tracy entailed only minor tweaks:

“It was the first time that I actually received something that I felt was almost there, ready to go, and I haven’t had that feeling before. Previous times, I had to spend years developing writing screenplays, so that just felt like a gift basically. And I knew that we had to do a little bit of work with Will [Tracy], just for certain things that I felt strongly about that could be different, basically for me to feel more comfortable with the material and to serve the vision that I had for the film. But it was a really quick process. We did a couple of passes with Will, and yeah, I mean I sent the script to Emma the same night that I read it the first time, and I was so excited. But after that, because it felt like something that I wanted to make, and might have made the rest of the process didn’t really change that much because it felt kind of in my world, and then I worked with Will to make it even more. It was one step at a time, finding the people who were going to be in it, putting it together. We worked with a lot of the same people in terms of crew as well, so it didn’t feel very different after.”

— Yorgos Lanthimos, Director.

Stone’s Physical Transformation and On-Set Challenges

The discussion shifted as Johnson addressed Stone’s well-publicized head shaving for the role, opening with,

“Shaving your head. Do you want to talk about that?”

— Dakota Johnson, Moderator. Stone, unfazed and direct, retorted,

“No, thank you. It was fine and it was freeing.”

— Emma Stone, Actor.

Attendees were brought into the realities of filming, especially the unique physical demands on Stone. When Johnson noted the repeated coverage of Stone in substances like lard or blood, Stone provided clarity and expanded on the technical requirements:

“It’s a mixture of movie magic where it’s not really like a Benadryl antihistamine cream,”

— Emma Stone, Actor, detailing the variety of creams tested to safeguard her skin during hours of daily filming. She continued,

“Well, your skin temperature changes, and it changes for the continuity where you’re like throughout the scene, it has to hold up and be at all different stages. So that was a shockingly big discussion and process.”

— Emma Stone, Actor.

Johnson, always quick to riff on the situation, complimented Stone’s appearance on set under such conditions, drawing a playful exchange between them and fostering laughter within the audience. The moderator exclaimed,

“And also the blood, which goes away and appears and then goes away in stages… Who on earth looks so beautiful with a shaved head covered in blood…”

— Dakota Johnson, Moderator, to which Stone responded with characteristic humor,

“See! Now she’s really turned it on!”

— Emma Stone, Actor, and then with a touch of sincerity,

“Thanks. That’s very nice to say.”

— Emma Stone, Actor.

Collaboration and Dynamic Among the Cast and Crew

The unique working relationship between Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone became another focal point, with Johnson quipping,

“This is your fourth collaboration with Emma. Are you aware that there are other actresses? Maybe even very close by?”

— Dakota Johnson, Moderator. Stone cleverly deflected to lighten the moment, before Johnson pressed for a deeper understanding of the on-set atmosphere and the inclusion of Jesse Plemons.

Johnson directly asked Plemons:

“No, I’m wondering about your collaboration with each other. How often do you fight? Do you hate each other? Do you actually love each other? What is it like on set, Jesse? Give us the fucking real, real. What’s it like? [And] the second half of that question is, do you feel left out?”

— Dakota Johnson, Moderator. Plemons responded candidly about the challenge of joining an established team:

“I mean, when I did ‘Kinds of Kindness,’ I definitely felt like the new kid at school a little bit. I think my first time meeting Emily was the first day of rehearsals, which was unlike anything I had experienced. And I think it was just me and maybe three other first timers, and then four or five actors that had all done it before. And so yeah, it is a little stepping into some new, strange school, but then…”

— Jesse Plemons, Actor. When Johnson joked,

“You feel like you’re replacing Emma,”

— Dakota Johnson, Moderator, Plemons played along,

“I mean, that’s what I’m getting at,”

— Jesse Plemons, Actor.

The moderator steered the dialogue toward craft, applauding Plemons’s physical performance in the film and asking about the development process:

“It’s not about the movie at all. I’m so sorry. Go on, my real question…you are so immensely talented, and it is insane to watch you work. Your physicality in this movie is different than anything I’ve ever seen you do, and I want to know where that came from. And also, I want to understand from the two of you and Yorgos how you guys worked. How often did you rehearse?”

— Dakota Johnson, Moderator.

Plemons shared his perspective on the evolving nature of collaboration:

“Thank you for all of that. It’s just step by step and piece by piece, and you’re following what is interesting to you, and then you meet more of the collaborators, and that influences your choices and the direction you make. And then we had a very shortened rehearsal period for this because we were promoting ‘Kinds of Kindness’ right up until we were shooting pretty much. But it’s hard to say how it happens. It’s just sort of circling something over and over and over again and gaining little pieces of inspiration. I remember early on, though, especially once those are extensions and my hair. The losing of the hair and then the gaining of the hair. [Laughs.] There was a while there where when I first got the extensions, then I would come up to Yor,gos and it was maybe experimenting with some of the physicality. And every time he’d see me, he would just laugh. It was like, ‘I dunno if this is good.’”

— Jesse Plemons, Actor.

Inside the Rehearsal Room: Unique Methods and Limited Time

The conversation addressed Yorgos Lanthimos’s unconventional approach to preparation. The team emphasized the brevity and informality of their rehearsal period, focusing less on traditional blocking and prescriptive routines and more on dialogue runs and stunt preparations. This aligns with the collaborative spirit that Lanthimos has fostered across his projects, encouraging cast members to explore through playful experimentation—something that both Plemons and Stone cited as distinct in their experience working on Bugonia.

Final Remarks: Reflecting on an Unforgettable Interview Experience

As the event concluded, Dakota Johnson reflected on her improvisational style, stating,

“I regret doing this. I’ll never do it again. You warned me.”

— Dakota Johnson, Moderator. Stone acknowledged the outcome, affirming Johnson’s efforts. Prompted for closing comments, Plemons assured the audience,

“It really hasn’t been that bad.”

— Jesse Plemons, Actor.

Lanthimos contributed a final wry assessment,

“I think you’re the third best moderator that we’ve had.”

— Yorgos Lanthimos, Director, to which Stone added,

“That’s huge. That’s huge. That’s a lot of, that’s a bronze. I mean, you’ve medaled.”

— Emma Stone, Actor. Johnson considered returning for another round, eliciting knowing laughs as the audience digested the memorable, unfiltered energy of the evening.

Significance of the Emma Stone Bugonia Interview and What Lies Ahead

The Emma Stone Bugonia interview exemplified the unpredictable excitement that dynamic collaborators and a candid moderator can bring to film promotion. More than a routine press obligation, it offered fans and industry insiders a raw glimpse into the camaraderie, humor, and creative trust shared by Stone, Plemons, Lanthimos, and Johnson. Their transparency about the challenges of physical transformation, the intricacies of crew relationships, and the joys and strains of promotional events highlighted the unique demands of high-profile cinema as Bugonia continues its nationwide run and awards conversations intensify.