From November 2014 to February 2015 , Stone starred in a revival of the Broadway musical '' Cabaret '' as Sally Bowles , taking over the role from Michelle Williams . Considering it to be " the most nerve-racking thing ever " , Stone told the '' Entertainment Weekly '' magazine that she listened to a French radio station to mentally prepare herself for the role . '' Variety '' s Marilyn Stasio was critical of her singing and found her performance " a bit narrow as an emotional platform , but a smart choice for her acting skills , the perfect fit for her sharp intelligence and kinetic energy . " Both of Stone 's 2015 filmsthe romantic comedy-drama '' Aloha '' , and the mystery drama '' Irrational Man '' were critical and commercial failures , and her roles were panned by critics . In Cameron Crowe 's '' Aloha '' , she took on the role of an air force pilot alongside Bradley Cooper , and in the Woody Allen-directed '' Irrational Man '' , she portrayed the romantic interest of Joaquin Phoenix 's character , a philosophy professor . The former was controversial for whitewashing the cast , as Stone 's character was meant to be of Asian , Hawaiian , and Swedish descent ; Stone later regretted the project , acknowledging whitewashing as a widespread problem in Hollywood . Despite the criticism , she was nominated for Choice Movie Actress – Comedy at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards . Stone would also in 2015 star in the music video for Win Butler 's single " Anna " During her '' Cabaret '' show , Stone met director Damien Chazelle , who , impressed with her performance , cast her in his musical comedy-drama '' La La Land '' . The project , which marked her third collaboration with Gosling , featured Stone as Mia Dolan , an aspiring actress living in Los Angeles . Stone borrowed several real-life experiences for her character , and in preparation , watched '' The Umbrellas of Cherbourg '' and films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers . For the musical 's soundtrack , she recorded six songs . '' La La Land '' served as the opening film at the 2016 Venice Film Festival , and received highly positive reviews . Besides being Stone 's highest-rated film on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film was successful at the box office , earning over $ 440 million against its $ 30 million budget . Writing for '' The Guardian '' , Peter Bradshaw reviewed , " Stone has never been better : superbly smart , witty , vulnerable , her huge doe eyes radiating intelligence even , or especially , when they are filling with tears . " Stone received an Academy , BAFTA , Golden Globe and a SAG Award for Best Actress
2015 Teen Choice Awards
2015 Teen Choice Awards
Emma Stone