Actress Emma Stone is Marie Claire‘s leading lady for its September Issue cover—also known as its Fall Fashion issue—photographed by Greg Kadel. On the cover, she wears head-to-toe Dior, and inside, she models Chanel and Valentino Garavani and baubles by Tiffany & Co. and Bulgari. This September is a big month for the actress, who will star in Battle of the Sexes, a big-screen account of the legendary 1973 showdown between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, which releases just in time for the U.S. Open. Interviewed by her friend and co-star Sarah Silverman (who plays women’s tennis promoter Gladys Heldman) Stone opens up about what’s changed since King’s famous tennis match, what hasn’t, and getting what’s yours. Peruse some highlights from the interview below and pick up an issue when it hits newsstands on August 15.
On what portraying Billie Jean King taught her…
“I would say playing Billie Jean was a bit of a game changer. I am very nervous to communicate my opinions a lot of the time, especially publicly… She [Billie] is so direct and confident in the way that she communicates what she believes is right. To be able to step into that was a pretty powerful experience. It’s something that I still don’t feel entirely comfortable with, but it was also one of the great parts about playing her.”
On what was different about her role in Battle of the Sexes…
“I have never really considered the physicality of a person or of a character. Maybe because I hadn’t played a real person – there wasn’t someone who looked a specific way or whose hands moved in a certain way. So that was what I focused on more than anything: building from the outside in.”
On speaking out for equality…
“There is so much power to our voices, and we need to speak out. That’s something that I struggled with in the past, but it’s very hard not to feel galvanized right now, politically or consciously.”
On what gives her hope during these uncertain political times…
“Nobody is going down without a fight – for love and humanity and equality and coming together. It’s so inspiring to see marches and beautiful writing and creative work. There’s so much power and a grace coming out of so many people who have so much to lose, and the human spirit is incredible. That’s worth a fight every day. And I want to learn how to fight better.”
