During the Cruella Press Junket, I couldn’t help but keep thinking how in this dark movie we get two leading ladies that are powerful. More than that, they send a clear empowering message. But, I am getting ahead of myself. At the helm of the cast we have two Emmas. Emma Stone and Emma Thompson. This is what they shared during the press junket.
Cruella Press Junket: Emma Stone and Thompson Empower
Both Emmas sure are amazing in the film. How do they feel about being part of this different Disney chapter of movie making?
Becoming the Baroness
What was the inspiration for the Baroness? How did Emma Thompson prepare for her role? ” I was very well brought up by a very kind and wonderful woman, my mom, and my dad, a wonderful man. I was surrounded by lovely, kind people. And, my experience of people who were truly mean like that and truly hard and narcissistic is quite rare. I suppose the Baroness is a mixture of all kinds of people. Venal, she’s quite venal, but her greed is really just for herself. It’s like she can’t bear anyone else to succeed in any way. She has to destroy all the competition, instead of thinking that the competition might bring her game up, might make her better”.
On the Costumes
Emma Thompson explained that to create her character, she got inspiration from life itself. She had been asking for a while be to a real villain. Now, she got her wish. And, she loved every minute of it. She defines her career as playing “women in frocks” and now as the Baroness, she plays ” a really evil woman in frocks, and boy the frocks! I mean, they wore me”. She adds that wearing the costume creations what an experience. In her words “peeing required a team of people”.
Emma Stone added that the outfits had a lot of structure to them.
The Baroness Does not Eat
Emma Thompson explained that ladies are expected not to have appetites. Which explains why the Baroness has a bite of her cucumbers and throws the rest of the food out. That is perhaps what she hated the most of her character “That was one of the things I enjoyed hating about her, was the fact that she didn’t eat. I don’t trust people that don’t eat”.
Emma Stone chimed in to share that she loved the scene where Thompson takes bite and then throws everything, food, fork and napkin out the car window. She couldn’t stop laughing every time they filmed the scene.
Favorite Outfit
Emma Stone: “My favorite outfit that was absolutely ludicrous was the dress that I wear on the garbage truck, because there was a 40 foot train. Nothing you could ever remotely wear in real life. There was also that insane skirt when I cover the car. Trying to walk over the car and then cover an entire car with the switch of a skirt was just fantastic”.
Cruella or Estella?
Who does Emma Stone prefer? Was one more of a challenge than the other? She shared that she is kind of curious about the Cruella world because she embodies who she is. She is in full acceptance and autonomy. She had a ton of fun getting into Cruella character
Embracing the Baroness
Emma Thompson explains that the Baroness is hardenes and believes it is the only way. She adds: ” I am very interested in the dark side of a female character, because they’re so rarely allowed to be dark. We’re all supposed to nice and good, aren’t we? And bad mothers are simply unforgivable. I mean, nobody can-can find words, for the bad mother. We don’t know about where they’ve all come from and how they’ve developed, but the Baroness is just-she’s so single-minded, and she says this wonderful thing: If I hadn’t been single-minded, I might have had to put my genius at the back of the drawer. Like so many other women of genius, who died without producing anything and without using their genius. Her commitment to her own creativity is rather admirable and difficult, probably”.
Cruella’s Weakness
For Emma Stone, Cruella’s weaknesses are evident early on. First, as what her mother sees as a weakness (when she hits the ceiling quickly, her volatility and reactiveness) Although the actress believes that precisely that becomes sort of her strength through her creativity.
She concedes that her character is not aspirational. But, believes she is very strong in the way she learns to accept who she is.
It sure was an incredible time at the Cruella Press Junket. Is Cruella Kid-friendly? Find out in my parental guide.
Make plans to watch Cruella in theaters or Disney + Premium Access on May 28th.
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