The extremely talented cast of Cruella has portrayed iconic characters throughout the years in Christmas movies, hard-hitting thrillers, and historical dramas. Emma Stone shows off her evil acting chops in Cruella, but she also has a lot more range in her acting, having portrayed real-life celebrities such as Billie Jean King and quirky teen Olive in Easy A.
While Emma Stone is the star of Cruella, the cast is full of other well-known names such as Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, Mark Strong, Joel Fry, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste, all of whom have created brilliant films and shows that are definitely worth checking out.
Emma Stone: Battle Of The Sexes (2017)
During the rise of the feminist movement and sexual liberation, women’s tennis world champion Billie Jean King competed in a match against ex-champion Bobby Riggs, who believed that women’s tennis should not be taken as seriously as men’s tennis. This event is explored in 2017’s Battle of the Sexes.
Emma Stone as King and Steve Carell as Riggs both shine in this film, as their characters face personal struggles and the growing revolution around them.
Emma Thompson: Love Actually (2003)
A classic Christmas film, Love Actually follows the romantic and platonic relationships of several couples as they try to get through the holidays together. Emma Thompson plays Karen, a housewife that becomes despondent when she discovers that her husband, Harry, is cheating on her with his secretary.
In one of Emma Thompson’s most emotional performances, Karen puts on a brave face and does her best for her family, while having one of the most heartfelt scenes in the film when she receives a gift from her husband that isn’t quite what she was expecting.
Joel Fry: Yesterday (2019)
This romantic comedy Yesterday follows struggling musician Jack as he is hit by a bus and wakes up in a world where the Beatles band never existed. Jack sings and takes credit for their songs, becoming a success, but struggles with his new fame and his relationship with schoolteacher Ellie.
Joel Fry plays Rocky, Jack’s friend who accompanies him on tour and gives advice when Jack needs it. Rocky is by far the funniest character in the film, supporting the main characters with charm and humor.
Emma Stone: Birdman (2014)
In Birdman, a has-been star of blockbuster films named Riggan Thompson, tries to gain recognition again by starring in a Broadway adaptation of a short story, but his blockbuster character Birdman tries to persuade him to get back into Hollywood acting. The film is shot using a ‘long take’ method, where the camera follows the characters seamlessly, with minimal visible cuts and edits.
Emma Stone plays Sam, Riggan’s daughter, showcasing the struggles she and her father are facing. She was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2015 Academy Awards for this role.
Paul Walter Hauser: Richard Jewell (2019)
This true story directed by Clint Eastwood follows Richard Jewell, a security guard that finds a backpack bomb and alerts police during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing. Jewell is suspected of planting the bomb, but the film presents Jewell as a sympathetic figure that saved lives, only wanted to do right, and be a hero.
Paul Walter Hauser brings charm and heroism to Jewell, working well alongside Kathy Bates as Jewell’s mother and Sam Rockwell as Jewell’s lawyer. The film presents the dark side of the media and the government as Jewell is persecuted for his actions.
Mark Strong: Shazam! (2019)
A young boy, Billy Batson, is chosen to become a superhero named Shazam (also known as Captain Marvel in DC Comics) by an ancient wizard that bestows him with powers in this DCEU film of the same name. Using his powers, Billy must battle Dr. Thaddeus Sivana to keep himself and his adopted family safe.
Mark Strong has a long and incredibly successful career of playing villainous characters, and Sivana is particularly wicked, using the Seven Deadly Sins to kill his father and brother without a second glance.
Emma Stone: The Favourite (2018)
This dark comedy historical film from Yorgos Lanthimos follows Duchess Sarah of Marlborough and Abigail Masham as they battle to become the favorite of England’s Queen Anne. The Favourite benefits most of all from powerful award-winning performances from Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone.
Every character in The Favourite seems to have an ulterior motive, providing great villainous female roles for the main actors to play. Abigail is especially driven, and she is determined to rise above her station, bringing out the best in Emma Stone’s acting range.
Emma Thompson: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
The film Saving Mr. Banks follows the writer of the Mary Poppins books, P.L. Travers, from her childhood in Australia to her meetings with Walt Disney as he attempts to obtain the film rights to her books. Travers hates the pomp and frills of Los Angeles and the Disney company and digs her heels in to prevent them from taking Mary Poppins away from her.
Emma Thompson is incredible in this role, contrasting with her part as the Baroness in Cruella with emotional reactions to her circumstances and a sharp, schoolteacher-like demeanor.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste: The Good Place (2016-2020)
The Good Place follows Eleanor as she finds herself in a Heaven-like place after her death, but she realizes that she was sent there by mistake and must conceal her true identity. Kirby Howell-Baptiste, who played Anita Darling in Cruella, features in later seasons of The Good Place as Simone, a neuroscientist that believes that the Good Place is a delusion made by her brain before she died.
Simone is a great character for her dedication to science, contrasting Chidi’s dedication to the pursuit of morality, as well as providing an obstacle in Chidi and Eleanor’s relationship.
Emma Stone: Maniac (2018)
Two strangers, Annie and Owen, participate in a pharmaceutical trial that they believe will fix all their problems in the show Maniac. Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star as various characters, including Annie and Owen, and they showcase their amazing range and talent as actors.
The twists and turns in this miniseries make for compelling viewing, as the test’s participants find their dreams and reality becoming connected. The show is based on a Norwegian series of the same name, which follows a patient at a psychiatric ward that believes his life to be a fantasy world.
