LOS ANGELES: Academy Award-winning actress Emma Stone has revealed the deeply personal reason behind her decision to shave her head for her upcoming film Bugonia, calling the transformation both liberating and emotional. In a candid interview with Vogue, the 36-year-old star shared how the bold move was more than just a character choice — it was a tribute to her mother, Krista, who lost her hair during her battle with breast cancer.
Stone, who plays a pharmaceutical CEO in Bugonia—a role that required her character to go bald to reveal she’s an alien—said the process brought back memories of her mother’s strength.
“She actually did something brave. I’m just shaving my head,” Emma said. “My mom was like, ‘I’m so jealous. I want to shave my head again!’”
Though the hair transformation was for a fictional role, Stone described the moment as unexpectedly meaningful. She said her first shower post-shave felt “amazing,” but admitted she wore a wig for public events like the New York Film Festival, joking,
“I was bummed I wasn’t going out with it — just straight-up bald. I think that would have been fun.”
Reactions from Friends and Reflections on Motherhood
Stone’s dramatic new look drew mixed reactions — even from her close friend Jennifer Lawrence, who expressed her hesitation but ultimately praised the actress for pulling it off.
“I really didn’t want her to shave her head. I had already lived through the Billie Jean King haircut,” Lawrence shared in an email to Vogue. “But honestly, she looked beautiful. She pulled it off.”
Beyond her acting roles, Emma also opened up about motherhood, calling it the most transformative part of her life. She and her husband, Dave McCary, welcomed their daughter, Louise Jean, in March 2021.
“It’s a clichéd thing to say, but it changes everything. And simplifies everything,” she reflected. “There’s nothing I feel luckier about. She’s the greatest gift of my life, for sure.”
From her bald-headed performance in Bugonia to embracing family life off-screen, Emma Stone continues to redefine herself both as an actress and a mother — unafraid to mix vulnerability with bold choices.
