ROUND 1: The beginnings
Stone: Her first insubstantial roles in shows like 'Medium' were under the name Riley Stone, even though her real name is Emily. After deciding on the reason that has allowed the existence of the article you are reading, E.S. She kept trying on television: pilots that never led to anything else, series canceled after a few episodes and a failed audition for the role of cheerleader Claire in 'Heroes'. The actress spoke of this last experience as her darkest hour, which (without a doubt) she must have known as creative fuel to face her character in 'La La Land'.
Watson: Oh, an eight-movie ocean-liner saga about a boy wizard and his two best friends. Remember, I'm sure you remember them. Before producer David Heyman contacted his acting teacher at Oxford's Dragon School, E.W. she had no professional credit behind her, although she did have some school productions. Let's keep in mind that she was only nine years old. J.K. herself. Rowling gave her approval after checking her chemistry with Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint in the eighth (you read that right) round of casting. The rest is history. Muggle history.
WINNER: Granted, Stone was in 'Lucky Louie', a cult series and proving ground for Louis C.K., but this first phase of trial and error has nothing to do with the 'Harry Potter' phenomenon. One point for Griff... Excuse me, for Emma Watson.
ROUND 2: Jump to stardom
Stone: her first job for the big screen, 'Supersalidos', helped her develop a wonderful comedic vision that she was able to refine in films like 'A rocker with balls', 'A bunny on campus' or 'The ghosts of my ex-girlfriends'. Thus we arrive at the bell that was 'Welcome to Zombieland', a tsunami for the US box office that served him on a plate what many consider his best role to date: the adolescent version of Hester Prynne who played in the vindicable 'Rumors and lies' . It's one of those rare movies where you feel like you're witnessing the birth of a star.
Watson: It was rumored that Heyman and Warner Bros. intended to replace the children's cast of 'Potter' towards the middle of the saga, but in the end it did not happen. Watson was able to grow with her character as Hermione, adding nuances and trying new things until reaching a delivery like 'The Deathly Hallows: Part I', in which both she and her two companions were able to demonstrate that they entered the magical franchise being child-performers, but they would come out as plain interpreters. In between, the actress had time to appear in a TV movie ('Ballet Shoes') and lend her voice to a cartoon in 'The Brave Desperaux'.
WINNER: Don't let the little mouse Desperaux impress you, because Emma Stone's unmistakable voice was in 'Marmaduke'. If we do not take that into account, we must conclude that his way of making his way with secondary scene-stealers in more or less fine-tuned comedies was very laudable, while Watson had it easier.
ROUND 3: Box office power
Stone: With 'The Amazing Spider-Man', the actress decided to give her career a decidedly mainstream turn: when Sony gave her the choice between Gwen Stacy or the role that Brie Larson would end up playing in 'Broadcaster', she knew that it was time to join a superhero franchise. That's how she starred in her first blockbuster and, by the way, her first sequel (which in Spain had such a ridiculous subtitle as 'The power of Electro'). True, this penultimate appearance of Spidey in multiplexes around the world could have gone a little better -enough so that Sony did not end up giving the character to Marvel Studios-, but it served Stone to be able to guarantee more personal projects with his mere presence.
Watson: To say that 'Beauty and the Beast' has done well is an understatement. This flesh-and-blood remake has grossed nearly $430 million in its opening weekend, so she and Disney can rest easy. Before, Watson showed that she had a commercial pull beyond Hogwarts thanks to 'Noah', Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic. Her next project, an adaptation of the novel 'The Circle', seems like the kind of movie she couldn't have made without a couple of names like hers or Tom Hanks's stuck on it. So yeah, she's already in that league.
WINNER: Watson has hit a 3-pointer with the Bella version of her, while Emma Stone seems less interested in being in international blockbusters. Above all, after her Oscar.
ROUND 4: Critical Prestige
Stone: He has worked twice under Woody Allen, although no one could single out 'Magic in the Moonlight' or 'Irrational Man' among the director's highlights. Thus, the two roles for which she has received the most praise are precisely the ones that took her to the Oscars: 'Birdman' and 'La La Land'. Or what is the same, a nomination as secondary and a brand new statuette for Best Actress. Previously, Stone had received good reviews for choral projects such as 'Maids and Ladies' or 'Crazy Stupid Love'. She's also met the occasional rapture, especially from 'Gangster Squad' and 'Aloha' (in which she, glups, she even had a good dose of racial controversy from her).
Watson: Unlike her opponent, she has always received raised eyebrows and suspicious looks from critics. Her character completely against the grain of hers in 'The Bling Ring' worked, but the same cannot be said for her when she tried to participate in an interpretive marathon with 'Regression', where she did not convince in either of the two registers of she. It is likely that 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is still, to this day, her best work, because it is clear that everyone (starting with her) is going to act as if 'Colonia' had never existed.
WINNER: Well, only one of them has an Academy Award...despite being blackmailed into appearing in 'Movie 43.' It is no small feat, of course. It seems that Emma Watson still has something to prove to the critics, while Stone's promise was fulfilled in 'La La Land'.
ROUND 5: Public Profile
Stone: Far from despairing of the constant siege of the paparazzi during your time with Andrew Garfield, both took the opportunity to recommend websites about charitable causes, encouraging other stars to imitate their example. She has also appeared in campaigns against cancer (a disease suffered by her own mother) and has raised money for the Motion Picture & Television Fund, which helps people in the industry with financial problems. However, her relationship with the 'Saturday Night Live' program may be one of the secret keys to her public appreciation: the actress dreamed of being a guest since she was a child, so she exudes enthusiasm in each new appearance.
Watson: The photos of her graduation ceremony at Brown University went around the world, as the actress was sending a clear message about her priorities. In fact, she continues to stay as close to her fans as she can be to a superstar of her caliber, even though she recently made the decision to stop taking pictures with them (which forever deprives us of moments like this). Then there is the UN, of course: in 2014 she was named a goodwill ambassador and reached every corner of the planet with her speech to launch the HeForShe campaign. In it, Watson defined feminism as "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities." Since then, her profile as an activist has only grown.
WINNER: Nothing can compare to the glass ceiling that Emma Watson broke with her first speech at the UN, perhaps one of the greatest milestones of modern feminism. We don't take credit away from Stone, but the protagonist of 'Beauty and the Beast' may be the star with the most social relevance of our days.
