Emma Stone landed 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' by hilariously roasting Ryan Gosling during her audition

Emma Stone impressed 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' directors by roasting Ryan Gosling after he flubbed a line in her audition

Emma Stone's chemistry with Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love may have looked effortless on screen, but it was an unscripted moment during her audition that convinced filmmakers they had found their leading lady.

Speaking to People ahead of the film's 15th anniversary, co-director Glenn Ficarra recalled that Stone, who was just 21 at the time, immediately stood out from the other actresses auditioning for the role of Hannah Weaver.

According to Ficarra, many talented actresses tested for the part, but things changed once Gosling joined them for the chemistry reads.

"A lot of them were really good, but then once Ryan stepped into the room, they sort of were a little shaken," he said, noting that Gosling's natural charisma made the auditions even more intimidating.

Stone, however, had a completely different reaction.

During their audition, Gosling accidentally stumbled over one of his lines. Instead of ignoring the mistake, Stone playfully teased him, quipping, "Oh, you're killing this. You're doing great."

The quick-witted remark instantly won over everyone in the room.

"We were all just like, 'Okay, that's it. That's the person,'" Ficarra recalled. "We wanted to work with her desperately. Even in the small stuff she was doing, she's so brilliant."

That natural rapport would go on to define one of the film's most memorable relationships.

Ficarra also revealed that one fan-favorite sequence—where Hannah and Jacob spend the night talking after their romantic moment is interrupted by Jacob's beloved memory foam pillows—was largely built through improvisation.

Rather than sticking closely to the script, the directors let the cameras roll for hours while Stone and Gosling chatted, joked and riffed off one another. Many of the conversations that made it into the final cut came from spontaneous moments inspired by things the actors had been watching or discussing around the set.

"We were just trying to get them to be Ryan and Emma and not their characters," Ficarra explained. "When we went into the editing room... it's basically what ended up in the movie."

The success of Crazy, Stupid, Love marked the beginning of one of Hollywood's most beloved on-screen pairings. Five years later, Stone and Gosling reunited for La La Land, with Stone winning the Academy Award for Best Actress and Gosling earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Looking back, co-director John Requa said their star power was obvious from the beginning.

"They were just amazing," he said. "It was easy. They were just brilliant, and it was obvious."