Emma Stone underwent a drastic hair transformation for her latest film, Bugonia.
The Academy Award-winner, 36, shaved her head for her role in the comedy/science fiction movie, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Stone revealed the reason behind keeping her new look a secret in an interview with People, published on October 27.
The acclaimed actress—who previously changed her hairdo for the 2023 hit film, Poor Things, also directed by Lanthimos, 52—said she hid her bald head to keep an element of “surprise or an interesting moment,” per the outlet.
She was fully committed to the secret, having worn beanies for three months to conceal her head.
“Because one of the great things that happened with Poor Things was nobody had seen pictures of [her character] Bella’s look, that really long black hair. It was fun when the trailer came out for that, and it was like, ‘Whoa.’ It’s nice when it’s revealed later,” Stone told People.
The La La Land star added that since there were “no pictures or candids from set” while Bugonia was filming, she figured she might as well keep the transformation a secret for the time being.
“Why not keep this up for a little bit?” she thought, according to the publication.
While speaking about the new movie at a September 3 Q&A event, Stone got candid about how she felt right before the big change.
“From the moment I read the script, I knew I’d have to shave my head, because there was just never going to be any other way,” she said, per IndieWire.
“It was a year and a half I knew that I was going to be shaving my head, and then the day of—they were setting up four cameras, because we had to get it in one shot and we were shooting on VistaVision for the most part, which is a gorgeous but very moody camera that will shut down a lot—so they were setting up, and it was taking a long time to set all the cameras up. And I just started kind of panicking about that,” she continued.
However, reflecting on her mom’s cancer battle helped her get through the difficult moment.
“My mom went through chemo, like, she did something legitimately hard and she lost her hair. And the first thing she said was, ‘I am so jealous, I want to shave my head again,'” the Arizona native shared.
“And I was like, I’m shaving my head because I get to do what I love, and my mom was there with me, and I was like, ‘What a gift! It’s hair.’ So it was actually one of the greatest experiences of my life, very freeing, and it’s just hair. I thought it would be longer by now, but it’s just hair!” she added.
Stone also spoke highly of the new look in an August interview with Vogue.
“[There’s] no better feeling in the world,” she said of the cut.
“The first shower when you’ve shaved your head? Oh my God, it’s amazing,” she continued.
When Will ‘Bugonia’ Hit Theaters?
Bugonia—which is a remake of the 2003 South Korean movie Save the Green Planet!— premiered at the Venice Film Festival on August 28 before hitting select theaters on October 24. It is set for a wide release on October 31.
The trailer—which dropped on August 28—has garnered over 13 million views.
“Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth,” the film’s synopsis states.
Stone stars as CEO Michelle Fuller alongside Jesse Plemons as Teddy, Stavros Halkias as Casey, Aidan Delbis as Don, and Alicia Silverstone as Sandy.
Fans praised the actress and the new film following the trailer’s release, with one commenting on YouTube, “Yorgos Lanthimos making Emma Stone his muse has done great things for film, and I would watch her in anything.”
“Whatever it is that Yorgos has unlocked within Emma Stone in their collaborations over the years, I hope that magic lasts forever,” another said.
“Whoever edited this trailer, give them an Oscar,” a third wrote.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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