Jesse Eisenberg is grateful for his friendship with Emma Stone. The “A Real Pain” writer and star gushed about Stone’s support of his career as a writer while he accepted the award for best screenplay at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday. Stone produced “A Real Pain,” which Eisenberg also directed. During his speech, Eisenberg said that Stone is the only person who’s read and supported the articles he’s written for McSweeney’s, an independent non-profit publishing company. Eisenberg has had creative writing work published on McSweeney’s several times between 2009 and 2019. Eisenberg and Stone met on the set of “Zombieland” and have been friends since, he said. “She was definitely, and still (is) the most famous person I know, and yet also like the most dedicated to encouraging me as a writer,” Eisenberg said. “I think about her not as my producer, but like a fairy godmother that I am riding the coattails of her goodwill.” Eisenberg added that he thinks it’s important that somebody like Stone, “who is so unbelievably successful in mainstream movies,” looks produce independent movies, like Eisenberg’s, “with all the goodwill that she’s amassed, so rightly and deservedly, over the last several years.” Stone appeared to be moved when she was shown on screen after Eisenberg’s speech, her eyes tearing up. Her husband Dave McCary, who also co-produced “A Real Pain,” reached his arm around her seemingly to comfort her. Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe and Jennifer Grey, among others, star in “A Real Pain.” The film earned two Oscar nominations – for best original screenplay and best supporting actor for Culkin. Culkin has picked up awards at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Critics Choice Awards and SAG Awards for his performance in the film. In addition to Eisenberg’s best screenplay win at Saturday’s Film Independent Spirit Awards, Culkin also scored a win in the best supporting actor category.
