Emma Stone ‘Cursed’ Judd Apatow for 1 ‘Superbad’ Choice

Superbad is one of those iconic teen comedies that has managed to become more popular in the years since it was released. From the subversive humor to the entertaining storyline, there’s a lot to enjoy in the movie. However, the performances really make the film land with fans. Several actors went on to become superstars after getting featured roles in Superbad. In particular, Emma Stone made waves with viewers of all ages. Although the film served as her big break, producer Judd Apatow later revealed that there was one particular element of her Superbad character that caused her to “curse” the veteran filmmaker.

Emma Stone played the fiery Jules in ‘Superbad’

As the high school cool girl Jules, it would have been easy to play into stereotypes. However, Stone made Jules quirky and fun, a refreshing take on what could have been a stock character. Her cynical humor helped to make Jules a fan favorite. Though Stone didn’t get a ton of screentime, she emerged as one of the breakout stars of Superbad.

Superbad was Stone’s feature film debut — but before it, she’d acted in several television shows. She would later open up about what a difference Superbad made in her life. In fact, she dropped out of high school for it. “I did Superbad in what would’ve been my senior year,” she told Vanity Fair. “I was playing a senior, and had I graduated I would’ve missed that opportunity, and had I missed that opportunity I wouldn’t be here right now.”

What did Judd Apatow say about Emma Stone’s red hair in ‘Superbad’?

In a 2022 oral history of Superbad for Vanity Fair, many of the stars and filmmakers associated with the teen comedy opened up about the making of the flick. Apatow admitted that it was easy to see Stone’s talent, and that she impressed him from the start with her droll sense of humor. But he revealed she might have one regret about playing Jules.

“There was a concern that she had the same color hair as [Becca actor] Martha MacIsaac’s. And I said, ‘Well, maybe it could be like red or something.’ So we dyed her hair red, which I think she had never done before,” Apatow revealed. “And since then, she has cursed me because now people love her with red hair and she’s had to live with that for a lot of her adult life,” he noted.

Emma Stone is now well-known for her follicular choices

Superbad made Stone a star. In the years since the actor has experimented with hair colors as well as many characters and genres. She has admitted that many casting directors have requested that she dye her hair red for various roles. Stone has since rocked the red tresses in movies like La La Land and Easy A. Meanwhile, she was blonde when she portrayed Gwen Stacy in Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man franchise.

Over the years, Stone has tried out hair colors like dark brown, strawberry blonde, and light brown. It seems as though there’s no look that Stone can’t pull off effectively. Although it is safe to say that fans and producers alike prefer to see the actor with her signature red hair.