Emma Stone "basically begged" Yorgos Lanthimos for her role in 'The Favourite'.

Emma Stone

Emma Stone

The 30-year-old actress plays Abigail Masham in the comedy biopic, the penniless cousin of Lady Sarah Churchill, played by Rachel Weisz, who arrives at Hampton Court in 1904 and battle's her relative to become a confidante of Olivia Colman's Queen Anne.

The award-winning movie was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Yorgos, who was responsible for the 2015 dystopian thriller 'The Lobster', and Emma has revealed the director "never considered" an American actress for the part before meeting the 'Easy A' star and she pleaded her case.

In an interview with Vogue, she said: "I was getting ready to do 'La La Land', Yorgos was like, 'I'd never considered meeting an American for the part,' so I basically begged."

Emma has nothing but praise for the "crazy and funny and dark" world that Yorgos created with such strong female characters.

She said: "How is it possible that there's all three of these women in one story? So crazy and funny and dark."

Emma herself has been praised by Olivia, 45, for her work in the movie and her qualities as a person, saying: "Emma will remain, I hope, a lifelong friend."

Olivia won the Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical Golden Globe for her performance as the British monarch and she is up for the Best Actress Oscar too at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Emma and Rachel are competing against one another for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for their respective roles and Yorgos is up for Best Director.

'The Favourite' is up for a total of 10 accolades at the 91st Academy Awards ceremony which takes place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on February 24.