Hollywood loves a "slot." You know, that specific archetype an actor fills until the industry decides it's time for an upgrade. For a long time, the "raspy-voiced, relatable redhead" slot was occupied by exactly one person.
Lindsay Lohan.
She was the blueprint. From the dual-role magic of The Parent Trap to the era-defining Mean Girls, Lohan wasn't just a star; she was the sun that every other teen actor orbited. But then, things got messy. The tabloids took over. And right as the Lindsay Lohan brand started to flicker, a new name appeared in the credits of a raunchy comedy called Superbad.
Emma Stone.
People started talking almost immediately. It wasn't just the hair—though let’s be real, the red hair (which isn't even Emma's natural color) made the comparison impossible to ignore. It was the vibe. That specific mix of "cool older sister" and "self-deprecating comedian" that Lohan had pioneered.
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Honestly, the internet has spent a decade debating whether Emma Stone is basically the "warranty replacement" for Lindsay Lohan. It's a bit harsh. But you can see why the narrative stuck.
In the mid-2000s, Lohan was the queen of the high school comedy. By 2010, the year Easy A came out, she was largely uninsurable in Hollywood due to personal struggles and legal issues. That same year, Emma Stone hosted Saturday Night Live and actually did a sketch poking fun at the resemblance.
The industry had a vacancy.
Stone stepped into it, but she didn't just fill the space; she expanded it. While Lohan’s career was built on the child-star-to-it-girl pipeline, Stone took the "slow burn" route. She did the bit parts. She did the voice acting. She leaned into the "indie" world even when she was doing big blockbusters like The Amazing Spider-Man.
The Famous "WTF is Emma Stone?" Tweet
If there’s one moment that perfectly encapsulates the weird tension between these two, it’s the 2012 Twitter incident.
Lohan, apparently feeling the heat of the constant comparisons, famously tweeted: "wtf is emma stone?"
It was the "I don't know her" of the 2010s. People lost their minds. Was it a diss? Was she actually confused? Or was it just a moment of frustration from a woman watching someone else win the roles she used to get by default?
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Years later, Lohan tried to bridge the gap. In 2017, she reached out on Instagram (in a since-deleted post) asking Emma Stone to star in a Mean Girls sequel with her. She even said she thought they would be friends. Stone, who famously stays off social media and keeps her private life behind a titanium curtain, never publicly responded.
Two Paths, Two Very Different Realities
You've gotta look at the upbringing to understand why their trajectories diverged so wildly.
Lohan was a professional from the age of three. Her parents were—to put it lightly—a constant fixture in the tabloids. She was a "product" long before she was an adult. By the time she was 18, she was carrying entire film franchises on her shoulders. That’s a lot of pressure for a kid who's still figuring out who they are.
Emma Stone? She moved to LA with her mom after a PowerPoint presentation convinced her parents to let her try acting. She had a relatively stable support system. She didn't hit "superstar" status until she was in her early 20s.
That age gap matters.
- Lohan at 19: Dealing with paparazzi car chases and international fame.
- Stone at 19: Getting her big break in Superbad and still being able to walk down the street.
The "Redhead" Myth
Here’s the kicker: Neither of them are technically the "redheads" we think they are.
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Lindsay Lohan is a natural redhead. She spent years dying it blonde and raven black to escape the "teen queen" image, only to return to the strawberry locks later in life.
Emma Stone is a natural blonde.
She dyed it red for Superbad at the suggestion of producer Judd Apatow, and it worked so well that she kept it for years. It became her signature. It's ironic, really. The woman who "replaced" the world's most famous redhead wasn't even a redhead to begin with.
The Voice
Then there's the voice. That signature rasp.
Medical experts have actually weighed in on this. Some suggest that the husky tone both actresses share is a result of vocal strain or, in some cases, nodes. For Lohan, it became more pronounced as she got older. For Stone, it’s been there since she was a baby due to "infantile colic" that caused her to scream so much she developed nodules on her vocal cords.
It's that voice that gives them both an "adult" quality, even when they were playing teenagers. It's what makes them feel grounded.
Where They Stand in 2026
The "rivalry"—if you can even call it that—has mostly faded into Hollywood folklore.
Emma Stone is now a multi-Oscar winner. She’s transitioned from the "girl next door" to a powerhouse producer and the muse of directors like Yorgos Lanthimos. She’s no longer "the next Lindsay Lohan." She’s just Emma Stone.
Lohan, meanwhile, has had one of the most interesting third acts in celebrity history. She moved to Dubai. She opened beach clubs. And recently, she’s made a massive comeback through Netflix rom-coms. People aren't comparing her to Emma Stone anymore; they're just happy to see her healthy and working.
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The "slot" is gone.
Hollywood realized there's room for more than one raspy-voiced woman at the top.
Next Steps for the Pop Culture Fan:
- Watch the "Easy A" SNL Sketch: If you haven't seen Emma Stone's 2010 impression of Lindsay Lohan, go find it. It's a masterclass in affectionate parody.
- Track the "Lohan-aissance": Keep an eye on Lindsay’s upcoming production deals. She's moving into the producer chair, much like Emma did five years ago.
- Revisit the Originals: Watch Mean Girls and Easy A back-to-back. You’ll see exactly why the industry tried to pivot from one to the other, and how both actresses brought something completely unique to the "outsider" trope.