Battle of Sexes: Pressure of playing a real person made Emma Stone struggle

Actor Emma Stone said she found filming Battle of the Sexes challenging because she had never played a real person in a movie before.

The 28-year-old actress portrays the American professional tennis player Billie Jean King in the upcoming biography, but the star has revealed she struggled with the movie.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about her latest venture, Stone said, "I've never played a real person before and it's, like, this person is an icon that I could never even hope to be exactly like.

"Capturing the essence was very important to us. It was super challenging."

Stone also had to go through the physical transformation to look like King.

Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, who are famous for their indie sensation Little Miss Sunshine, which Carell was also part of, are helming the film.

The extremely contentious match played in 1973 between then World number one player Billy Jean King and ex-champion and serial hustler Bobby Riggs is considered one of the most electrifying moments in the history of the sport. Based on the events leading up to that 'Battle of the Sexes,' the movie takes a look at the event that 'caught the zeitgeist and sparked a global conversation on gender equality, spurring on the feminist movement.

(With PTI Inputs)