Emma Stone stars in box office winners

Actress plays part in 'Superbad' and 'Zombieland'

By MALINA SAVAL

The single most exciting moment in actress Emma Stone's life was introducing her father to Bill Murray.

"It was a dream come true," gushes the "Zombieland" star of Murray's cameo in helmer Ruben Fleischer's campy horror pic. "My dad is a comedy buff and my mom was a huge fan of 'Saturday Night Live.'" Growing up in Arizona, Stone primed herself for a career in sketch comedy, performing improv in a local youth theater troupe. At 15, the raspy-voiced ingenue dropped out of high school and headed for Los Angeles.

"I moved to L.A. with the hope of pursuing some sort of comedy something," says Stone. "I started to meet casting directors, one of which was Alison Jones, and she had me audition for this movie called 'Superbad.'"

While Stone thought her audition for the Judd Apatow hit was "terrible," all others involved -- especially Jones -- clearly felt differently.

"It really is luck," proffers Stone of nabbing the part. "If I never met Alison, I could be on Disney Channel right now and be totally wrong for it."

In "Zombieland," Stone is definitely right as the razor-sharp Wichita.

"Her main point of bravery is that she's almost putting up a front so her sister won't be terrified," says Stone of her onscreen partnership with Abigail Breslin.

Stone, who recently relocated to New York, can next be seen in Will Gluck's comedy "Easy A," where she plays an "imaginary prostitute" who enourages the teen-promiscuity rumor she creates.

Of her new digs in Gotham and fast-ascending career, Stone says: "It's exactly where I need to be."

P.O.V.

Lucky Break: "Finding my manager, Doug Wald. He pushes for me and is so smart and amazing."

Favorite Film: "The last four minutes of 'City Lights.'"

Five Years From Now, I Will Be...: "Hopefully working and still doing this."