'It's how I'm wired': Emma Stone talks crippling anxiety which put her in therapy from age 7 as she reveals she dropped out of high school at 15 to act

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Emma Stone has opened up about her lifelong struggle with anxiety and the therapy that helped her overcome it.

The 28-year-old actress, who is nominated for an Oscar for her role in this year's box office smash La La Land, talks to The Hollywood Reporter about her path to fame and the crippling shyness that could easily have stopped her in her tracks.

'It's just the way I'm wired' Emma admitted as she recalled being a nervous child and her parents putting her into therapy from the age of seven to conquer her panic attacks. 

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'It's just the way I'm wired': Emma Stone opens up about her lifelong struggle with anxiety and the therapy that helped her overcome it in the new Hollywood Reporter

The actress flourished at her youth theatre classes after school enjoying stepping into different characters and improv comedy.

'I think my parents saw that acting was the thing that made me fulfilled and happy,' she said. 

It was part of the reason why her mother and father allowed her to quit school and move to Hollywood at such a young age.

Emma convinced her parents to let her move to Los Angeles from her home in Arizona after she had an epiphany during class one day when she was 14.

'I think my parents saw that acting was the thing that made me fulfilled and happy,' Emma stuns in a photoshoot accompanying the interview

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She ran home and produced a Powerpoint presentation she titled 'Project Hollywood.'

'It's nuts that they agreed to it,' Emma admitted. 'I don't condone it. Everybody should go through high school and graduate.'

In California, Emma would be home-schooled in-between auditions but her big break didn't come until she was 19, when she landed a role in Superbad opposite Jonah Hill. 

However, as soon as the job offers started rolling in, Emma started to feel panicky as she explained to THR: 'I started to feel overwhelmed by the energy of Hollywood,'

She said she felt too surrounded by people who would only talk about the entertainment industry. 

'It's nuts that they agreed to it,' Emma revealed that she quit high school and persuaded her parents to follow her dream of being an actress in LA

Emma features on the cover of this week's The Hollywood Reporter

The actress packed her bags and moved to New York. 

But things were just as bad on the east coast, as she recalled 'Losing my anonymity after Easy A, it was like being 7 years old all over again,' 

She added: 'It terrified me.'  

And despite finding fame over 10 years ago, Emma admits she still struggles with parts of her job with the chance of a panic attack 'always looming in the background.' 

She explained: 'Before any interview, I have to sit with myself for five minutes and breathe and get centred because I get so nervous.

'Interviews are kind of like therapy, except all your answers are being written down and printed. I always want to be on the other side of it. I don't want to be deconstructed for millions. I'd rather do the deconstructing.'  

Lifelong struggle: The actress revealed she's still fearful of panic attacks and they're always 'looming in the background'

While she is known for her flame-hued locks, the actress is actually naturally blonde.

It was at the suggestion Superbad producer Judd Apatow, that Emma first started dying her hair its trademark ruby hue.

The Crazy, Stupid, Love star said she is 'honoured' that La La Land received 14 Oscar nominations including one for herself in the Best Actress in a Lead Role category for her starring role as Mia in the romantic musical.

She told the magazine: 'That kind of stuff is amazing and an honour and very crazy, but it's something that I can get into too much of a tizzy about. Although I did have a day in October when I got myself really freaked out.'

Smash hit: Emma's movie La La Land is nominated for 14 Oscars including herself in the Best Actress in a leading role category