6 Hollywood A-listers reveal the secrets behind their iconic movies

There are still secrets to discover about the biggest movies of all time, and there's no one better to spill those than the stars themselves.

In Radio 1's Movies That Made Me podcast, our film expert Ali Plumb chats to Hollywood A-listers about their experiences working on the iconic movies that put them where they are today - and reveals fascinating facts even the biggest fans may not know.

These are some of our favourite revelations from Movies That Made Me in 2017.

Listen to or download all Radio 1's Movies That Made Me podcasts here

Emma Stone won an Oscar for La La Land in 2017 but if you've followed her career since her mainstream breakthrough in Easy A, you'll know an Academy Award was only a matter of time.

Since then, Emma has starred in major movies including The Help, The Amazing Spiderman, Birdman (and many more) yet elements of Easy A have stayed with her throughout her career - such as the Natasha Bedingfield song that was featured in the movie.

"I was haunted by that song for years after that movie came out," Emma says.

"I would walk out to do something, like a show or something, and Pocket Of Sunshine would play."

It also led to an awkward moment for Emma when she met Natasha, after making fun of her American hit in a hugely successful film.

"I ran into Natasha Bedingfield, who's such a nice person and writes great music," Emma says.

"I said 'Sorry, are you OK?' She said it was funny. She was great about it."

And it wasn't just the music that followed her career - Emma wanted to use some of the techniques from Easy A in her future films, whether it was appropriate or not.

"Ever since Easy A, I like to make suggestions on set that no one ever agrees with," she tells Ali.

"Like, wouldn't it be great if I just turned to camera and gave it a wink? In movies that don't have that function of breaking the fourth wall.

"Directors are always like 'maybe'.

"I always want to turn to the audience and say 'what do you think about this?'"

Tom Cruise has made a legacy for himself in Hollywood with his hands-on approach to filmmaking - doing his own stunts and working as tirelessly behind the scenes as he does in front of the camera.

He told Ali Plumb how it was his iconic 1986 movie Top Gun that first allowed him to work both sides of a movie, and tick off one of his life goals.

"I had always wanted to fly, aviation - I’ve always had a passion about it," he says in the podcast.

"I was headed back to New York right after the meeting, I told my agent 'Look, I’m going to make this movie - but don't tell them that.'"

"I said there were things I wanted in my contract, I wanted them to film me in an F14, I wanted to fly in an F14, and I wanted that training.

"Also it was the first time I had the consultation, where I wanted to sit in to the production meetings and script meeting and learn.

"Jerry Bruckheimer still is one of the greatest producers in Hollywood, so to have that opportunity; it was everything I wanted to learn."

And Tom says he knew, early on, that he was working on something extra special.

"It was lightning in a bottle and you could feel it."

Tom Hardy was the lead star in the 2015 re-boot of the Mad Max franchise, but it was Charlize Theron's character Imperator Furiosa who stole the show.

However, filming the movie in the Namibia desert, along with delays and re-shoots had a major impact on Charlize's health and her hopes that the movie would be a success.

"I was exhausted by the end of it," she tells Ali.

"Out of that exhaustion, the one thing you're hoping for is that it works. Up until the point that movie came out, I don't think I’ve ever worked so hard on anything.

"The environment that we were in and the story we were trying to tell was utterly mentally and physically exhausting."

But there was happy ending for both Furiosa and Charlize, as the movie was loved by critics and viewers, and for the actress, she saw the impact of the film (and her role in it) long after it hit cinema screens.

"Friends and acquaintances send me photos of their daughters dressing up as Furiosa for Halloween," she says.

"Making that film, I knew we worked really hard toward a great truth for all the female characters in that movie, but to then see a 13 year old girl inspired by that - it's touching."

It was Anne Hathaway's character Andy in The Devil Wears Prada who was set on impressing Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly, but filming the movie, Emily Blunt reveals Meryl's approval was hard to come by - but worth it when it happened.

"She was very focused on that film," says Emily about working with the Oscar winner.

"She said at the table read - we were all really nervous, especially me - 'I think you're going to be great and that's the last nice thing I’m going to say to you.'

"And it was."

Emily also reveals that while filming the movie, she didn't exactly portray the Hollywood professional she might have been hoping for in front of Meryl.

"There were lots of high heels and I was very un-practiced," she says.

"It was my first day of filming and I took a real tumble in front of Meryl Streep.

"She barely reacted."

However, she clearly wasn't being judged on how well she walked in heels, winning Meryl's approval by the time they finished filming the movie.

"When we wrapped she came running across the parking lot and said 'You were great!' Emily says.

"I just cried with relief."

Mean Girls is one of the most quotable movies of all time, and yes, we are still trying to make 'fetch' happen.

Rachel McAdams says she did eventually work out whether butter is a carb, and has been indulging in it ever since, but that there is still a part of Regina George in her who is as clueless as ever.

"I actually ate just butter, yesterday. My friend said it wasn't a good thing to do but I just couldn't not do it," she says.

"I don't think I’ve learned anything from the Mean Girls days."

She also reveals that she had an inkling that the movie was going to be a good one from the first time she saw the script.

"I must admit, when I read it, I thought it was one of the greatest things I’ve ever laid my eyes on," she says.

"It was so fresh, cool and original that I just hoped I could be a part of it."

Rachel kept some of Regina's wardrobe after the film wrapped, even though it was never a look she particularly enjoyed - partially because of her age when she played the high-schooler.

"I got to keep some of the mini-skirts, which I have not had much use for," she says.

"It was something I was uncomfortable with at the time; I was about 26 or something."

Middle Earth was never part of Orlando Bloom's career plan when he was in drama school; he had something more traditional in mind.

But in an edition of Movies That Made Me, he revealed how he happily swapped his Shakespearean ambition for Peter Jackson's fantasy epics.

"My agent called me two days before I finished drama school to tell me I’d got the part," says Orlando.

"I was just thinking about whether I’d get into the Royal Shakespeare Company when I finished drama school because that was the process."

He initially auditioned for the role of Faramir but was quickly swapped for elf warrior Legolas. But no matter what part he was working towards, he says he is glad he didn't know how big the franchise was likely to become.

"I'd done an episode of Casualty and just got an agent," he says.

"I was blissfully unaware; if I had been aware I might not have been cool and would have ruined it."

You can also watch the latest Movies That Made Me on iPlayer here