diff --git a/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Include/Integration/AnimGraphComponentBus.h b/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Include/Integration/AnimGraphComponentBus.h
index 32926c1b02..48b401d6e0 100644
--- a/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Include/Integration/AnimGraphComponentBus.h
+++ b/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Include/Integration/AnimGraphComponentBus.h
@@ -195,6 +195,12 @@ namespace EMotionFX
             /// Making a request to desync from the anim graph to its leader graph
             /// \param leaderEntityId - the entity id of another anim graph.
             virtual void DesyncAnimGraph(AZ::EntityId leaderEntityId) = 0;
+ 
+            /// Starts updating an anim graph instance
+            virtual void StartAnimGraph() = 0;
+
+            /// Stops updating an anim graph instance and resets its state
+            virtual void StopAnimGraph() = 0;
         };
 
         using AnimGraphComponentRequestBus = AZ::EBus<AnimGraphComponentRequests>;
diff --git a/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/AnimGraphComponent.cpp b/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/AnimGraphComponent.cpp
index 8fd717cfe7..f64b199955 100644
--- a/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/AnimGraphComponent.cpp
+++ b/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/AnimGraphComponent.cpp
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ namespace EMotionFX
                     // Anim Graph Sync
                     ->Event("SyncAnimGraph", &AnimGraphComponentRequestBus::Events::SyncAnimGraph)
                     ->Event("DesyncAnimGraph", &AnimGraphComponentRequestBus::Events::DesyncAnimGraph)
+
+                    ->Event("StartAnimGraph", &AnimGraphComponentRequestBus::Events::StartAnimGraph)
+                    ->Event("StopAnimGraph", &AnimGraphComponentRequestBus::Events::StopAnimGraph)
                 ;
 
                 behaviorContext->EBus<AnimGraphComponentNotificationBus>("AnimGraphComponentNotificationBus")
@@ -1175,5 +1178,29 @@ namespace EMotionFX
                     m_animGraphInstance.get());
             }
         }
+
+        void AnimGraphComponent::StartAnimGraph()
+        {
+            if (m_animGraphInstance)
+            {
+                if (m_actorInstance)
+                {
+                    m_actorInstance->SetAnimGraphInstance(m_animGraphInstance.get());
+                }
+                m_animGraphInstance->Start();
+            }
+        }
+
+        void AnimGraphComponent::StopAnimGraph()
+        {
+            if (m_animGraphInstance)
+            {
+                m_animGraphInstance->Stop();
+                if (m_actorInstance)
+                {
+                    m_actorInstance->SetAnimGraphInstance(nullptr);
+                }
+            }
+        }
     } // namespace Integration
 } // namespace EMotionFXAnimation
diff --git a/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/AnimGraphComponent.h b/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/AnimGraphComponent.h
index 772c5b9785..0a1b6e0ba6 100644
--- a/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/AnimGraphComponent.h
+++ b/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/AnimGraphComponent.h
@@ -140,6 +140,8 @@ namespace EMotionFX
             bool GetVisualizeEnabled() override;
             void SyncAnimGraph(AZ::EntityId leaderEntityId) override;
             void DesyncAnimGraph(AZ::EntityId leaderEntityId) override;
+            void StartAnimGraph() override;
+            void StopAnimGraph() override;
             //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
             //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -174,7 +176,6 @@ namespace EMotionFX
             static void GetIncompatibleServices(AZ::ComponentDescriptor::DependencyArrayType& incompatible)
             {
                 incompatible.push_back(AZ_CRC("EMotionFXAnimGraphService", 0x9ec3c819));
-                incompatible.push_back(AZ_CRC("EMotionFXSimpleMotionService", 0xea7a05d8));
             }
 
             static void GetDependentServices(AZ::ComponentDescriptor::DependencyArrayType& dependent)
diff --git a/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/SimpleMotionComponent.h b/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/SimpleMotionComponent.h
index 6a09f21b1f..1b04d19894 100644
--- a/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/SimpleMotionComponent.h
+++ b/dev/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Source/Integration/Components/SimpleMotionComponent.h
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ namespace EMotionFX
             }
             static void GetIncompatibleServices(AZ::ComponentDescriptor::DependencyArrayType& incompatible)
             {
-                incompatible.push_back(AZ_CRC("EMotionFXAnimGraphService", 0x9ec3c819));
                 incompatible.push_back(AZ_CRC("EMotionFXSimpleMotionService", 0xea7a05d8));
             }
             static void Reflect(AZ::ReflectContext* /*context*/);