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Kristen Stewart - Biography |
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Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April
9, 1990) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bella Swan
in Twilight and New Moon, and will reprise her role in Eclipse. She has
also starred in films such as Panic Room, Zathura, In the Land of Women,
Adventureland, and The Messengers.
Kristen Stewart was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her
father, John Stewart, is a stage manager and television producer who has
worked for Fox. Her mother, Jules Mann-Stewart, is a script supervisor
originally from Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia. She has an older
brother, Cameron Stewart. Stewart attended school until the seventh grade,
and then continued her education by correspondence. She has since
completed high school.
Stewart's acting career began at the age of eight, after an agent saw her
perform in her elementary school's Christmas play. Stewart's first role
was a nonspeaking part in the film The Thirteenth Year. Then, she had
another part in the film The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas as the "ring
toss girl". She subsequently appeared in the independent film The Safety
of Objects, in which she played the tomboy daughter of a troubled single
mother (Patricia Clarkson). Stewart had a major role in the Hollywood film
Panic Room, playing the diabetic daughter of a divorced mother (Jodie
Foster). The film received generally positive reviews, and Stewart
garnered positive notices for her performance.
After Panic Room's success, Stewart was cast in another thriller, Cold
Creek Manor, playing the daughter of Dennis Quaid's and Sharon Stone's
characters; the film generally failed at the box office. Her first
starring role followed, in the children's action-comedy Catch That Kid,
opposite Max Thieriot and Corbin Bleu. Stewart also played the role of
Lila in the thriller Undertow. To date, Stewart's most critically
acclaimed role may be in the television film Speak (2004), based on the
novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. Stewart, 13 at the time of filming, played
high school freshman Melinda Sordino, who stops almost all verbal contact
after being raped and who deals with enormous amounts of emotional
turmoil. Stewart received great praise for playing the character, who had
only a few speaking lines, but kept up a dark-witted commentary inside her
head throughout the film.
In 2005, Stewart appeared in the fantasy-adventure film Zathura, playing
the role of Lisa, the irresponsible older sister of two little boys, who
turn their house into a spacecraft hurtling uncontrollably in outer space
by playing a board game. The film received praise by critics, but
Stewart's performance did not garner much media attention, as it was noted
that her character is immobilized during most of the film. The following
year, she played the character Maya in Fierce People, directed by Griffin
Dunne. After that film, she received the lead role of Jess Solomon in the
supernatural thriller film The Messengers.
In 2007, Stewart appeared as teenager Lucy Hardwicke in In the Land of
Women, a romantic drama starring Meg Ryan and The O.C. star Adam Brody.
The film, as well as Stewart's performance, received mixed reviews. That
same year, Stewart starred in Sean Penn's critically acclaimed adaptation
film Into the Wild. For her portrayal of Tracy — a teenage singer who has
a crush on young adventurer Christopher McCandless — Stewart received
generally positive reviews. Salon.com considered her work a "sturdy,
sensitive performance", and the Chicago Tribune noted that she did
"vividly well with a sketch of a role." Her performance was not without
detractors, however; Variety's critic Dennis Harvey wrote, "It's unclear
whether Stewart means to be playing hippie-chick Tracy as vapid, or
whether it just comes off that way." After Into the Wild, Stewart had a
cameo appearance in Jumper and also appeared in What Just Happened, which
was released in October 2008. She also co-stars in The Cake Eaters an
independent film that has only been screened at film festivals.
On November 16, 2007, Summit Entertainment announced that Stewart would
play Isabella "Bella" Swan in the film Twilight, based on Stephenie
Meyer's bestselling vampire romance novel of the same name. Stewart was on
the set of Adventureland when director Catherine Hardwicke visited her for
an informal screen test which "captivated" the director. She stars
alongside Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, her character's
vampire boyfriend. The film began production in February 2008 and finished
filming in May 2008. Twilight was released domestically on November 21,
2008. After the release of Twilight, Kristen Stewart was awarded the MTV
Movie Award for Best Female Performance for her portrayal as Bella Swan.
Stewart reappeared as Bella in the sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon,
and will reprise this role in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
Stewart will star in a film called K-11 with Nikki Reed, also of Twilight,
and Jason Mewes. The film, which is being directed by Stewart's mother,
takes place in a dorm of the Los Angeles County Jail, and will feature
both Stewart and Reed as male characters. Stewart was also cast to portray
Joan Jett in The Runaways, a biopic of the titular band from
writer-director Floria Sigismondi. Stewart met with Jett over the
2008-2009 New Year to prepare for the role, and ended up prerecording
songs in a studio for the upcoming film. She has recently been nominated
for the BAFTA Rising Star award. She also stars alongside James Gandolfini
in Welcome to the Rileys, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in
January 2010.
In 2009 Stewart starred in The Yellow Handkerchief, which debuted at the
Sundance Film Festival and will be released in theaters on February 26,
2010 by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Stewart currently lives in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.
Stewart has expressed a desire to live and work in Australia, saying, "I
want to go to Sydney University in Australia. My mom's from there." Apart
from acting, she is also interested in attending college in the near
future, saying, "I want to go to college for literature. I want to be a
writer. I mean, I love what I do, but it's not all I want to do — be a
professional liar for the rest of my life." Stewart is a guitar player and
singer. |
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Kristen Stewart - Personal Quotes |
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On working on the film Panic
Room (2002) with such a big name star as Jodie Foster: "When I got
"Panic Room", I'm like, 'Oh my God that's huge! It's bigger than
huge'. I was kind of freaked out at first".
(about her love for acting) I love it because I love to tell
stories. I like being in movies that have a great story. I'm not so
interested in being a Hollywood star. It's a job, you know. When you
wake up at six in the morning every day for a week, it feels like
hard work.
I don't want to make movies for kids, and I don't want to make
movies for adults either.
Acting is such a personal thing, which is weird because at the same
time it's not. It's for the consumption of other people. But in
terms of creative outlets and expressing yourself, it's just the
most extreme version of that that I've ever found. It's like
running, it's exertion. When you reach that point where you can't go
anymore and you stop and you take a breath, it's that same sort of
clearing of the mind.
A lot of actors think that what we do is so important, like we're
saving people's lives or something.
All I try to do in the press is be honest about something that I
really care about.
I've always had an aversion to looking sexy, but I've grown out of
it.
I start everything from the same place, with that sense of
responsibility. On a bigger movie, you have to be aware that you can
only control your aspect of the film. It's nice to be on a smaller
movie because you're working with your friends and you feel so
close-knit. It's your movie and you can do anything you want, and
nobody's going to have anything to say. With a bigger movie, it
concerns so many people. It's so much more of a process. But, in
terms of what I do personally, it has to be the same, or else I'm
just on some big movie, being a liar, and I can't do that.
Really, I'm incredibly disjointed and not candid. Just in general,
my thoughts tend to come out in little spurts that don't necessarily
connect. If you hang around long enough, you can find the linear
path. But it will take a second. That is why these interviews never
go well for me.
About having an aha moment when it came to pursuing an acting
career: I have the "Aha" moments progressively -- they're like
milestones and they hit you. I think my first "Aha!" moment was when
I did this (TV) movie called "Speak." I was just rolling with it,
and ended up kind of really losing myself in it, so that I felt like
I was a different person at the end. That was a big moment.
You should have the opportunity to be more than one person with
different people - because you have that within you. It's not like
you're faking it. If everyone knows you so well and can always get a
hold of you, then you're stuck to this thing that people think you
are. You should have the opportunity to reinvent yourself. Because
you do. Naturally.
On whether she wants to develop her skills as a writer: I do want to
work on writing, because writing's a skill. Writing is something
that you can train yourself to know better. To know yourself better.
And it's intimidating as hell. I mean, I definitely will always do
what I've been doing. I've also started taking a lot of pictures,
and they help the writing. The pictures help the writing. I mean, I
want to make books. I want to take pictures and then write all over
the pictures. And then I don't have to say a complete story, because
I have the picture, and I have just a word.
About Bella in New Moon: Well, she loses what basically gives her
the drive to do anything in her whole life. She loses the man she's
in love with, but she also loses her entire life plan, and she's so
young to have to be forced into a decision like that. It's just a
glorified, elaborate version of the worst breakup you've ever been
through. All of a sudden you question everything. All of a sudden
you know nothing and you're dropped in the middle of a freezing cold
ocean. Oddly, we have a character that's warm enough and bright
enough to bring her out of that, and it's truly gut-ripping. Because
as perfect as Jacob is for her, she holds on to an ideal, the
ultimate fiery love that she has for Edward even though it's not
comfortable, it's not practical and it's not a good idea.
This weird thing happens when you're in a movie that has some level
of success. People start offering you all kinds of things, and they
just expect you to do them because they'll be good for your career.
It's not about the project's integrity or anything like that. It's
about raising your profile and all that crap.
I was just in Botswana in Africa. I wanted to learn something about
the world. I just feel really ignorant whenever I leave the country.
I don't know a lot of stuff, and I really want to. I figure that
traveling is a good way to start if you want knowledge. Like, if you
don't know something about a country, then go and check it out.
That's what I did.
On how her life has changed since Twilight: My life hasn't changed.
Most circumstances I find myself in are different than they were a
year ago, but I myself haven't changed...however a normal
18-year-old girl would change in a year. But it makes things so much
easier. I would do it for free every day [even] if nobody saw it. I
cannot describe how good it feels to actually have something that is
truly into your heart and soul actually affecting people. And that's
amazing. So that's the biggest change.
On whether she wants to continue making movies or go to college: I
absolutely have no foresight. I used to think I had a lot when I was
younger. I worked really hard in school to give myself options, and
I've literally taken those options and thrown them down the toilet.
Purposely - not to make that sound totally negative. It's what I
want. I want to keep doing what I'm doing. It's funny, people ask me
all the time: 'What do you do for fun? What do you do when you're
not acting?' It's a strange thing, acting. It's a business, it's a
job, everything like that. All it is, is self-reflection. You just
never stop caring about people and I've never stopped doing that, so
I'm sure it'll seep into other areas of my life. I want to write.
I'm not going to school because I can't take the structure of it,
but I'm not going to stop learning.
Usually I come in and sit down at roundtables in America and they
look at me like 'what is wrong with you?' Just because I don't
fit...nobody fits into the frame that typical Hollywood young
actresses do, but they try to. They try to be this thing. Try to
memorize answers and make everybody happy. That's so horrifying and
scary to me. So when you're not that, you get criticized for it. You
get criticized for being honest and criticized for being nervous. So
that's kind of annoying. I do a whole day of press and then I get
calls from publicity people that are like, 'you might want to be a
little bit more bubbly'. And I'm like, 'no'. People get very upset
in the States. It's weird. Fans of the book especially. They don't
understand me. Which is fine. I guess it doesn't really matter who I
am, it just matters that they like the movie.
On doing interviews: Self-evaluation is not my strong point, and
you're constantly asked to critique yourself. You just spent three
months on a set and your whole life is wrapped up in that - and then
it's like, "Okay, define that right now in five seconds." I can't do
that. I used to get so nervous that I would become a completely
different person - and then they would think that was me. So I've
tried to calm down, but no one's ever going to write, "Oh, she's
actually just a pretty f---in' average chick who really loves what
she does." That's not gonna happen.
On how fame changed her life: There's nothing you can do about it,
to be honest. I don't leave my hotel room -- literally, I don't. I
don't talk to anybody about my personal life, and maybe that
perpetuates it, too. But it's really important to own what you own
and keep it to yourself. That said, the only way for me not to have
somebody know where I went the night before is if I didn't go out at
all. I'm trading. It depends on what mood I'm in. Some nights, I
think, 'You know what? I don't care. I'm going to do what I want to
do.' Then the next day I think, 'Ugh. Now everyone thinks I'm going
out to get the attention.' and I'm like, 'No, actually, for a
second, thought that maybe I could be like a normal person.'
Speech after winning an Orange Bafta (2010): Wow. Thank you. I guess
first I have to thank all the fans of Twilight for proving again and
again to be THE most devoted and attentive fans ever. Considering
this is voted, credit is due to them so thank you. To the other
actors nominated, I am so blown away by you that I can't even
describe it. To be voted among you is just overwhelming. And I'd
like to say hi to my family. |
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Kristen Stewart - Filmography |
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The Twilight Saga: Breaking
Dawn (2011) .... Bella Swan
K-11 (2010) .... Butterfly
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) .... Bella Swan
... aka Eclipse (USA: informal English title)
... aka The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: The IMAX Experience (USA: IMAX
version)
... aka Twilight 3 (USA: informal title)
... aka Twilight: Eclipse (USA: informal title)
The Runaways (2010) .... Joan Jett
Welcome to the Rileys (2010) .... Mallory
New Moon (2009) .... Bella Swan
... aka The Twilight Saga: New Moon (USA: promotional title)
... aka Twilight 2 (USA: informal title)
... aka Twilight: New Moon (USA: informal title)
Adventureland (2009) .... Em Lewin
Twilight (2008/I) .... Bella Swan
Jumper (2008) .... Sophie
... aka Jumper - Franchir le temps (Canada: French title)
What Just Happened (2008) .... Zoe
... aka What Just Happened? (International: English title: long
title)
The Yellow Handkerchief (2008) .... Martine
Cutlass (2007) .... Young Robin
Into the Wild (2007) .... Tracy Tatro
The Cake Eaters (2007) .... Georgia
The Messengers (2007) .... Jess
In the Land of Women (2007) .... Lucy Hardwicke
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005) .... Lisa
... aka Zathura (International: English title: short title) (USA:
promotional title)
Fierce People (2005) .... Maya
Undertow (2004) .... Lila
Catch That Kid (2004) .... Maddy
... aka Mission Without Permission (Europe: English title) (USA:
working title)
... aka Mission: Possible - Diese Kids sind nicht zu fassen!
(Germany: TV title)
Speak (2004) .... Melinda Sordino
Cold Creek Manor (2003) .... Kristen Tilson
... aka La maison au fond de la baie (Canada: French title)
Panic Room (2002) .... Sarah Altman
The Safety of Objects (2001) .... Sam Jennings
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000) (uncredited) .... Ring
toss girl |
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Kristen Stewart - Related Links |
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Wikipedia: Kristen Stewart
YouTube: Kristen Stewart
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