I don't know any other straight woman who likes Kristen Stewart as much as my mom. To celebrate the release of A24’s Love Lies Bleeding on March 8th, I thought it would be fun to interview my mom about Kristen Stewart. During this conversation, we discuss Kristen Stewart’s filmography from her earliest roles like Panic Room all the way up to more recent roles like her Oscar-nominated performance as Princess Diana in Spencer.
Disclaimer: This interview has been edited for length and clarity and also includes spoilers for the final installment of the Twilight franchise.
Okay, so first things first, generally speaking, why do you love Kristen Stewart?
Because, I feel like she’s her own person and she's a beautiful woman. She's her own person. She's smart even though people might not think she is, and that’s it for now.
Technically, Kristen Stewart is uncredited for one of her first film roles ever, do you remember the Disney Channel original movie The Thirteenth Year?
I do not.
Kristen Stewart plays a girl waiting in line for a waterfountain, do you want to see a clip?
Yes. [Brief pause as I start playing a clip of Kristen Stewart’s cameo]
Oh, she's so cute, still got her style. I love it because she still does that head tilt. That was the movie that you were talking about?
Yeah, it's the one where the guy is the mermaid.
It's called The Thirteenth Year?
Yeah since he turns 13 and then he starts developing mermaid powers well merman.
Oh, I've seen this movie! I didn’t know she was in there. Oh, I like that movie, so her only bit is that?
Yeah, it’s her waiting in line for the water fountain, and he's drinking all the water.
Oh so, I did see her first movie! Wow!
Okay, so let's talk about Kristen Stewart's breakout role in Panic Room. Was that your introduction to her and if so did you watch this movie in theaters in 2002?
Yes, that was my introduction. I originally thought my introduction to her was Catch That Kid, but now, I realize from what you just said that [Panic Room] is. I did see Panic Room, and I loved Jodie Foster and her in it. I thought it was a great movie. She was a great actress in there. That movie was really thrilling in my mind. Scary! Both of them delivered. I did see it in theater.
Jodie Foster is an amazing actress. For Kristen Stewart to act across her and be as solid as she was at such a young age, I thought, I mean I knew for sure, she has potential, she's gonna go places, she's gonna be well known.
Following that Kristen Stewart does action-adventure family films like Catch That Kid and Zathura, which aren't really discussed as much. Why do you think that is?
I think because Catch That Kid was more a different demographic. I guess adults went with their kids. It's not like it was an Oscar-winning movie. Therefore, I don't think it would be something that everybody would run to see.
I'm pretty sure it's after Flashdance Jennifer Beals. I love that movie, and I love her chemistry with Jennifer Beals. I thought she did a great job. I always remember her scene climbing up the side of the building and why she stole the money and so forth. Again, she really knows how to act across well-established actors. She stands out all the time, Kristen Stewart, in every movie that I've seen. She's natural. She's likable and a lot of fun to watch.
One of the things that stuck with me is the mom making the password her name. Even though in the movie, she thinks her mom doesn't like her. Then, she realizes the password when she's trying to open the vault later to get the money.
What about Zathura? Why do you think that's not discussed as much, similar to Catch That Kid?
I think it's because it was probably marketed as such. I don't know. I've seen most of her movies, and I remember her being frozen. She was really funny in there, and she was trying to be this typical big sister who was like “get away from me, leave me alone, I just want to sleep.” She comes out in her, I think white tank top, and then she gets frozen. She’s just so lovable in my mind. Why didn't it get well-known? I think people just didn't give it a chance, and maybe it wasn't marketed properly.
Kristen Stewart, evidently, blew up after being cast as Bella Swan in Twilight. Were you a fan of the franchise, and if so, did you read the books or see any of the films in theater?
I didn't read the books. I did not see the films in theater, and I am a fan of the franchise. It gets a lot of criticism from a lot of people, a lot of haters, but I'm a huge fan of her so it doesn't matter to me. I think she did a great job, and she carried the franchise in my mind. It was successful as is seen with box office numbers. People can hate it all they want to, but I think it was successful, [and] she was successful.
Before we continue, I will correct you on one thing. We did see the last movie in theaters.
Oh, that's right! We did see the one where they rewind. I think this is what's happening? Everybody's getting killed off, only to realize that it's just a vision that what's her name… Alice is seeing. Then, you realize and the whole audience went woah! At first, everyone was like “Huh! Oh my god, they’re all getting killed!” Then, it was followed by “Oh, like, thank god because of the vision.” That was a really great scene. Yeah, I love that: memorable.
Here's a very serious life-altering question. Were you team Edward or team Jacob?
Team Edward.
After the Twilight franchise ended in 2012, Kristen Stewart has frequently been praised for her work in smaller films. Here's a list of some of them: Clouds of Sil Maria, Still Alice, American Ultra, Café Society, Personal Shopper, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Lizzie, Seberg, and Crimes of the Future. Do any of these particular films stand out to you?
Well Still Alice, I loved her performance. She was the daughter, acting with Julianne Moore. Julianne Moore is Oscar-winning, so for Kristen Stewart to carry her weight and just be as effective as Julianne Moore was great to see. It's hard acting opposite someone that's an Oscar-winning actress and not look like you don't know how to act.
But Kristen Stewart, I feel always commits and delivers. She was the daughter. In this movie, what stuck out was she stood by her mom's side. She was doing theater. I think Broadway, and she had more flexibility so she could take care of her mom. I ended up doing the same for my mom and never really thought about the fact that maybe I was inspired by her.
The other movie was Seberg. Well, I like Belmondo, and I have seen Breathless. In Breathless, Seberg is across Belmondo. She's selling New York Times on the streets of Paris and meets Belmondo’s character.
Watching Seberg, I figured out who this woman was, working with Malcolm X and so forth. I know this one did not get a lot of recognition. People didn't watch it, but it was great! I know I keep on using this word great, but it was memorable. Again, another solid performance! I don't understand why she's just not seen as someone who is a great actress. To me, [Kirsten’s] one of the big ones, the old-school actors like Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn. She encompasses all of that.
Around 2019 Kristen Stewart started taking on more mainstream mid-budget movies again like Charlie's Angels, Underwater, and Happiest Season. Do you like that she did so or do you prefer her roles in smaller films?
I like that she did so. I think what she's showing is that she has many different layers, and she can do many different roles. A lot of times actors are getting nominated just for the same type of roles, or they get typecast and she's not. She's showing that she can do all of it and even this.
I think it's great when you can be in a superhero movie or you can be in a Charlie's Angels movie and still have fun. She's a fun person, obviously, and she's a serious person.
I don't want to pinpoint Jennifer Aniston in this. There's certain actors that it's always the same faces, the same reactions to things, and the same type of roles. With Kristen Stewart, I don't find that. I find she's more complicated than people think. There's a lot to her. Misunderstood! I can relate because I think I'm many layers too, and I think I'm as misunderstood as her. I'm not an actress like her so I don't get to show every part of me to everybody, but I think that's why I enjoy watching her actually.
Happiest Season, she did great with that one. It makes everybody want to date her. If you can achieve that just like [Glen Powell in Anyone But You], if you got that kind of charisma on the screen where people run to go see your movies or want to be with you, if you can get that kind of power, then you have the it factor.
In 2022, Kristen Stewart received an Oscar nomination for the movie Spencer where she played a real-life icon, more specifically Princess Diana. Is this film Kristen Stewart's best performance?
I personally don't think it's her best performance. She did great, but I don't think it's her best performance. I think she was great in Seberg. Honestly, that's my favorite performance of hers and Still Alice.
It's not that she didn't do a great job being Diana. I think it's the way it was directed that didn't really lend itself to showcasing her 100%. I'm not saying it should be like The Crown. I think sometimes, just like we've seen with [Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde], she's a really good actress, but the problem is that directors [make] choices that kind of decrease the effect of the actress. Then, it just makes people feel like they're not good actors. It's just how it goes.
Now it's 2024, Kristen Stewart has two films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January: Love Lies Bleeding and Love Me. How excited are you for each film?
Love Lies Bleeding, I'm very excited. It's one of my most anticipated for this year. What's the second one?
Love Me with Steven Yeun.
Oh, I don't know. I haven't even heard about this, but you know I'm going to see it. I love both of them, and I'd like to see her again opposite a leading man that's successful and can really act. He's in Minari, and he's very personable. He's also in Beef. Wow, I can't wait to see [the] chemistry between the two of them. It's going to show another layer of her.
Now that we have reflected on Kristen Stewart's filmography, how do you view her career overall?
I think she's successful. Doing movies like Charlie's Angels and Underwater, which I've seen, I mean those are just fun. She just needs to be given more opportunities to showcase her acting.
I would like her to go to win an Oscar someday if she's given the right opportunity.
So what do you want to see Kristen Stewart do next in the future?
Not more fun things like Charlie's Angels or superhero [movies], I think more drama, more thrillers, something that could potentially win like a Chris Nolan movie or an A24 movie, but
it has to be the right part for her.
Love Lies Bleeding is an A24 movie, which is coming out this year, but I don't know if that's gonna necessarily...
Often, A24 movies are just different original content not necessarily targeted to win an Oscar. A24 is really out-of-the-box movies.
You might disagree with this. A lot of her smaller films feel like A24 movies, but they're just not really popular.
I feel like perhaps she's shunned by a lot of the members in SAG (Screen Actors Guild) when they're gonna vote for someone's acting capabilities. Maybe not, I mean, she was nominated for Diana.
I guess we just have to wait and see.
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