Kristen Stewart

One of the major faces of New Hollywood, Kristen Stewart (birthname: Kristen Jaymes Stewart) is an actor who has grown up in front of the eyes of moviegoers, from early roles in Sean Penn’s In the Wild (2007) to her co-starring role in David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future in 2022. Though frequently decried as a performer who can lack energy, focus, and articulation, Stewart has also scored several of the industry’s major accolades, including a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her Lady Di portrayal in Pablo Larrain’s Spencer (2021).  

Kristen Stewart’s movie career began at age ten, in a small role in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000), leading to larger roles in Rose Troche’s The Safety of Objects (2001) and as Jodie Foster’s daughter in David Fincher’s Panic Room (2002). Stewart scored her first starring role in Catch That Kid (2004) as well as lead in the Pang Brothers’ thriller, The Messengers (2007), with Dylan McDermott. Stewart continued to work with major Hollywood artists, with director Sean Penn in In the Wild, with Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, and Jena Malone.

At age 17, Kristen Stewart became a major international star when she was cast as Bella Swan in the teen vampire blockbuster series, Twilight (2008), which continued with her co-star Robert Pattinson through The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1 (2011), and finally The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 2 (2012).

Combined, the worldwide gross of the five-film series is $3.35 billion, turning Stewart into one of Hollywood’s few bankable female stars, illustrated by contrasting her payday for the first Twilight ($2 million) and the combined fourth and fifth entries (an estimated $25 million).

Kristen Stewart demonstrated her growing versatility in Greg Mottola’s hit comedy, Adventureland (2009), with Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Reynolds, and Bill Hader,  portraying Joan Jett in Floria Sigismondi’s The Runaways (2010), with Dakota Fanning, and as soldier in Camp X-Ray (2014), with John Carroll Lynch.

Artistically, Stewart’s high point to date could be in 2014, when she appeared with Juliette Binoche and Chloë Grace Moretz in Olivier Assayas’ fascinating drama about acting, Clouds of Sils Maria (which earned her a best-supporting actress award from the top French film awards competition, the Césars), and with Julianne Moore in Wash Westmoreland’s and Richard Glatzer’s drama, Still Alice—each earning Stewart some of her best reviews.

Stewart had an exceptionally busy 2015 and 2016 with a number of films by major auteurs, including Assayas (Personal Shopper in 2016), Kelly Reichardt (Certain Women in 2015), Woody Allen (Café Society in 2016), Ang Lee (Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk in 2016). 

After several minor films which did little to move the box-office needle, including her portrayals of Lizzie Borden in Lizzie (2018), with Sevigny, and of actor Jean Seberg in Seberg (2019), with Jack O’Connell, Margaret Qualley, and Anthony Mackie, Kristen Stewart returned to wide-audience popularity with Charlie’s Angels (2019), written and directed by Elizabeth Banks.

Stewart gained global acclaim and her first Oscar best actress nomination for Pablo Larrain’s Spencer (2021), her much-discussed portrayal of Lady Diana Spencer during a fateful Christmas weekend. Kristen Stewart joined the ensemble of David Cronenberg’s baroque body horror film, Crimes of the Future (2022), with Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux, which premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Stewart is set to star in Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding (date to be announced) and is scheduled to make her feature debut as writer-director, in The Chronology of Water (date to be announced).