Many people are only familiar with Kristen Stewart from when she starred in Twilight long ago. But that’s like judging someone for their most embarrassing university years. Twilight was at the very beginning of Kristen Stewart’s film career, and since then, she’s starred in plenty of highly rated movies, proving her chops as a serious actress and member of the LGBT+ community.
Although the franchise launched them to fame and earned them a pretty penny ($12.5 million for each movie in the series, to be exact), Kristen and her ex Robert Pattinson are fed up of their past being discussed. Kristen has thrown some shade at the Twilight franchise, it boosted her up to the multi-faceted talent that she is today, and for that, we’re grateful.
From queen of angst to underdog
After the role of Bella Swan, Kristen blossomed from moody, never-smiling teen to an empowered woman, discovering her identity every step along the way. At first, people were on the fence about Stewart’s lack of on-screen emotion, and she admitted to having panic attacks at the time. However, the Bella Swan fans had her back through all the judgement and misunderstood actions, which helped her grow as a woman.
Displaying her diverse skills
Although she was mostly remembered for Twilight, Kirsten used that to her advantage and tackled the underground of film. She opted for art house and indie movies like the haunting Personal Shopper and Certain Women, to her memorable performance in Clouds of Sils Maria. For this film, she won a Cesar Award in France, which is basically their version of the Oscars. She also had a prominent role in Snow White and the Huntsman that refused to let critics remember her only of “the girl from Twilight.” Stewart has always had an obsession with independent films, and now she’s finally living her dream out by acting in them.
Coming out on SNL
After that rollercoaster of a relationship with Robert Pattinson, Kristen came out as fluid, with a particularly memorable Saturday Night Live speech that cemented the fact. Before, she hid under the burdens and expectations of others, which led people to think that she didn’t have any feelings, and was a one-hit-wonder in a vampire franchise. They were sorely mistaken – Stewart is anything but the helpless character she once played in Twilight. Her success story might be quiet, but its one that deserves a furious round of applause.
Staying true to herself
Today, she only takes roles that she finds meaning in. This authenticity has won her plenty of awards, now, and we can’t wait to see which parts she accepts next. Kristen’s journey is one that many teenage girls should be inspired by. Even though she was bullied and ridiculed for the parts she played earlier in life, she was never defined by them, nor ashamed. Instead, she grew and learned from her mistakes, which in turned allow her to flourish in her goals. Then, she was able to communicate her personal identity to the public, which allowed her to be as authentic as ever. Life lesson, kids! Don’t listen to what everyone else says; stay true to yourself, and everything else will fall into place.
Who is Kristen today?
Today, she’s reclaiming the label of “awkward” and confident as ever, with hew newfound emotional freedom. She recently starred in Seberg, where she played an American actress who transformed from Hollywood’s hottest debutante to an icon of French New Wave. From this Cesar Award recipient, the role was practically made for Kristen Stewart. Both Seberg and Stewart have faced their fair share of controversy.
A few days ago, Kristen Stewart just turned 30. It’s a milestone birthday that comes with a lot of pressure, but we think this babe is doing just fine! She’s in a relationship with female screenwriter Dylan Meyers, who just happened to post the sweetest birthday shoutout to her girlfriend. She was previously connected to model Stella Maxwell, but found more in common with the down-to-earth Meyers, who has said on social media that she’s “in love”.
The next career move for Kristen Stewart seems to be directing, which she’s had a passion for since childhood. Immersed in film as a child actor (remember her fantastic acting in “Panic Room”?) it’s no surprise that this 20-year veteran to Hollywood would want to flex her director chops. We’re mostly hoping it’s the whirl-wind love story of her and her girlfriend.