Kristen Stewart has a lengthy profile in the New Yorker to promote, you guessed it, Spencer. I recently saw Spencer and I liked it, but I’m not sure I’m completely buying K-Stew as Diana, or her performance as a shoo-in for the Best Actress Oscar. Given the buzz, I think she’ll likely be Oscar-nominated. But Spencer really is more like an artsy horror film rather than a historical movie about a princess. As for this New Yorker piece, it’s very much in line with the general messaging of Kristen’s Oscar campaign, the same one which has been waged for months already: Kristen has grown into one of the best actresses of her generation, she’s paid her dues, she’s a generational talent, she’s super-cool and offbeat.
Deciding to become a child actor: “I think when I presented [my mom] with this she was, like, ‘Sh-t, I’ve told her she can do anything she wants, now I have to drive her to these f–king auditions.’ ” Stewart tried out for a number of commercials, but the artifice of advertising didn’t come naturally to her. “I was so bad at auditioning for commercials—like ‘Try the soda pop,’ or whatever.”
She’s not really Method or maybe she is: “Maybe I’m extremely Method, because it is me, and there’s no separation, and I believe it so fully when it’s good.”
On Catherine Hardwicke, director of Twilight: “She was kind of the perfect person to do a young-adult novel that had these dark romantic elements. She had this childlike openness and teen-age triggers, and her whole sensibility was that the movie was going to feel horny and overconfident.”
Reading with Robert Pattinson for the first time: “It was so clear who worked,” Stewart said, grinning. “I was literally just, like . . .” She mimicked a swoon, dropping her golf club at the memory of Robert Pattinson, the British actor who became her co-star and, for several years, her boyfriend. Pattinson, she said, had an “intellectual approach that was combined with ‘I don’t give a f–k about this, but I’m going to make this sing.’ And I was, like, ‘Ugh, same.’ And, whatever, we were young and stupid and, not to say that we made it so much better, but that’s what it needed, and that’s what anybody playing those parts needed to feel.”
Doing press for Twilight: “It was very naïve, in the best way. Like, how fun for people to think they know you,” she said, smiling slyly. “Did you think I was going to do ‘Twilight’ forever? Is that how you saw me? If that’s how you saw me, then you really set me up for success, because I can do way more than that.”
How her affair with Rupert Sanders ruined the potential for a Snow White sequel. Although the film made about four hundred million dollars, a planned sequel was reworked as a spinoff, with different actresses. “The work, to me, genuinely was ignored in a really sort of frivolous, silly, petty way for a group of adult people who were supposed to be running studios and making films.”
Why she ended up repping Chanel: “There’s an elevated ambition to wanting to work with them. You’re, like, ‘Oh, so that’s the best one? Cool, I guess I’ll do that.’ When I was younger, I just wanted to be a winner.”
On her Oscar campaign: “I’ve never been in the running, if you want to put it like that. I do not want to seem like an ass, but it’s so embarrassing and so tiring. It is highly political. You have to go talk to people. You feel like you’re a diplomat.”
She’s developing a gay ghost-hunting reality show with a friend: She described it as “a paranormal romp in a queer space,” with elevated aesthetics. “Gay people love pretty things. So we are aiming for a richness.”
Honestly, a high-class, snobby, gay ghost-hunting show sounds kind of awesome?? I would watch that? As for Kristen finding Oscar-campaigning “so embarrassing” because she has to go and talk to people? I love it. Yes, she’s 31 years old, but she’ll always have that sulky teenage vibe and it’s hilarious. Despite her qualms, she is waging an aggressive Oscar campaign and, as I said, it will be successful in that she will likely get a nomination. Winning it is a whole other story. I enjoy what she said about Rob too. Less pleased with what she said about banging Rupert Sanders!
Additionally, Kristen gave an interview to Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast this week and she was asked about all of her Oscar buzz, and what she thought of the possibility that she could win an Oscar for Spencer. Her answer? “I don’t give a sh-t. The Oscars are such a funny thing. There are so many incredible movies and performances that barely get seen. It definitely says something about where we’re at as a cumulative presence – what we’re looking at, what we care about. I really appreciate that something that I was involved in, has ignited such a large conversation. We don’t make movies to not connect with each other.”
Photos courtesy of Instar, Backgrid, Avalon Red, Neon Films.
“I don’t give a sh-t.”
GMAFB break Kristen. You do care, a LOT.
She’s clearly joking (there’s a video where’s she laughing and even the write-up on variety says she’s joking). TBH if I was her publicist I would be beyond pissed that the the tweet framed it as a serious quote.
I’m so tired of angsty teenager brand.
She was just on Howard Stern’s show a week or two ago saying the exact opposite, that of course she hopes she wins! But she’s an actor, always acting.
Joaquin Phenix played that card for ages, then he decided he wanted an Oscar and campained.
I think she will do the same at a certain point
So stop. Pretty simple really.
First rule of Oscar campaigning is that you don’t talk about Oscar campaigning. Look how long it took Joaquin Phoenix to win. He took her line for years, too, until he stopped. But if she doesn’t care, then don’t campaign.
Delightful Kstew interview. She better go talk to people and try to get that Oscar. When talking about Pattinson’s approach to the role, her “Ugh, same” comment was too funny. Love how she bashed the studio behind the snow white spinoff. Her comments about her new show also hilarious.
Like the yin to Gaga’s yang, approach-wise.
The older she gets the more beautiful she becomes. Her bone structure is **chefs kiss** lovely. I look forward to when she’s done with this hair color.
I agree. I think she’s gorgeous… a real stunner.
Honestly, if this is the “worst” of her campaign she’s done pretty well for someone who used to stick her foot in her mouth all the time. She’s repeatedly said she is excited, so I doubt this will hurt her chances with Oscar voters. I like her, but she does often misspeak and stick her foot in her mouth so I’ve been surprised that she’s managed to go so long without having an “oops” moment (and even then, this isn’t that bad). At this point, though, you think her publicist would realize that asking someone who is awkward with press to keep doing press is not the best idea and have her dial way back on the campaigning…
And yikes…Variety has been going with major clickbait recently. Filmupdates had a video clip of her and she was clearly joking when she said “I don’t give a shit” and followed it up by talking about how stoked she was….but Variety’s tweet framed it as if it was serious. If I was her publicist I’d be furious with that framing, especially as I think Variety was also the one who kept acting like she wanted to be in a Batman film with Rob Pattinson even though she clearly said no. They did something similar to an other actor, recently, too.
And the ghost hunting show actually sounds….fun.
I don’t believe it’s always up to the actor themselves whether they want to campaign. If the studio is backing an Oscar push and part of your contract is promo around award season, I think you pretty much need to do it. I can understand how that would be rough on someone like Kristen who is shy and doesn’t love doing press, even if she’s proud of the film. I appreciate her honesty in how political it is.
I like Kristen okay as an actress, but I don’t get the idea that she’s this huge talent of her generation. She never loses herself in a role.
She seems to do better in smaller, indie films. I thought she was good in Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper.
Her talking about both Pattinson and Rupert Sanders says she has no problem camping for the Oscar. She doing the classic artsy to cool for school Oscar camping , same as Johnny Deep, Joaquin Phoenix and many more.
I love that she bitches about her job like the rest of us.
We bitch from a place of frustration and poor working co sitions and pay, etc…
If she truly bitches it’s from a place of sheltered privilege.
She gave an early interview stating the daily life of many child actors. They even have people to brunch their teeth for them while makeup and hair are applied. The pay for her level is excellent. Unless there’s a Weinstein in her circle she should appreciate her job more.
But her Comment was actually humor that just didn’t land.
She’s grown on me. I have yet to see her in a part with any range but for what she is I’ve started to find her lightly entertaining. I’m really looking forward to Spencer on streaming, and I’m keeping an open mind about it. I’d forgotten about that Snow White drama. Gawd. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone less suited to a role. She was comically awful in it. But she’s successfully evolved from sex kitten starlet with constant drama to indie queen, out and proud.
Oscars should be based on acting not butt kissing anyways.
Nothing against her but I don’t get the Oscar buzz at all. Ruth Negga in Passing now that’s a great performance.
Passing is another level. The Oscars aren’t about the most artistically brilliant, socially relevant film of the year. That’s what film festivals are for. I’d be surprised if Passing gets even the slightest Oscar nod.
Preach, that was so good! I had some troubles with the film itself, but Ruth was exquisite.
I find her embarrassing and tiring. Never ever ever understood the appeal as an actor or a “face”.
Ugh, Same.
Same. Both her acting and her face are a big no for me. Also, in her interviews she rarely seems grateful for where she is, which makes her hard to like.
Not a fan of hers, at all.
When someone says they don’t give a s** they usually do. KS is a better actress but I do not see her as an oscar winner for this film it was lacking a lot,
Wow, this try-hard postures a LOT for someone who’s always slumping their shoulders.
It’s kind of funny how strongly people react to her. She makes a good point–Oscar campaigning IS tiring and it IS embarrassing. Lots of people choose acting as a career because they’re not comfortable putting their actual selves out there for people, they enjoy pretending to be other people; so when they have to sell themselves, pump up how great they are to the public, it’s very uncomfortable.
Exactly, I love her for this. Actors aren’t politicians, schmoozing people is a whole different skill. I like her honesty here.
Side note, I love this top pic of her.
She was so good as Diana. Really, just transformative.
Thank you for your reaction to her work not just her as a still polarizing person. I’ll wait for Spencer’ when it comes on streaming but I am interested in seeing it.
Re Snow White: can’t believe she lost her job for that when many other actors (and ” adult people who were supposed to be running studios and making films” as Kristen calls them) have done so much worse, damaging things but kept their careers intact.
Never been a fan of Kristen’s. She always seemed so “I don’t give a f**k” about anyone or anything. She’s had a couple good acting roles, however, most were when she was younger, Panic Room, Cake,and Into the Wild. As she got older she developed affectations in her acting, such as lip biting, twitching, blinking and staring, which in my mind, do not convey great acting.
As for Spencer, I can’t get past the physicality of her not looking or acting like Diane. She doesn’t have the obvious stature or movement that I remember of Diana. But, I agree she will definitely garner a nomination but don’t think she will win but stranger things have happened. She was absolutely spot on when she said many great performances are overlooked which is a shame. I wish her and every other actress nominated good luck.
Maybe she’s like a legit cool non-clout chasing person, but when she makes comments like this, it seems so cringey and try-hard.
I find her so tiresome and dishonest.
And frankly, if the Academy gives her an Oscar after passing on Chadwick Boseman last year. I’ll know not to bother paying attention anymore.
I’ve never seen her in anything. All I’ve got to say is, my first Barbie had that hairdo, same color & everything.