Stewart was born in Los Angeles,
California on April 9, 1990.[1] Her father, John Stewart, is a stage manager and television producer, while her Australian-born mother,[2][3] Jules Mann-Stewart, is a script supervisor and filmmaker.[1][4] Jules, an Australian native raised in
Maroochydore,
Queensland, had studied at the
University of Sydney before moving to Hollywood at the age of 16.[5] Jules was adopted by a
Jewish couple in California, Norma and Ben Urman, in 1953; a DNA test showed that one of Kristen's biological maternal grandparents was
Ashkenazi Jewish.[6][better source needed][dubious –
discuss] Stewart has an older brother, Cameron B. Stewart, and two adopted brothers, Dana and Taylor.[7] In 2012, her mother filed for divorce after 27 years of marriage.[4]
Stewart grew up in the
San Fernando Valley.[1] She attended local schools until the seventh grade, and as she became more involved in acting, she continued her
education by distance until graduating from high school.[8][9] Since she was raised in a family who work in the entertainment industry as non-actors, Stewart thought she would become a screenwriter or a director, but never considered being an actor, saying: "I never wanted to be the center of attention—I wasn't that 'I want to be famous, I want to be an actor' kid. I never sought out acting, but I always practiced my autograph because I love pens. I'd write my name on everything."[10]
Career
Career beginnings and breakthrough (2000s)
Stewart began acting at age eight, after an agent saw her perform in her elementary school's Christmas play.[11] After auditioning for a year, she got her first role with a small, nonspeaking part in the
Disney Channel television film The Thirteenth Year.[12] Her next film was The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, where she played the "ring toss girl".[12] She also appeared in the independent film The Safety of Objects (2001), as the
tomboy daughter of a troubled single mother (
Patricia Clarkson). Stewart also played the tomboy,
diabetic daughter of a divorced mother (
Jodie Foster) in the thriller film Panic Room (2002), directed by
David Fincher. She was nominated for a
Young Artist Award for her performance.[13] Following the success of Panic Room, Stewart was cast in another thriller, Cold Creek Manor (2003), playing the daughter of
Dennis Quaid and
Sharon Stone's characters and receiving a Young Artist Award nomination for her performance.[13] At this point in her career, she began homeschooling due to her irregular schedule.[citation needed]
At age fourteen, Stewart's first starring role was in the children's action-comedy Catch That Kid (2004), opposite
Max Thieriot and
Corbin Bleu. That year, Stewart also played the role of Lila in the thriller, Undertow (2004). Stewart starred in the
Lifetime/
Showtime television film Speak (2004), based on
the novel by the same name by
Laurie Halse Anderson. Stewart, aged thirteen at the time of filming, played Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman who nearly stops speaking after being raped. Her performance was widely praised, with The New York Times stating "Ms. Stewart creates a convincing character full of pain and turmoil."[14] Stewart appeared in the fantasy-adventure film Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), playing the role of Lisa Budwing, the irresponsible older sister of two little boys. During their playing a board game, they turn their house into a spacecraft hurtling uncontrollably in outer space. The film was praised by critics, but Stewart's performance did not draw much media attention. Her character is immobilized during most of the film.[15] The following year, she played the character Maya in Fierce People (2006), directed by
Griffin Dunne. After that film, she received the lead role of Jess Solomon in the
supernatural thriller film The Messengers.
Stewart appeared as teenager Lucy Hardwicke in In the Land of Women (2007), a romantic drama starring
Meg Ryan and
Adam Brody. The film, as well as Stewart's performance, received mixed reviews. That same year, Stewart had a small role in the
Sean Penn-directed adaptation Into the Wild. For her portrayal of Tracy – a teenage singer who has a crush on young adventurer
Christopher McCandless (played by
Emile Hirsch) – Stewart received mixed reviews. While
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", Variety's critic Dennis Harvey said, "It's unclear whether Stewart means to be playing
hippie-chick Tracy as vapid, or whether it just comes off that way."[16][17][18] The film received
Screen Actors Guild nomination for
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. After Into the Wild, Stewart had a cameo appearance in Jumper and also appeared in What Just Happened, which was released in October 2008.[19] She co-starred in The Cake Eaters, an independent film that has been screened only at film festivals. Both the film and Stewart's performance received many positive reviews.[20] Critic Bill Goodykoontz from The Arizona Republic said that Stewart "really shines.... She excels at both aspects of the performance, giving Georgia a strength that defies any sort of pity one might feel for her, without letting us forget her vulnerability".[21]
On November 16, 2007,
Summit Entertainment announced that Stewart would play main character
Bella Swan in the romantic fantasy film Twilight, based on
Stephenie Meyer's
novel of the same name.[22] Stewart was on the set of Adventureland when director
Catherine Hardwicke visited her for an informal screen test, which "captivated" the director.[23] She starred alongside
Robert Pattinson, who plays
Edward Cullen, her vampire boyfriend. Stewart described her approach to the role as "capturing ... that first awakening, that ownership of your body and desire".[24]Twilight was released in the U.S. in November 2008.[25] Stewart's performance gained mixed reviews, with
Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly describing her as "the ideal casting choice" and praising her for conveying "Bella's detachment, as well as her need to bust through it", while
Claudia Puig of USA Today criticized her acting for being "wooden" and lacking variety in her "blank" facial expressions.[26][27]
She received praise for her role in Adventureland (2009), a
comedy-drama film written and directed by
Greg Mottola, and co-starring
Jesse Eisenberg. Critic
James Berardinelli said, "Stewart is more than merely appealing in this role – she makes Em a fully realized woman, and some of the most intricate development results from what the camera observes in Stewart's eyes."[28]Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said Stewart was "beautiful, enigmatic and very experienced".[29] and
MSN Movies' James Rocchi stated, "Stewart's vulnerable, spooky power is used to nice effect."[30] Stewart reappeared as Bella in a sequel to Twilight, titled New Moon, once again receiving mixed reviews for her performance. Jordan Mintzer from Variety called Stewart "the heart and soul of the film" and praised her for giving "both weight and depth to dialogue...she makes Bella's psychological wounds seem like the real deal."[31] On the other hand,
Manohla Dargis from The New York Times said Stewart's "lonely-girl blues soon grow wearisome,"[32] and Bill Goodykoontz from The Arizona Republic stated "Stewart is a huge disappointment... She sucks the energy right out of the film".[33] She reprised this role in a third film, Eclipse, which was released in June 2010.[34] Critics were warmer toward the film compared to its predecessors.[35]
Continued Twilight success and dramatic roles (2010s)
Stewart topped Forbes' list of "Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck" in 2011.[41] She was listed as the 13th highest-earning entertainment industry figure in Vanity Fair's "Hollywood's Top 40" list in the same year, with an estimated earning of $28.5 million for her film roles during the year.[42]Forbes also ranked her as the world's highest-paid actress in 2012, with total earnings of $34.5 million.[43] The fourth installment in the Twilight film series, Breaking Dawn – Part 1, was released on November 18, 2011. The Village Voice's Dan Konis said Stewart "beautifully underplays" the role,[44] while Emma Dibdin of Total Film described the relationship between Stewart and Pattinson's characters as "like a sad, destructive charade" despite the actors' chemistry.[45]
On December 6, 2011, Stewart was named number one on Forbes magazine's list of "Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck".[41] On January 13, 2012, she became the face of a new unnamed
Balenciaga perfume; in June, its name was promoted as "Florabotanica".[46] Stewart starred as
Snow White in the film Snow White and the Huntsman (2012).[47] Stewart appears as Mary Lou in On the Road, the film adaptation of
Jack Kerouac's
novel of the same name.[48] She concluded the role of Bella Swan in Breaking Dawn – Part 2, released in November 2012. The film attracted a mixed critical response but found success during its box office run, grossing $830 million worldwide and becoming the
81st highest-grossing film.[49][50] The Twilight film series, dubbed The Twilight Saga, generated $3.32 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing film franchises.[51][52] According to Forbes, Stewart was the world's highest-paid actress in 2012, with total earnings of $34.5 million. She earned $12.5 million each for the last two installments in the Twilight series, including royalties.[43]
On December 11, 2013,
Chanel announced Stewart as their "new face" for a Western-inspired fashion collection. The campaign was shot by
Karl Lagerfeld and released online in May 2014.[53] In 2014, Balenciaga released a new fragrance, Rosabotanica, with Stewart remaining the face of the brand.[54] She was ranked No. 3 on Forbes' highest-paid actress in 2013, with a total earning of $22 million, #10 in 2014 with $12 million, and #9 in 2015 with $12 million. Camp X-Ray, her first film of 2014, premiered at the
2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 17.[55] While it generated mixed reviews from critics, Stewart's performance as a young soldier stationed at
Guantanamo Bay detention camp received praise.[56] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called it "her best screen work to date [playing the role of] an inexperienced military guard",[57] while Xan Brooks of The Guardian said, "It's a role that reminds us what a fine performer she was in the likes of Into the Wild and Adventureland.".[58] In 2014, she appeared in the music video for
Jenny Lewis' "Just One of The Guys", and in The New York Times short movie 9 Kisses.
Stewart next starred alongside
Juliette Binoche and
Chloë Grace Moretz in
Olivier Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria. The film premiered at the
2014 Cannes Film Festival.[59][60] Her performance in the film was critically acclaimed.[61][62]Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter said that "Stewart's habitual low-keyed style, which can border on the monotone, functions as effectively underplayed contrast."[63] Peter Debruge of Variety praised Stewart's "spontaneous, agitated energy that makes her the most compellingly watchable American actress of her generation."[64] Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph described her portrayal as "sharp and subtle, knowable and then suddenly distant" and highlighted the "brilliant lightness of touch" in her approach to the film's twist.[65] For the performance, Stewart won the
César Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first American actress to receive a nomination in thirty years. She is the second American winner after
Adrien Brody, who won the
César Award for Best Actor in 2003.[66][67] That same year, Stewart appeared alongside
Julianne Moore in Still Alice, a drama film that premiered at the
2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Critics commended her performance in the film.[61]Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called her "wonderfully vibrant and contentious" and said: "Even when Still Alice sometimes slips into sentiment, Moore and Stewart are funny, fierce and glorious.[68]
In May 2016, it was announced that Stewart would make her directorial debut with a short film for the female-focused digital publisher
Refinery29. It would be part of their ShatterBox Anthology.[80] The short film, titled Come Swim, had its world premiere at the
2017 Sundance Film Festival.[81] In June, Stewart appeared in a video ad campaign for Chanel.[82] In 2017, Stewart coauthored a computer science preprint about the use of
neural net techniques in the making of her short film Come Swim.[83] That same year, Stewart hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time with musical guest
Alessia Cara[84] and was invited to join the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[85]
Stewart starred as actress
Jean Seberg in Seberg, directed by
Benedict Andrews.[96] It premiered at the
76th Venice International Film Festival in August 2019.[97] While the film received mixed reviews, Stewart's performance received praise.[98]Time magazine declared her performance the 10th best performance of 2019.[99] Stewart returned to mainstream Hollywood with starring roles in the action comedy film Charlie's Angels (2019) and the science fiction film Underwater (2020). Critics were mixed in their reviews of both films, but Stewart's performance in the former was well received.[100][101] Stewart wrote and directed a short film titled Crickets, as part of the
anthology seriesHomemade which follows stories from 18 filmmakers from around the world during the
COVID-19 pandemic isolation. It was co-produced by
Pablo Larraín's production company, Fabula. The series was released on
Netflix on June 30, 2020.[102] Stewart later starred opposite
Mackenzie Davis in Happiest Season, an LGBT holiday romance film directed by
Clea DuVall, which was released on November 25, 2020.[103][104]
In June 2020, Stewart was announced as having been cast as
Diana, Princess of Wales in Pablo Larraín's biographical drama film Spencer, which chronicles Diana's decision to divorce
Charles, Prince of Wales.[105] She worked with a dialect coach and studied Diana's posture for the part.[106] Describing Diana as someone who "sticks out as a sparkly house on fire", Stewart said she "felt more free and alive and able to move" in the role than she did in any of her previous projects.[107] The film premiered at the
78th Venice International Film Festival in September 2021 and released in November that same year.[108][109] Critics lauded Stewart's portrayal of Diana, with Jonathan Romney of Screen Daily describing it as "brittle, tender, sometimes playful and not a little uncanny" and Kyle Buchanan of The New York Times deeming her casting "a meta stroke of genius".[110] Stewart received nominations for the
Academy Award for Best Actress and
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her performance.[111][112]
Stewart is set to write and direct a film adaptation of writer
Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir The Chronology of Water, which would mark her feature film directorial debut.[24][117] She is attached to play
Joan Vollmer, the most prominent female member of the
Beat Generation, alongside
Ben Foster in his untitled directorial debut, a film adaptation of
William S. Burroughs' early works and letters.[118] Stewart is also slated to play
Susan Sontag in a biopic entitled Sontag, and star with
Michael Cera in the road trip comedy Sacramento.
Public image and personal life
Stewart resides in Los Angeles.[119] In 2017, she stated that she is
bisexual, saying, "You're not confused if you're bisexual. It's not confusing at all. For me, it's quite the opposite."[120] In 2019, Stewart stated that she had been advised not to be affectionate with her girlfriend in public, in order to land mainstream roles. She said: "I don't want to work with people like that."[121] Stewart identifies as a
feminist.[122] She suffers from
equinophobia, the fear of horses.[123]
Stewart dated
Anton Yelchin when they were filming Fierce People; she described him as her "first heartbreak".[124] After their split, Stewart dated her Speak co-star
Michael Angarano from 2005 to early 2009.[125][126]
In mid-2009, Stewart became romantically linked to her Twilight co-star
Robert Pattinson. In July 2012, Stewart was photographed with her Snow White and the Huntsman director
Rupert Sanders, revealing an affair; the day the photos were released, Sanders, who was 19 years her senior and married at the time, issued a public apology for the affair, as did Stewart.[127] The media backlash from the revelation caused a large emotional toll on Stewart.[128] Stewart said the affair happened during a self-destructive moment in her life and called it "a really traumatic period in my early 20s that kick-started something in me that was a bit more feral."[129] Pattinson and Stewart split, later reconciling in October 2012. The pair eventually broke up in May 2013.[130]
In mid-2013, Stewart started dating visual effects producer Alicia Cargile.[131] She briefly dated French singer
Soko in the spring of 2016, before she resumed dating Cargile in mid 2016.[132] From late 2016, she was in a relationship with New Zealand model
Stella Maxwell until their breakup in late 2018.[133] Stewart has been in a relationship with screenwriter Dylan Meyer since August 2019, and stated in November 2021 that she and Meyer were engaged.[134]
In 2012, Stewart signed and donated the dress she wore to the premiere of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 to a CharityBuzz auction benefiting the
Robin Hood Foundation's Sandy Relief Fund, which provides long-term support to those affected by
Hurricane Sandy.[140] In 2016, she participated in building a school in
Nicaragua through the nonprofit
buildOn, with the goal being to give children the opportunity to become educated in a safe space and to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy.[141] The following year, she raised $500,000 for Hurricane Sandy relief by meeting with an unnamed "Middle Eastern prince" for 15 minutes.[142]
^Hopper, Dennis (October 1, 2009).
"Kristen Stewart". Interview. New York City: Crystal Ball Media. Archived from
the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
^Joshi, Bhautik; Stewart, Kristen; Shapiro, David (2017). "Bringing Impressionism to Life with Neural Style Transfer in Come Swim".
arXiv:1701.04928 [
cs.CV].