Much will ride for Kristen Stewart on the success of the pending “Twilight.” Perhaps that is unfair, because the young actress has amassed an impressive resume since her graduation from standard Disney fare to more challenging roles in films like “Panic Room” (she replaced Hayden Panettiere and in doing so garnering much comparison to that film’s lead, Jodie Foster). But now, with a certain part of the public thinking of nothing but the movie version of “Twilight,” Kristen will have many critical eyes upon her.
Still, this is nothing new for her. She was born into an entertainment family, and with an agent in tow, started auditioning for projects around age eight. “Panic Room,” the 2002 David Fincher film, marked Kristen’s first major work. Critics and audiences took note of the 12-year-old, and it was clear that Kristen’s offbeat screen presence – which served well in 2004’s “Undertow” – would benefit forthcoming roles. Indeed, despite obligatory punch-the-clock pictures like “Catch That Kid,” Kristen seemed more inclined to things like “Speak,” “Zathura” and “Fierce People.”
One could look at Kristen Stewart’s career with a clear line drawn in 2007. She appeared in five films that year with nearly as many spilling into 2008, culminating with “Twilight” and Kristen in the lead role. Among movies of note in this time period is the forgotten “The Messengers,” “Into the Wild” and “Jumper.” Remarkably still in her teen years, Kristen Stewart has showcased a wise-beyond-her-years persona but without the flash of such precocity that has skyrocketed Hayden Panettiere’s career – pigeonholing her into strictly mainstream work. Undoubtedly, “Twilight” will prove just another stepping stone for Kristen, and in the next decade it will be curious to see if she remains at this level of productivity or if some other interests pull her away from the limelight.
Kristen on Video
“Twilight” Behind the Scenes
Kristen chats on location in Oregon for “Twilight.”
“In the Land of Women” Interview
Brief clip of Kristen on the film and Adam Brody.
“Twilight” Trailer
Join the over 4 million views of the teaser trailer.
Kristen on the Screen
Her debut was in the Disney Channel’s “The Thirteenth Year” in 1999, and then in the indie “The Safety of Objects” in 2001. “Panic Room” put her on the map, followed by “Cold Creek Manner,” “Catch That Kid,” and “Undertow” for David Gordon Green (“Pineapple Express,” “George Washington”). She’s in the little-seen “Speak,” Jon Favreau’s “Zathura,” the horror film “The Messengers,” “In the Land of Women,” and more recently, “Southland Tales,” “Into the Wild,” and “Jumper.”
Kristen Says
On being a star:
“I’m not so interested in being a Hollywood star. It’s a job, you know. When you wake up at six in the morning every day for a week, it feels like hard work.”
On her target audience:
“I don’t want to make movies for kids, and I don’t want to make movies for adults either.”