I included a preview of Kristen Stewart’s Harper’s Bazaar UK cover in yesterday’s links. I was actually waiting for any interview excerpts before I discussed the cover and editorial, even though this photoshoot is one of the best I’ve seen from Kristen in a while. Kristen is a pretty good “model” – she can look great with strong styling or very light, undone styling. For the past year or so, most of her magazine editorials have been with a tomboy-vibe, nothing girly or frilly. I enjoy the fact that Bazaar UK put her in this pink Chanel and posed her on a beach – the result is rather stunning, isn’t it?
As for the interview… Bazaar promised us “sexuality, sexism and her search for serenity.” Did they deliver? Eh. Some highlights:
Being famous at such a young age: “Having that much human energy thrust at you and then being critically analysed is obviously disarming. Control issues make me so nervous. It’s not knowing what’s going to happen. So what people were seeing was what happens when you are terrified. My palms sweat, my knees shake, I don’t think I can stand in my heels, I’m breathing heavily, I feel nauseous. I’ll be so nervous and then my body creates something to calm me down and I get so tired I’ll just…’ and she slumps over the table.
Hollywood is sexist: “Women inevitably have to work a little bit harder to be heard. Hollywood is disgustingly sexist. It’s crazy. It’s so offensive it’s crazy.”
On fame: “Fame is the worst thing in the world. Especially if it’s pointless. When people say, ‘I want to be famous’ Why? You don’t do anything.”
Body image: “I’m a little bigger than sample size when I’m eating cheeseburgers and am happy and comfortable. If I’m stressed or working, the weight falls off. My weight and my sleep are tied to my nervous system. Sometimes I’ll sleep for 12 hours a night and sometimes sleep just doesn’t exist for me for a couple of months.”
Filming sex scenes: “I only hate them when they’re contrived. That’s when it’s grotesquely uncomfortable. On Twilight we had to do the most epic sex scene of all time. It had to be transcendent and otherworldly, inhuman, better sex than you can possibly ever imagine, and we were like, ‘How do we live up to that?’ It was agony. Which sucks, because I wanted it to be so good.”
[From Harper’s Bazaar UK and E! News]
So…not so much about “sexuality”. Which is fine. Kristen doesn’t have to confirm or deny anything, mostly because her actions speak louder than words, even if it makes the mainstream press uncomfortable with how to reference Kristen’s girlfriend Alicia Cargile. Kristen does seem to have done a lot of growing up in the past few years. I like that she’s gone back to her indie roots, and I think she’ll probably figure out an interesting career path for herself long-term post-Twilight. And I do think she’s telling the truth about being a nervous, fidgety, high-strung person. But I still don’t understand people who can sleep for 12 hours at a time consistently. How do you DO that?
Photos courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar UK.
LIFE is disgustingly sexist …
Word.
And hollywood made it an art form
I definitely like the change in styling. She looks good.
Boring interview, but her face looks beautiful on the cover. I don’t normally think she’s very pretty.
That haircut has done wonders for her. She should keep it forever.
I agree, it really changed her whole style and is much more suited to her.
If I ever had the balls to chop all my hair off, hers is the type of cut I would want. It really does look great on her.
Yes, I’m far from a KStew fan but I really like the cover shot. She looks lovely in pastel.
That cover is slightly ironic. “Loving Life” – while laying there like you’re just waiting for somebody to come along and kill you.
She has resting btich face =/
I don’t fancy her but I believe her.
So it’s hyperbole day I guess. RDJ is over there slinging around words like “muckracker,” while KStew is here to bless us with phrases like “fame is the worst thing in the world”, and “grotesquely uncomfortable.” In the words of esteemed philopsher and arguably the best creative mind of our time, Mugatu, I FEEL LIKE I’M TAKING CRAZY PILLS.
LMAO.
yes, I totally LOLed at “grotesquely uncomfortable”. and why is she whining about fame and how pointless it is while promoting herself?
She looks pretty here. She sounds like she has has anxiety attacks. And while she’s overly dramatic I do think our culture being so fame obsessed is gross- an end product to the obsession is the kardashians so she has a point about fame itself being a do nothing job.
Yeah, it definitely sounds like she has some kind of social anxiety or something like that. In that regard, I do feel for her. My anxiety manifests in my stomach, and it’s always miserable before I have to be around a large group of people.
Definitely. Even if it’s caused by the pressure she feels due to being so scrutinized, it’s not something she should just have to deal with. There is help.
“Fame is the worst thing in the world.”
Still dumb I see. I don’t know Bella, I’ve heard brain cancer is pretty bad.
I don’t think it’s meant to taken so literally, eh?
Of course not but it’s such a profoundly silly thing to say (is it so hard to just say fame is not a good thing?). I get it, she got fame young and has no real education but listening to a twenty-something woman express herself like a 15 year old is tiresome. That goes for more than just this actress.
Oh come on. We’ve all said we’re “starving” despite taking a breakfast a couple hours ago and that “we’d rather die” than watch an Adam Sandler movie. Do you people preper every single line of dialogue you’ll have each day while having breakfast? The importance you give to language and the power of words is unbelievable.
“The importance you give to language and the power of words is unbelievable.”
I don’t get this statement. I give language great importance when speaking publicly. You don’t? Words are not important?
This is not a throwaway statement to a friend at breakfast, it’s a statement to a journalist with a major publication and the chance for follow up remarks. I’m done though. It was a silly thing for her to say. Not a big deal but just, silly.
Josefa: Sure language plays no role in advertisment, propaganda, elections, harrasment, bullying.
but words DO have power.
the distinction Mia made is important. I don’t speak the same way to my friends as I do to my boss, and I certainly wouldn’t speak to a major new/fashion/etc publication the same way I speak to my family or bf.
to add, Stewart has a history of saying things like this…remember the “dealing with the paparazzi is like being raped” comment? (that’s not verbatim, but close enough.)
Fame is the worst thing in the world….to her. Given in that context, who’s to judge?
I think think that brain cancer would be a worse thing to just about anyone. And until she’s been through both, she’s not the one to judge, either.
She hates fame, yet appears on magazine covers to promote films (and in this case is promoting nothing at all!). She uses her fame for money when being the face for Chanel, Balenciaga, and attending fashion shows.
Come on girl, play the game, or don’t.
This. So much this.
I dunno why these ahem- artistes – have to keep repeating the narrative to give off the impression that ‘they’re sooo deep’ and ‘above it all’
Who are ya kidding?
^THIS. All these celebrities whining while enjoying living in the lap of luxury and having every whim catered to is obnoxious. Get out of the business if it’s so freaking awful.
Ding ding ding
Also, don’t forget about the fact that she’s papped almost daily, while more popular actors like Jennifer Lawrence manage to avoid the paparazzi entirely.
@bns – So true.
But like Diane Kruger (sp) she’s NEVER called out on it.
Well…she is playing the game, but that doesn’t mean she has to like all aspects of it. We all have parts of our jobs that we hate.
And I’m pretty sure this cover is promoting her new movie with Juliet Binoche.
This cover is to promote Chanel, and *cough* herself *cough*.
… But she doesn’t have to to perfume ads and fashion campaigns, does she? Certainly those things have nothing to do with her arty acting. It’s not like she needs the money.
@ORLY, no she doesn’t have to do those things. But beauty and fashion campaigns give her visibility + brand recognition, both of which make her easier to sell to film studios, financiers.
Lobbit – there are actors who never do campaigns of any kind and they are still easy to sell. If they’re talented and likeable, if they get good scripts, then they will fill seats.
Daniel Day Lewis comes to mind. Not that I’m comparing them, but if she truly desires privacy and lack of fame, it’s attainable.
So true. When a celebrity does all that extra stuff besides just acting, they are keeping themselves high profile and adding to the fame. If she REALLY hated it, we’d only see her on the screen and maybe at premieres.
She tries everything to be relevant like Twilight days but she isn’t. LOL
My thoughts exactly! She is playing the game but feels ok about bashing the celebrity attention she is IN THIS INTERVIEW perpetuating? She could be an actress and not have a contract with Channel right? Or only do the interviews required by contract when promoting something… These celebs want it all and don’t get that’s just not possible.
Yeah. I was going to feel bad for her, then I remembered she could walk away of she wanted to.
For anyone who has anxiety she very obviously does too . I’m not sticking up for her because I like her, I’m sticking up for her because I have anxiety and she obviously has it. We have literally seen her have an anxiety attack live on that French awards show. That’s what was happening with her hands all oxygen was deprived from them and she could not open them anymore . I think there’s other reasons not to like this girl but people should open her eyes and realizing that she has anxiety . People with anxiety or other mental health issues should be able to follow any dreams or career path they wish. She may not like all aspects of her job, but how many people do you know that don’t bitch about their jobs practically every day. I don’t by the way, but believe me 90% of my coworkers do.
I know what anxiety is and I had panic attacks, so I can relate with that but how she is perceived in the red carpet or on tv is not her only problem. She seems ok while giving interviews for mags like this one, she doesn’t shy away from being the face of fashion brands, she lives in LA… I’m not suggesting that she gets it completely easy, probably not, but complaining when she is making her life harder considering her choices seems really odd to me. If it is THAT bad protect yourself from the celebrity side of it and just act, preferably on smaller films that won’t require heavy promoting. Don’t engage or encourage it. saying all the time how bad it is to be famous while on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar just makes you sound like an entitled hypocrite.
Agree 100%. My sister has anxiety too.
K doesn’t have to leave, she has every right to do, what she loves. Some people will always find something to complain about.
I wish you all the best 🙂
I changed my mind about her while watching ‘Still Alice’ and I do think she’s a good actress.
Yes Hollywood is sexist but she shouldn’t complain that much especially after she was caught having an affair with a director.
A good actress? In Still Alice she was paying herself like all her movie. A good actress pays characters who are different from her. This is good acting
fame is the worst thing in the world, huh?
I get tired of hearing movie stars complain about how hard it is to be famous.
YOU CHOSE THIS PROFESSION. if you want to ACT! and work on “your craft”, there are literally hundreds (prob THOUSANDS) of local community theaters where you can do what you love and NOT be famous. m’kay?
Your post is soooo right on!! If these stars don’t like the fame that goes with their profession, then do something about it. Either quit and do something else or get out of the spotlight and do community theaters—if you really enjoy acting.
I think that many actors/personalities started out wanting fame and to be recognized for their craft, but had no idea of what a lack of privacy that really entails. Once they are famous, the reality hits home and then it’s too late. It has to be a difficult existence to have paps following you all the time, people picking apart your appearance, endless speculation about romances, people you are spotted with and where you go. Yes, famous people wanted fame, but probably didn’t understand the reality. My favorite saying is: be careful what you wish for–you might get it.
“Once they are famous, the reality hits home and then it’s too late.” I understand what you wrote but actors who are financially secure (I’m sure she is) have choices. She is papped because she lives in LA, she slept with a film director, is Channel’s face and gives less than stellar interviews that make her come across as entitled. Not knowing how you’ll be perceived is ok, but when you know and don’t make the changes needed to shift into a place where you can be you and free as an artist or creative being isn’t smart. she can do a lot while still being a famous person that most of us cannot. Maybe she feels that she doesn’t have many choices, but if that’s the case she isn’t surrounded by the best people and doesn’t get good advices.
I do not believe she has grown up. Her career took a hit and she had to lay low.
Beautiful. Also, what she describes about the feelings she has on red carpets are classic panc attack symptoms, which f6cking suck. I dunno..I think I’m coming around a bit to the Stew.
I have anxiety disorder and I can totally understand. It really does suck and the “no way out” feeling is all encompassing.
@Tiffany: Agreed. Plus one million.
Still pretentious, still complaining, blah, blah, blah…
hmm, she could use her fame like Emma Watson, not to mention Angelina Jolie …
I feel for her, growing up in the spotlight must have been hard- however she could use her fame for something important ala Jolie.
She wasn’t a famous child actor. She wasn’t THAT much in the spotlight.
She looks really pretty on the cover but I hate that dress.
Okay, one thing I can say about Kristen Stewart – she is a complete beauty. Her editorials, especially, are so stunning…she may be the most photogenic chick I’ve ever seen.
I find her average by Hollywood standards. Someone like Margot Robbie is way more striking.
Really? Well, as they say, each to their own!
Interesting. I think she can look quite nice, but would never describe her as more than pretty, Certainly not a beauty, or stunning. She seems too empty to be a true beauty — no energy at all inside.
That jaw and dead eyes plus that personality disqualify her from being called anything but mediocre.
Her eyes always look like exactly that–dead-eyes is an excellent description.
I dunno. I saw the pap pictures of this shoot, and in those candid shots she looked seriously frumpy and rough. Plus about 10 pounds heavier than she does here? If this is the best that Photoshop can do for her, than I don’t think she’s much of a beauty!
I think she’s striking too. I don’t know why. I haven’t seen her movies, but in photo’s she always looks beautiful to me.
She’s one of the most boring celebrities out there and has no discernable talent. She should be thanking her lucky stars and the industry that-unfortunately-made her.
She’s talented- The Runaways as Joan Jet, On the Road, she was transcendent in that. She’s interesting and has depth. I don’t understand the disdain. Save the hate for the Adam Sandlers of the world.
I found her wooden and uninteresting in both, but I agree that there are worse actors. Still, I wouldn’t put her in the top half. I do think it’s interesting that she generates a lot of opposite feelings – people seem to love her or hate her. I’m in neither camp – I just don’t think she’s particularly talented.
She plays versions of herself, that’s not acting.
She was godawful in The Runaways.
@Damn
You’re right. Stewart’s stan still believe that she’s more famous than JLaw LOL
She is beautiful… but then she opens her mouth.
Kristen, take your money and either MAKE movies that are pro-women OR get off the Hollywood fame train and take up work in community theatre. Honestly, I can’t with the “fame is the worst” BS when she shills for Chanel and others, shows up to Paris fashion week, and agrees to put her face on fashion magazines. Way to advance the cause of railing against that sexist machine that women can only have value as someone pretty to dress pretty.
She WANTS to be so intelligent. She has the potential. Educate yourself, Kristen. Change your life and then I’ll believe you when you say fame is the worst.
As I understand Still Alice and the clouds of sils maria are pretty much female-driven stories.
And don’t sign up to work for directors who (allegedly) abuse children and women.
I find her exhausting (off to sleep for twelve hours).
Complaining about fame when you’re shilling Chanel on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar. Is she stupid or just a Hollywood brat?
its a lot of both.
fame is very damaging and dangerous but she could have made a choice to shun the spotlight after the Twillight movies were done. why keep being in the spotlight when its the worst thing in the world?
i fully agree about fame having more downsides as upsides but its also a choice. its like Emma Watson complaining about it and wanting a private life but then signing on to do Beauty and the Beast which is a guaranteed BO hit and will put her into superstardom. does not sound like she actually avoids fame.
Kristen wants to be loved and be super famous but also feel like the cool punk kid. pick on Kristen.
Stewart really doesn’t know what to do for be loved. She’s trying everything but she fails everytime
Eyes rolling. I need a post about Emma Stone to wash this off.
I find her a lot more palatable than I find “J Law” who is insufferable.
She could be a high fashion model if she wanted too. She’s not really conventionally beautiful but she definitely has a certain striking something.
I admire both J-Law and Kristen (even though I think Lawrence is a much more talented actress). In different ways, they have resisted falling in line with the conventional and very restrictive Hollywood stereotypes of how young actresses should behave and present themselves. In contrast, while I like and admire Emma Stone, I find her much less interesting – she conforms more to the standard template.
@Kaley: It’s the other way around for me…Jennifer Lawrence any day of the week over Kristen Stewart. Lawrence is (in my opinion) far and away the better actress and far less pretentious.
I agree. Jlaw is just being herself whereas Kstew wants to appear smart and edgy when she’s neither of these things.
@Megan: Agreed.
If fame is the worst thing why does she like calling the paps for her morning coffee run everyday?
I can’t watch her doing anything live, I feel the same way when I have to speak in public or I’m the center of attention in any way, it’s like I get so nervous that my brain just stops working properly and I end up stumbling over my words, and my entire body shakes! I used to love public speaking and acting but something changed and it’s getting worse with age. My stomach turns watching her because I’m so embarrassed for her!
She does look very pretty on this cover, that haircut really suits her, the long hair did too but this seems more her style. I’m interested to see how her career pans out from here!
She briefly touched on sexuality. The interviewer asked if she thinks it’s fluid, a range, a spectrum, and she said yes, absolutely. She also said she lives in the grey area of life, and doesn’t need to define things clearly.
This photo shoot is amazing, very beautiful. She seems to be growing into an interesting young woman…I admire her for surviving Hollywood, it really is a twisted, sexist place.
Don’t throw things at me, but I miss her long hair, especially when it was dark brown/black.
An interesting young woman? LOL She’s like Aniston a celebrity only for tabloids
Hollywood being sexist, there was a documentary, can’t recall if it was Showtime or HBO and they were interviewing different actresses (they did it with men also, and I liked the fact that they choose actors that you look at their faces and say “I’ve seen them work, I like their work but for the heck of me I can’t remember their names”) and one of the questions was how they were treated as females in Hollywood and their answers spoke volumes.
Life in general is sexist. Mansturbing is something I can do without, but it is out there.
Her interviews are getting better. Nothing profound to be read but without “like a…” and “F-ck” I can concentrate on her actual thoughts and she is better at explanations. I think people can better relate now than before.
I like her as a model, especially the non-cutesy images of her.
Less swearing I’ll give you, but it’s the same old Kristen in my opinion. Here is Pajiba’s take on it:
“We love the Kristen Stewart completely freed of Twilight, who is now free to hate fame, complain about red carpets premieres, call Hollywood “disgustingly sexist” and throw shade at women who do nude scenes.”
I tend to agree. Her use of hyperbole is ridiculous, not everything has to be “agony” or the “worst thing in the world”, and her feelings aren’t deeper or more important than anyone else’s. I think she has child-actor-syndrome, where her needs always came first, and she doesn’t see much past that.
She needs to get her head out of her backside and learn about the world outside of being a multi millionaire in LaLa Land. Fame the worst thing in the world, yeah that’s why you continue to court it.
War, poverty, famine, genocide, sex slavery, oppression are nothing compared to the horrors of being obscenely rich and famous. How ignorant, oblivious and idiotic can you get????
She’s very plain looking and a terrible actress, why does she bother if it’s all so torturous for her? She just ruins every movie she’s in with her twitchy face.
I like the photoshoot.
She’s right about Hollywood.
I adore the whole photoshoot 🙂 and her interview. I wish I could look as good as her with full makeup on, even though I prefer her with no makeup. She’s so beautiful to me! And the worst thing- she looks a lot like my sister, but I don’t.
What she said about anxiety, it breaks my heart. I only hope she’s got someone to help her with it. It works for my sister. I do everything I can. The world is full of “nice” people who are eager to tell her how much secondhand embarrassment they have for her, how mentally disabled she must be, because anxiety at 30 is not normal.
“The world is full of “nice” people who are eager to tell her how much secondhand embarrassment they have for her, how mentally disabled she must be, because anxiety at 30 is not normal.”
What? I’m so confused by all this.
Hmm..add this to her equating fame with rape, and accusing others of using sex as a power ploy while she was sleeping with her (married) director. What a vapid girl. The cover looks like a pretty-in-pink Justin Bieber
Hypocrite! She gets paid to perpetuate the sexism that she criticizes. Typical Hollywood a$$hole.
She’s fantastic in Clouds of Sils Maria.
If women want to change a work environment to non-sexist, they shouldn’t sleep with their boss/director. As long as men think they can still get it at work, it will continue. She has nothing to say.