Kristen Stewart Biography

Biography

Early Life

Kristen Jaymes Stewart was born April 9, 1990, in Los Angeles, California. Both her parents had chosen their professions in the industry she would ultimately make a career out of - her Australian mother, Jules, worked as a script supervisor while her father, John, is a television producer, who has worked for several networks, the highest profile being FOX. From a young age, Kristen developed an interest in following her parents into production related work, initially hoping to become either a writer or director. Despite being keen to work in entertainment, she didn’t wish to become an actor, though this eventually changed at the age of eight. After performing in a minor school production of a Christmas play, a visiting agent spotted the potential talent and signed her soon after.

Move Into Acting

This then led to the auditioning process. After a year of failed attempts, Kristen finally landed her first role in the television film, The Thirteenth Year. Although the part wasn’t credited and she didn’t have a single line, it proved a valuable experience for the young actress. In the following year, she made her big screen debut, taking another minor role in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.

With Jodie Foster in Panic Room

With these small parts under her belt, Kristen took her first major role, appearing opposite Glenn Close in the independent drama, The Safety of Objects, as the troubled tomboy, Sam. The film didn’t receive much attention from critics or audiences and went largely unnoticed. However, in 2002, producers had seen sufficient talent that they cast her in her first mainstream role - appearing as Jodie Foster’s daughter in the hit thriller, Panic Room. Directed by David Fincher, the film was received well by critics and fans alike, taking nearly $200 million at the box office. The success also saw Kristen achieve personal accolades, with her performance earning her a nomination for best Leading Young Actress at the Young Artist Awards at just 12 years old. Foster has since admitted she didn't expect Kristen to achieve then success she has experienced after Panic Room:

She's a great person, and I'm not surprised she's gone on to do great things. But I am surprised she is an actress. I didn't think that's where she was headed. And even though her mom said, 'No, she really really wants to be an actress,' I felt like, nah, she won't because she really doesn't have the stereotypical personality.

She next appeared in the significantly less successful Cold Creek Manor, playing the daughter of Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone’s characters. Due to the strong cast and substantial budget, it was considered a failure, opening at #5, behind Kate Beckinsale’s Underworld. Despite the commercial and popular disappointment of the film, she was once more nominated for a Young Artist Award for his involvement in the project. At this stage, aged 13, Kristen decided to be homeschooled - allowing her greater flexibility for choosing future projects. When asked about the topic:

‘I started homeschooling because my teachers were failing me. I think it was just resentment — I made more work for them. But homeschooling is great; you can study what you want, which allows you to get more excited about what you're doing’.

2004-2005

Following the failure of Cold Creek Manor, Kristen returned to lower profile productions in 2004, appearing in Catch That Kid and Undertow. She marked her return to big budget movies in 2005, appearing in the children’s sci-fi film, Zathura. Although it performed unspectacularly - just about breaking even - the movie received praise from many critics and though Kristen herself wasn’t singled out for her role, it proved to be important in boosting her prospects.

2005-2007

The period from 2005 to 2007 proved to be something of a mixed time for Kristen, experiencing both highs and lows.

Kristen's minor role in Into the Wild

Although her involvement in movies such as In the Land of Women and Fierce People allowed her to work with established stars like Meg Ryan, Diane Lane and Adam Brody, they were met with heavy criticism and did nothing to further young Kristen’s blossoming career. However, around this time, she also appeared in the commercially successful horror film, The Messengers, and later the independent well-received drama, The Cake Eaters. Kristen further built on this success with a significant role in the overwhelmingly critically acclaimed biopic, Into the Wild - which garnered her much attention. This culminated in a nomination at the 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards, for Supporting Young Actress, and later an MTV Movie Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

2008

Her breakout role as Bella in Twilight

After a very brief cameo in Jumper, Kristen next appeared in what would be the role that transformed her into a global superstar. In 2008, teenage vampire flick, Twilight was released, in which she played the leading female character, Bella Swan, at the age of just 18. Twilight went on to gross nearly $400 million at the box office, earning another $200 million through DVD sales. As the star of the film, Kristen herself gained wide media attention for the first time, with millions of adoring fans to go with it. She has since been nominated for numerous accolades for her performance in Twilight - including MTV Movie Awards for Choice Movie Actress: Drama and Best Kiss (shared with Robert Pattinson), Teen Choice Awards for Best Female Performance: Drama and Choice Movie Liplock, and won the BAFTA Rising Star Award.

2009-2010

Although filmed before the release of Twilight, Adventureland finally came out in April 2009.

With Jesse Eisenberg in Adventureland

A significant change in style from her last showing, it allowed Kristen to showcase a greater array of talents - crucially, in an independent film, a genre which she has since admitted to being most comfortable in. The film received widespread positive reviews, though many criticised the attempts to market it less as a love story and more of a teen comedy, resulting in poor attendances. It’s offbeat tone earned it High Times Magazine’s Stoner Movie of the Year Award, while Kristen won Stonette of the Year, also from the same publication. In 2009, she reprised her role as Bella in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, further widening her popular appeal. She once more returned to lower budget film the following year, signing on to portray Joan Jett in the biographical movie, The Runaways. Despite not coming close to matching the financial success of either of the Twilight films, Kristen herself received a positive response from many critics for her turn as the lead. Roger Ebert acknowledged the flaws the movie as a whole possessed, but praised her acting, while Mark Kermode felt that the movie showcased her ability, which had been restricted by the limiting role of Bella in the Twilight films, while also giving a favourable review of her singing on the soundtrack. Later on in 2010, she once more returned to the role of Bella, this time in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.