Kristen Jaymes Stewart born on April 9, 1990 in Los Angeles, California. Her father, John Stewart, is a stage manager and television producer who has worked for Fox. Her mother, Jules Mann-Stewart, is a script supervisor originally from Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia, who has also directed a film. She has an older brother, Cameron B. Stewart, and two adopted brothers, Dana and Taylor. Stewart attended school until the seventh grade and then continued her education by correspondence until completing high school.
Kristen Stewart |
Stewart appeared in the fantasy-adventure film Zathura (2005), playing the role of Lisa, the irresponsible older sister of two little boys. They turn their house into a spacecraft hurtling uncontrollably in outer space by playing a board game. The film received praise by critics, but Stewart's performance did not garner much media attention. Her character is immobilized during most of the film. The next 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.
On November 16, 2007, Summit Entertainment announced that Stewart would play main character Isabella "Bella" Swan in the film Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling vampire romance novel of the same name. Stewart was on the set of Adventure land when director Catherine Hardwicke visited her for an informal screen test which "captivated" the director. She starred alongside Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, her character's vampire boyfriend. The film began production in February 2008 and finished filming in May 2008.
Twilight was released domestically on November 21, 2008. Stewart's performance garnered mixed reviews with some critics calling her "the ideal casting choice" and praising her for conveying "Bella's detachment, as well as her need to bust through it" while others criticized her acting for being "wooden" and lacking variety in her facial expressions which they described as "blank".Adventureland was released on April 3, 2009 a film in which Stewart's reception was much more positive. Reelviews' 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.". Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan said Stewart was "beautiful, enigmatic and very experienced". and MSN Movies James Rocchi stated "Stewart's vulnerable, spooky power is used to nice effect." Stewart reappeared as Bella in the sequel, The Twilight Saga: 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." Manohla Dargis from The New York Times said Stewart's "lonely-girl blues soon grow wearisome" in the film, and Billy Goodykoontz from The Arizona Republic stated "Stewart is a huge disappointment... She sucks the energy right out of the film". She reprised this role in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 was released on November 18, 2011. Though the film received negative reviews, Stewart's performance was praised. Gabriel Chong called Stewart's performance "mesmerising" and said that she "makes [Bella's] every emotion keenly felt that runs the gamut from joy, trepidation, anxiety, distress and above all quiet and resolute determination" and The Village Voice's Dan Konis saying Stewart "beautifully underplays" the role. Some critics found Pattinson and Stewart's chemistry lacking and said that the relationship came off like a "charade" onscreen or that none of the three leads was convincing in their roles. She concluded the role in the finale The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 in November 2012.
On December 6, 2011, Stewart was named number one on Forbes magazine's list of "Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck." On January 13, 2012, she became the face of a new unnamed Balenciaga perfume and on June 29, it was announced that the perfume will be entitled "Flora botanica".
On June 1, 2012, Stewart starred as Snow White in the film Snow White and the Huntsman.Stewart appears as Mary Lou in On the Road, the film adaption of Jack Kerouac's cult classic novel of the same name.
According to Forbes, Stewart was the highest paid actress in 2012 with total earnings of $34.5 million. She earned $12.5 million each for last two installments in the Twilight series, including royalties. She ranked #7 on AskMen's list of Top 99 Women for 2013.
Stewart will play the muse Delphi in the upcoming The Big Shoe which will be directed by Steven Shainberg. and has also been cast alongside Jesse Eisenberg in American Ultra.
In June 2013, Stewart replaced Mia Wasikowska for the film Sils Maria also starring Juliette Binoche and Chloë Grace Moretz and will also star in Camp X-Ray, portraying the role of a young soldier stationed at Guantanamo Bay with Lane Garrison. She also joined the cast of Tim Blake Nelson's Anesthesia, an ensemble about group of New Yorkers.