Kristen Stewart: Snapshot

Name
Kristen Stewart
Date of Birth
April 09, 1990
Birth Place
Los Angeles, California
As Twilight's Bella Swan–the love of hunky vampire Edward Cullen's immortal life–Kristen Stewart went from indie ingénue to blockbuster franchise lead.

Before entering the Twilight zone, Stewart shared the screen with such film vets as Jodie Foster (Panic Room) and Meg Ryan (In the Land of Women), and gained critical acclaim for her minor role in 2007's Into the Wild. But it wasn't until she toyed with vampires and werewolves in a world created by author Stephenie Meyer that her star ascended worldwide.

Despite being at the center of every "Twilighter's" obsession – with costars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner – the angsty actress kept it indie, starring in The Runaways, before taking on another major role in Snow White and the Huntsman.

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Kristen Stewart: Five Fun Facts

  1. Kristen Stewart was recommended for the Twilight role of Bella by Into the Wild costar Emile Hirsch. Hirsch had previously worked with the vampire flick's director Catherine Hardwicke on Lords of Dogtown.
  2. Kristen Stewart and Twilight costar Robert Pattinson used Last Tango in Paris as the inspiration for their onscreen romance.
  3. Kristen Stewart's family has pet wolves.
  4. Kristen Stewart sang and played guitar in Into the Wild. During her audition with director Sean Penn, "I played 'Blackbird,' and I botched it. But he called me later and said, 'Do you want to do this?' And I was like–'yeah!'" she told The Detroit News.
  5. To prepare for a role as a stripper in indie flick Welcome to the Rileys, Kristen Stewart learned how to pole dance by visiting a New Orleans strip club. "I danced on the bar there three nights this week, and my legs are covered in bruises," she told EW.

Kristen Stewart: Biography

1990s

Kristen Stewart

Setting the Stage

An agent contacts Stewart's parents after seeing the 8-year-old perform at her elementary school's Christmas play. After a slew of auditions, Stewart makes her film debut in the indie flick The Safety of Objects with Glenn Close and Joshua Jackson.

2002

Kristen Stewart

March 20

Thrilling Performance

At 12, Stewart lands her big break opposite Jodie Foster (right) as a diabetic teen trapped at home during a heist in Panic Room. The thriller nabs the top spot at the box office, grossing more than $30 million in its opening weekend. Stewart's performance impresses critics and earns her a nomination for best lead actress at the Young Artist Awards. "Her approach is very different from most actors," Foster tells Elle. "She's stoic. She keeps it all wrapped up."

2005

Kristen Stewart

November 01

Kid Flicks

After starring in the caper film Catch That Kid with Corbin Bleu in 2004, Stewart returns to the family film genre in Zathura, based on a book by the author of Jumanji. The space adventure underperforms at the box office, taking in a mere $13 million its opening weekend.

Read More on Kristen Stewart's Life

Photo Credits

Top Left: Scott McDermott/Corbis

BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Everett Collection; Everett Collection; Everett Collection

Edited by Janet Mock and Julia Wang

Kristen Stewart

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