Kristen Stewart on turning 30: I stopped drinking and smoking whatever, its true
Kristen Stewart covers the latest issue of InStyle to promote The Happiest Season, her Christmas movie (you heard me) about a lady who brings her girlfriend (played by Stewart) home for the holidays, but the lady hasn’t even come out to her parents yet. The point is that K-Stew is playing a queer character and she’s 30 years old now, and more willing than ever to talk about her sexual identity and more. The past few years have been great for Kristen professionally and personally – while few of her recent films have been “hits” in any sense, I get the vibe that she’s just happy with work and her personal life. She’s been in a relationship with her girlfriend Dylan Meyer for about a year and they seem very happy and lowkey. You can read the full InStyle piece here. Some highlights:
Turning 30: I woke up that day [April 9] and was like, “You need to get your ass in gear.” I was drinking too much in the beginning [of the pandemic], so I stopped drinking and smoking. I’m embarrassed because it sounds really cliché, but, whatever, it’s true.
A typical day during the pandemic: “I walk my dogs and take walks with people. I feel horrible about the state of the world, so I’m donating money — but I’m not marching, and I’m feeling weird about it. I’m a frustrated optimist. I’m always thinking, “It can’t be as bad as this.”
The story of The Happiest Season: “It deals with very poignant things that, for me, are extremely affecting and triggering — even though now the word “triggering” triggers me more than anything in the whole world. But the movie is so funny and cute, and I loved the couple. They’re both people I really felt protective of in different ways, because I’ve been on both sides of that dynamic where someone is having a hard time acknowledging who they are and the other person is more self-accepting. I [personally] came into the more complex aspects of myself a little bit later. I never felt an immense shame, but I also don’t feel far away from that story, so I must have it in a latent sense…. I don’t want to aggrandize my own pain, because I know that others’ pain has been so great. Living in this world, being a queer person, there are things that hurt constantly.
Her own experiences drew her to the story: “Yeah. The first time I ever dated a girl, I was immediately being asked if I was a lesbian. And it’s like, “God, I’m 21 years old.” I felt like maybe there were things that have hurt people I’ve been with. Not because I felt ashamed of being openly gay but because I didn’t like giving myself to the public, in a way. It felt like such thievery. This was a period of time when I was sort of cagey. Even in my previous relationships, which were straight, we did everything we could to not be photographed doing things — things that would become not ours. So I think the added pressure of representing a group of people, of representing queerness, wasn’t something I understood then. Only now can I see it. Retrospectively, I can tell you I have experience with this story. But back then I would have been like, “No, I’m fine. My parents are fine with it. Everything’s fine.” That’s bulls–t. It’s been hard. It’s been weird. It’s that way for everyone.
Her political engagement: “People need to vote… I read the news every day, but I don’t fixate on it. I have some friends who won’t stop, and it’s all they talk about. I’m not saying I don’t want to confront these things. But in terms of how involved I am, I’ve never been the face of anything. I don’t even have a public Instagram. I really do like to support people who are already doing it and have been for years.
On social media: “It’s just not natural to me. It’s never been a question. I’ve never been like, “Should I do it?” It’s literally just been like, “No, my god.”
Playing Princess Diana: “We don’t start shooting until mid-January. The accent is intimidating as all hell because people know that voice, and it’s so, so distinct and particular. I’m working on it now and already have my dialect coach. In terms of research, I’ve gotten through two and a half biographies, and I’m finishing all the material before I actually go make the movie. It’s one of the saddest stories to exist ever, and I don’t want to just play Diana — I want to know her implicitly. I haven’t been this excited about playing a part, by the way, in so long.
What makes her happy: “I really do wake up happy. I feel so blessed. I love my friends and my family. I’m a happy motherf–ker.”
There are a bunch of other “K-Stew” moments in there, where she tries to talk about fashion but basically admits that she’s either in a robe or jeans most of the time, and her Christmas tradition for herself is getting Thai food on Christmas morning, which seems… kind of crazy, but okay. She talks even more about queerness and being comfortable with showing her relationships now so she can make it easier for queer kids who might be struggling, but she still doesn’t think of herself as a spokesperson. And I agree with her there. She’s not, like, Politically Gay. Which maybe isn’t a thing, but you know what I’m saying? She’s just living her life and figuring it out as she goes along. This is the most she’s ever said about her queer identity and all of that. I’m proud of her. As for not going to marches and just donating… I mean, that’s fine with me? Not everyone has to march. Some people can just support from the sidelines.
Cover and IG courtesy of InStyle.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmb3BkZX1ye8qroKyslaOstMDEsJirrI%2Bku6DA1KuloqaXlIBxq8iYqq2noKWypavDq6Cno5mjtKCtzZ2WrKWfoLavs76wn5qslauys6vIraqYrKKqsnA%3D