Since her breakthrough in the teen vampire film “Twilight,” Kristen Stewart has worked on indie and big-budget films. However, she’s still best known for her role as Isabella “Bella” Swan in The Twilight Saga.
Kristen Stewart’s Breakthrough: Becoming Bella Swan
On November 16, 2007, Summit Entertainment announced that Stewart would play the main character in the films based on Stephenie Meyer’s four novels.
Kristen Stewart was 18 when she played Bella Swan in “Twilight,” a role about a 17-year-old moving from Phoenix to Forks. Before this, Stewart had acted in films like “Panic Room” and “Into the Wild.”
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in the 2008 American romantic fantasy film Twilight (Credit: Temple Hill Entertainment)
Behind the Scenes: Filming the First Twilight Movie
Principal photography for the first movie in the series, Twilight, took 44 days and was completed on May 2, 2008. Kristen turned 18 during the filming on April 9, 2008. The movie was theatrically released on November 21, 2008.
Kristen Stewart advocated for Robert Pattinson to be cast as Edward Cullen, feeling he was the perfect choice for the role in Twilight, a decision that helped define the success of the saga (Credit: Temple Hill Entertainment)
The Robert Pattinson Casting Decision: Kristen’s Crucial Role
Kristen Stewart played a crucial role in casting Robert Pattinson as Edward, finding him an obvious and perfect choice for the character after a day of auditions, indicating a strong conviction in his suitability for the role.
“Well, I basically cast him,” Stewart shared in an interview with Vanity Fair in November 2008 about casting her co-star Robert Pattinson.
The English actor was 21 while filming the first Twilight film. Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson turned 22 on May 13, 2008.
Robert Pattinson, 21, and Kristen Stewart, 18, shared undeniable chemistry while filming Twilight, bringing their iconic roles as Edward Cullen and Bella Swan to life (Credit: Temple Hill Entertainment)
“We did one day of auditions and a bunch of guys came in. Catherine Hardwicke, the director, afterwards was like, ‘What do you think? This is such a hard choice.’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding me!? It’s such an obvious choice!’ It couldn’t have been better. It was sort of perfect,” Stewart said about her fellow Twilight castmate, Pattison.
Actor Robert Pattinson and actress Kristen Stewart arrive at the Los Angeles Premiere “Twilight” at the Mann Village Theater on November 17, 2008, in Westwood, California (Credit: Rob Rich / WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Sean Thorton)
Expanding the Twilight Franchise: From New Moon to Breaking Dawn
Filming for the second film in The Twilight Saga film series, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, began in March 2009 in Vancouver. Kristen turned 19 on April 9, 2009. Some scenes were filmed in the Italian hill town of Montepulciano from May 25 through the 29 of the same year.
The final installment in The Twilight Saga film series, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 2, was released on November 16, 2012, when Kristen was 22 years old.
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson promoting The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 in Madrid, Spain, on November 15, 2012 (Credit: Rob Rich / WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Sean Thorton)
From Blockbusters to Art House: Kristen Stewart’s Indie Film Journey and Fashion Evolution
In January 2016, Kristen Stewart had been under the radar for a while. Once a household name thanks to her “Twilight” role, the actress had been laying low and taking smaller roles in lesser-known flicks.
Kristen Stewart slicks her hair back on the red carpet of the 2016 New York Film Critics Circle Awards held January 4, 2016, at TAO Downtown in New York (Credit: Rob Rich / WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Sean Thorton)
At 25, she was uncharacteristically all smiles and giggles on the red carpet of the 2016 New York Film Critics Circle Awards at TAO Downtown, right before she received the Best Supporting Actress Award for her work on “Clouds of Sils Maria.”
Kristen Stewart exudes edgy sophistication in a black lace and leather Chanel dress paired with pointed-toe heels at the 2016 New York Film Critics Circle Awards (Credit: Rob Rich / WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Sean Thorton)
The “Twilight” star wore a leather-and-lace matching skirt and top, which she paired with Chanel’s iconic pearl-embellished heels. Her entire look was from Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2016 collection.
Kristen Stewart’s feet in Chanel heels (Credit: Rob Rich / WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Sean Thorton)
Karl Lagerfeld handpicked the actress to represent the French fashion house, which explains why Kristen turned up in head-to-toe Chanel.
Kristen Stewart wears a black-and-lace Chanel look at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards (Credit: Rob Rich / WENN / Adriana M. Barraza / Sean Thorton)
When asked how she felt about the award, Kristen said it was “the icing on the cake.”