Is Bella Swan Really 17? Cracking the Twilight Age Code

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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.

Landing the Role of 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 teenager 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 TwilightKristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in the 2008 American romantic fantasy film Twilight (Credit: Temple Hill Entertainment)

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 picked Robert Pattinson for the role of Edward Cullen in TwilightKristen Stewart picked Robert Pattinson for the role of Edward Cullen in Twilight (Credit: Temple Hill Entertainment)

Casting Robert Pattinson and Building On-Screen Chemistry

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 was 21 and Kristen Stewart was 18 while filming TwilightRobert Pattinson was 21 and Kristen Stewart was 18 while filming Twilight (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 StewartActor 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)

Continuing the Saga: “New Moon” and “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 2Kristen 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)

Transition to Indie Films and Fashion Endeavors

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 AwardsKristen 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)

The then 25-year-old 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 wears a Chanel pre-fall 2016 look on the red carpetKristen Stewart wears a Chanel pre-fall 2016 look on the red carpet (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 pearl-embellished heels. Her entire look was from Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2016 collection.

Kristen Stewart's feet in Chanel heelsKristen 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 AwardsKristen 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.”

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