Venice Film Festival
Kristen Stewart says playing Princess Diana made her feel ‘free and alive’
The actress is starring in “Spencer,” a film that follows Princess Diana as she spends the Christmas in 1991 at Sandringham House.
“Spencer” is one of the most awaited releases of the year, with Kristen Stewart’s turn as Princess Diana being one of the main reasons why. Back when the casting decision was announced, viewers were surprised by the actress’ decision to play the iconic role, one that comes with a lot of pressure and a British accent.
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival to thunderous reception, with many critics predicting that Kristen Stewart will be nominated for major awards for her performance.
Kristen Stewart is an actress with a lot of baggage. Being such a prominent figure herself, no matter whether you enjoy her work or not, it’s likely you know her face and films, unlike Emma Corrin’s star-making turn as Princess Diana in the series “The Crown.” Still, what early reviews seem to appreciate about “Spencer” is the meta-casting. There are few people in the world who are intimately acquainted with the pressures of fame and with living their lives under the intense scrutiny of the public eye; Kristen Stewart is one of them.
According to the actress, playing Princess Diana was one of the toughest things she’s ever done, but also one of the most rewarding. “I took more pleasure in my physicality making this movie than I have on anything,” she said on Friday at the “Spencer” press conference at the Venice Film Festival. “I felt more free and alive and able to move — and taller, even.”
“I look at her, the pictures and fleeting video clips, and I feel [like] the ground shakes and you don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said. “[She] sticks out like a sparkly house on fire. … There are some people endowed with an undeniable, penetrating energy. The really sad thing about her is that as normal and casual and disarming in her air [as she was] immediately she also felt so isolated and lonely. She made everyone else feel accompanied and bolstered by this light and all she wanted was to have it back.”
“Spencer,” directed by the Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain — who also directed the biopic “Jackie,” based on Jacqueline Kennedy’s life — will be released this November 5th. It’s a film that will be a staple of Stewart’s career and that we’ll likely be hearing a lot of come awards season.
