Kristen Stewart is nothing if not a person with strong convictions. This is a woman who could have easily taken her fame and fortune from “Twilight” and become the biggest actor on the planet. Instead, she turned her star power into a tool to help elevate filmmakers she truly believes in, leading to a string of amazing performances in a number of films that many normal filmgoers might not have seen. And because of that, she has a bit of a controversial opinion about Hollywood studios and how they treat female filmmakers.
Speaking to Net-a-Porter, Kristen Stewart talked about the idea of Hollywood embracing female filmmakers unlike years in the past. Stewart does see that some women are getting big projects made, but the actor doesn’t think the inclusivity is genuine.
“[There’s a] thinking that we can check these little boxes, and then do away with the patriarchy, and how we’re all made of it,” Stewart said. “It’s easy for them to be like, ‘Look what we’re doing. We’re making Maggie Gyllenhaal’s movie! We’re making Margot Robbie’s movie!’ And you’re like, OK, cool. You’ve chosen four.”
She added, “And I’m in awe of those women, I love those women [but] it feels phony. If we’re congratulating each other for broadening perspective, when we haven’t really done enough, then we stop broadening.”
Again, Stewart is someone who puts her money where her mouth is. Take a look at her most recent movie, “Love Lies Bleeding.” She leads a cast, starring opposite a relative unknown, Katy O’Brian, in a film written and directed by a woman, Rose Glass, only making her second feature film. “Love Lies Bleeding” is also not a mainstream movie in the same way that a Marvel film is mainstream. It’s made by an auteur and has a subject matter that is most definitely adult.
All that to say, Stewart does offer a unique position when talking about inclusivity in Hollywood. And if she thinks it’s “phony,” then maybe people who are congratulating themselves should look at what is really going on.