Well-known for her passionate performance in the movie Twilight, where she played the role of Bella Swan, Kristen Stewart has established herself as one of Hollywood’s most promising talents. The now 24-year-old starlet has established herself as a serious contender for the upcoming awards season, and she’s currently in the middle of a media blitz, as The Hollywood Reporter puts it, “to lock down a bunch of prestigious movie roles.”

While it’s great to see Stewart’s career take-off after years of struggling with her confidence in front of the camera, it’s important to remember that her personal life hasn’t been without its ups and downs. In fact, back in 2014, the actress was involved in a very public breakup with actor/director Rupert Sanders. Although they never officially confirmed their relationship (or that it even existed), the signs were undoubtedly there as soon as they stepped out together on numerous occasions, particularly at film premieres. In an interview with The New York Times back in 2014, Stewart opened up about her breakup with Sanders, revealing that their relationship was actually quite amicable and that they had been in touch even after they went their separate ways.

“We’re both very independent people and we respected each other’s space,” she said.”But I also really appreciated that he respected my feelings and that we still felt like friends. We both moved on and continued to support each other. We also continued to be friendly.”

This came as a huge relief to many of Stewart’s fans, who had feared that their favorite actress might never work in film again, having been through such a terrible ordeal.

  • Family – Robert and Elle MacLeman. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)
  • Romantic Partners – While Stewart has never officially confirmed her romantic status, she has been linked to numerous famous faces, including Robert Pattinson and Johnny Depp. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images)
  • Children – The mother of Stewart’s two children, Stormi and Tripp, Sage, was born in the U.K. and moved to America when she was still a teenager. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
  • Migration To U.S. – After briefly moving to Paris with her family in 2015, where she attended school, Stewart eventually settled in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Although she’s kept a fairly low profile since then, she’s still managed to find time to make occasional appearances in her hometown of Los Angeles as well as other major U.S. cities. In 2019 alone, she’s been spotted out in West Hollywood and at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Her busy schedule likely has something to do with the fact that she’s currently negotiating a number of key movie projects, including the previously mentioned Twilight reboot, Vacation, and an untitled sci-fi movie opposite Anne Hathaway. As exciting as these projects are, there’s also a dark cloud hanging over them, as all of them, with the exception of Twilght, involve some degree of nudity and/or sexual intimacy. In 2019 alone, Stewart is set to appear on screen in at least five different sex scenes, with four of them involving either nudity or coitus (which is a first for a major Hollywood actress).

The fact that these are considered commercial or ‘family’ films is more than a little hypocritical; after all, isn’t fame and fortune considered to be the ultimate aphrodisiac? But, as Stewart herself noted in a 2017 interview, “Being famous is such a weird place. You’re not supposed to be doing this, you’re not supposed to be doing that. You don’t want to be going on vacation because people expect you to behave a certain way.” Indeed, the more public and prominent a celebrity gets, the more complicated their personal life tends to become, due to the scrutiny and intrusion that come with being a public figure.

So, with all of this in mind, it’s a pretty safe assumption to make that Kristen Stewart isn’t exactly what you’d call a ‘traditional’ Hollywood role model. The truth is that she’s not exactly what you’d call a ‘traditional’ anything, which might explain why the actress has had such an impact on millennials, as she’s been referred to as “the generation’s sweetheart” by People magazine. In an age where traditional gender norms are being tossed aside, KRISTEN STEWART has become the new standard bearer for female empowerment.

The Importance Of Self-love

One of the important lessons that we can learn from Kristen Stewart’s non-traditional approach to life is that it’s essential to love yourself, first and foremost. And it’s not just important to love yourself, it’s vital to feel confident and comfortable in your own skin, which means that you must be your own best friend, as well as the most honest and critical friend that you can be, when it comes to your own actions and inactions. In short, you must learn to trust your own judgement, and be comfortable with who you are and what you want. This ability to be confident in your own company is essential to your own personal growth and development, which is something that Kristen Stewart has clearly benefitted from.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she told Elle magazine, when asked about her infamous ‘self-love’ quote. “You’re wondering, if Kristen Stewart isn’t going to play by the traditional rules, then what is she doing about her career? Well, I’m not going to lie to you…it’s a lot about self-love, and also being comfortable in your own skin. For me, it’s all about being true to yourself, and not trying to fit into what someone else thinks that you should be doing, or thinking. I’ve always felt that acting was a gift and a curse. It’s a gift because you get to play a part, but it’s a curse because you have to live your life as someone else for a little while. So, you have to find your own rhythm and create your own story, as this is the only way that you can truly be yourself. In the end, you have to believe in what you do, because if you don’t, then why should anyone else?”

Hollywood Versus The ‘Real World’

Another important lesson that we can learn from Kristen Stewart’s unconventional career is that being a successful actress doesn’t necessarily equate to ‘success’ in the real world. In fact, the opposite is often true. Just look at Stewart’s own mother, Elle MacLeman, who came out of seemingly nowhere to become one of Hollywood’s most important and influential costume designers, winning numerous awards for her unique and innovative work, as well as numerous nicknames, including “the Queen of Halloween”. On the surface, it would appear that MacLeman’s career has been a massive success, but, in actuality, it’s been anything but conventional.

As Elle magazine notes, “Her Hollywood career was definitely not planned. After doing theater for a few years, she decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue film. She got a lot of work in her first year after moving, and continued to find work regularly for the next decade. Even in her later years, she would still go back to work because she felt that she could help other women find confidence, and because she loved being in front of the camera.”

What this tells us is that, sometimes, hard work and dedication can lead you places that you never thought possible. And, while Hollywood may not always represent real life, more often than not, Hollywood DOES represent a better chance at success than you’d find outside of the industry, particularly in today’s day and age, when the line between ‘Hollywood’ and ‘the real world’ is blurred, as talent agencies and digital platforms help connect filmmakers and actors across the globe, breaking down traditional geographic, cultural, and economic barriers. Which brings us to our next point.

The Future Of Entertainment

With more and more people turning to digital platforms and the internet for their entertainment, it’s important to remember that Hollywood isn’t going anywhere. After all, film is a timeless form of entertainment, offering an escape from the stresses of daily life, connecting us to distant worlds and allowing us to immerse ourselves in completely fictional stories, where anything is possible. As we’ve established, Hollywood doesn’t always match up to reality, but, for the most part, it’s a wonderful approximation.

In today’s world, where escapism is key, Hollywood will continue to reign supreme, providing us with endless options for films and TV shows, giving us the stories, characters, and worlds that we love. If anything, Hollywood will only continue to grow and evolve, as new technologies and ideas are constantly forcing it to do so.