After over 25 years in acting, Kristen Stewart reports a shift in how she is treated in Hollywood following her directorial debut. The Oscar-nominated actress highlights newfound respect since directing The Chronology of Water. She attributes this change to perceptions of directors versus actors.
Kristen Stewart, an Oscar-nominated actress with more than 25 years in the industry, has experienced a notable increase in respect since stepping behind the camera for the first time. Her directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, premiered at Cannes last year and has since been acquired by The Forge. The film is now playing in theaters.
In an interview with The Times UK, Stewart described the difference in treatment: “Actresses get treated like sh*t, I’ve got to tell you. People think anyone could be an actress, but the first time I sat down to talk about my movie as a director, I thought, wow, this is a different experience, they are talking to me like I’m somebody with a brain.”
She elaborated on industry biases, stating, “There’s this idea that directors have otherworldly abilities, which is not true. It’s an idea perpetuated by men. Not to sound like I’m complaining all the time, but it’s worse for female actors than male ones—they get treated like puppets, but they are not.”
The film, based on Lidia Yuknavitch's 2011 memoir, stars Imogen Poots as a young woman who turns to competitive swimming after an abusive childhood. Stewart praised Poots's commitment: she “put her whole body and soul into this movie.” Stewart herself immersed fully in the project, saying, “Film is 100 per cent all-consuming. I was a maniac on this movie. I barely existed outside of it, but I’ve never felt more alive.”
This debut marks a pivotal moment for Stewart, underscoring ongoing discussions about gender dynamics in Hollywood.