Regardless of how you feel about it, there's absolutely no denying that Twilight is a phenomenon that swept up an entire generation of teenagers. The Young Adult series made vampires a genuinely mainstream fantasy concept, and turned Kristen Stewart into a household name. However, that doesn't mean that she loved everything about the experience. According to the actress, she wasn't particularly comfortable constantly being in the spotlight at that time in her life. She explained:
Really uncomfortable hair extensions? I look at those photos and I feel like I'm looking at a college yearbook. It was just after my high school experience would have been, so it feels like just after. I don't jump right back into those memories, but as soon as you see a picture you're just, 'Oh, god, it's like yesterday.' ... [Twilight] was something I really invested in. It mattered to so many people. Something personal became not the most personal thing, which is awesome because to share that is great, but at the same time I was 17 or 18 when it all kind of went down, and that's the most uncomfortable, terrible, weird [time].
During a recent interview with Us Magazine, Kristen Stewart opened up regarding her experiences playing Bella Swan in the Twilight franchise. Although she generally regarded it as a positive experience, there were certain aspects about the Twilight phenomenon that didn't necessarily sit well with her. After joking about having to wear painful hair extensions during those years, she went on to explain that as a 17 or 18-year-old girl, the responsibility of standing at attention while constantly in the public eye definitely took a toll on her at times.
It probably doesn't help that the Twilight saga -- for all of the fanfare and enthusiasm associated with it -- eventually became reviled in certain movie going circles. Jokes about the quality of the movies became incredibly prevalent during the run of the five Twilight films, so to be forced to constantly grit and bear the criticism probably never sat too well with Ms. Stewart. I cannot imagine that I would fare any better.
All of the attention could definitely explain the career choices that the 26-year-old actress has made in the years since her time as Bella. Following the conclusion of the Twilight saga, Kristen Stewart really started to invest herself more in small indie roles, rather than big blockbuster films. Over the last few years she has turned in quite a few well-received performances in smaller films like Equals, Personal Shopper, and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk.
Of course, there's always the possibility that we could see more Twilight someday. The folks at Lionsgate have made no secret of the fact that they have at least a fleeting interest in possibly rebooting the franchise at some point. Whether or not Kristen Stewart will decide to sign on remains to be seen.
We will bring you any and all relevant details related to the future of the Twilight saga as more information becomes available to us. Stay tuned!
