Kristen Stewart continues to grapple with the emotional impact of playing Princess Diana in the 2021 film Spencer, reflecting on how deeply the role affected her. The actress, recognized with an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, revealed in a recent interview that embodying the late Princess of Wales has left a lasting impression on her, closely tied to the royal’s tragic life and legacy.
Stewart’s Ongoing Connection to Diana’s Memory
Stewart, aged 35, shared in a London interview with The Telegraph that playing Princess Diana still haunts her, particularly when visiting cities tied to Diana’s story. She described how she cannot drive through London or Paris without thinking of the princess and feeling moved by the affection people had for Diana.
I still am. I can’t drive ’round this city, and Paris for that matter, without thinking about her,
Stewart said.
All the love that poured out of this woman… I can cry about her at any moment,
she added, referencing Diana’s untimely death in a Paris car accident in 1997 at age 36.
The Challenge and Spirit of Portraying Diana in Spencer
The film Spencer, directed by Pablo Larraín and penned by Stephen Knight, imagines a pivotal Christmas in 1991, a period when Diana was enduring the collapse of her marriage to Prince Charles while navigating pressures from the royal family. Stewart initially doubted she was the right choice for the role, questioning the physical differences and iconic elements associated with Diana.
I told Pablo he was insane and he should probably hire someone else, but he refused to accept that. There were some massive distinctions between her and me. It was the statuesque thing. It was the eye color – I have green eyes; she has very famously blue eyes that match her ring. So I was like, ‘Should we make the engagement ring green, then?’
Stewart recalled. Larraín encouraged her to focus on Diana’s spirit rather than exact physical imitation.
Recognizing Common Ground Between Actress and Princess
Stewart revealed that Larraín saw parallels between her own energy and Diana’s experience, particularly in how both had been intensely scrutinized by the public and media. She explained that the princess was relentlessly pursued by paparazzi, which contributed to an exhaustion and vulnerability that Stewart sought to capture in her performance.
She was plucked, plucked to death [by paparazzi],
Stewart said.
And her rebellious qualities felt so desperate, and so young and so vulnerable.
She explained that such unwanted attention can drain one’s spirit and shared that after filming, she herself felt hollowed out, mirroring Diana’s emotional state during that difficult phase.
I did feel a bit like a shell, and I think she did too. That was the point.
Stewart’s Reflection on Diana’s Enduring Light Amid Hardship
In a 2022 interview with PEOPLE, Stewart described Diana as a figure who inspired warmth and comfort even in times of hardship and sadness. She spoke about how portraying the princess allowed her to explore and internalize Diana’s resilience and ability to uplift others.
Diana Spencer made people feel good,
Stewart said, detailing how the character she portrayed was marked by a challenging yet luminous presence.
At a time that was hard and tumultuous and sad, but she also has this unstoppable light.
And to even attempt to try and touch that, I learned a lot, but specifically, I felt like I was allowed to grow as a person,
Stewart reflected.
Even if it was in my imagination and I was completely convincing myself that suddenly I had this superpower that she had, which was to make people feel good.
Lasting Impact of the Role on Stewart and Public Memory
Kristen Stewart’s intense and thoughtful portrayal of Princess Diana in Spencer has left a profound mark on her personally and has contributed to ongoing reflections on the late royal’s life and challenges faced within the British Royal Family. Stewart’s candidness about feeling haunted by the role underscores the difficult emotional terrain Diana navigated and invites audiences to revisit the human story behind the public figure.
With her acclaimed performance generating Oscar recognition in 2022, Stewart’s connection to Diana’s spirit is likely to resonate with viewers and critics alike, reaffirming the continuing cultural fascination with the Princess of Wales and the complexities of her legacy.
