The Transformation Of Kristen Stewart From 11 To 33 Years Old

‌Kristen Stewart is one of those faces who seem to have been around forever — and that's partly because she has. The Los Angeles native's interest in films started out early, and after finding work as a child actor, Stewart found global fame as a teenager when she portrayed Bella Swan in the massively popular film series, "The Twilight Saga."

While Stewart is famous for her successful acting career, which has been marked by acclaimed performances in films ranging from mainstream blockbusters to independently financed projects, she has also attracted media attention for her personal life. Her relationship with "Twilight" co-star Robert Pattinson, for example, became a paparazzi sensation, and her subsequent relationships with women came under intense scrutiny. Still, Stewart has carved her own unique path along the way, always choosing to stay true to herself. When she came out as queer in her mid-20s, the actor quickly became an LGBTQ+ champion. Over the years, Stewart has come to welcome that responsibility and does her best to be as open as possible. "The whole issue of sexuality is so gray. I'm just trying to acknowledge that fluidity, that grayness, which has always existed. But maybe only now are we allowed to start talking about it," she told The Guardian in 2017.

After two and a half decades in the public eye, the actor-slash-director has fully embraced being herself, even when it was difficult at times. Let's take a closer look at the transformation of Kristen Stewart from childhood to 33.

A Year after playing Sam Jennings in "The Safety of Objects," Kristen Stewart got her first big break. She shared the screen with Jodie Foster in 2002's "Panic Room" when she was 12 years old and her performance put her on the map. Rolling Stone, for example, described how "Foster and Stewart — in a nuanced, no-bull turn — forge a bond that never feels cornball."

Stewart has a lot of love and respect for Foster and credits their movie for launching her career. However, her co-star couldn't have predicted how Stewart's career would pan out, especially since she didn't expect the child-star to pursue acting full time. "[Foster] was like 'you're probably going to direct movies or go back to school,'" Stewart admitted during an interview with Stellar (via the Daily Mail).

Surprising her co-star, Stewart went on to star in another thriller, "Cold Creek Manor," in 2003. She played the daughter of Sharon Stone and Dennis Quaid, and her performance earned her a Young Artist Award nomination. The following year, newly minted teenager Stewart starred in the made-for-TV movie "Speak," in which she plays a victim of rape. Her performance earned her major praise from The New York Times' Neil Genzlinger, who said, "Ms. Stewart creates a convincing character full of pain and turmoil — not an easy acting feat, since because of the nature of the story she has a limited number of lines." She continued to land these "quiet indie roles," as Vulture described, with films like "Fierce People" (2006) and "The Messengers" (2007).

Kristen Stewart went from thriller teenage actor to a global star almost instantly after the release of "Twilight" in November 2008, the first film in the saga inspired by Stephenie Meyer's popular vampire-themed novels. The search for the perfect actor to bring Bella Swan to life wasn't a particularly hard one, director Catherine Hardwicke told E!. She said that Stewart's performance in "Into the Wild" (2007) captivated her, so she "didn't spend a lot of time auditioning other" actors. "She had done that scene in the trailer with Emile Hirsch, and I thought she just expressed this incredible longing, and so I was just like, 'Wow, she would be great,'" Hardwicke told the outlet.

After she was cast, Stewart quickly got comfortable playing Bella and even helped get Robert Pattinson cast as her love interest. Ahead of the movie's 2008 release, she told the Los Angeles Times that she was excited about her character and the future of the franchise. "With Twilight, I get to tackle something for a really long time and there's an end to it," she explained.

"The Twilight Saga" did indeed end after five movies, and Stewart has come a long way in her career since playing the reclusive teenager-turned-vampire more than a decade ago. Nevertheless, she still considers the project a major milestone. "Every part that I've ever played has shaped me in such a significant way ... I got a lot from it and it's made me who I am," she told E! in 2017.

Kristen Stewart's other acting roles during and after "The Twilight Saga" were a seriously mixed bag, just as her roles before the vampire franchise had been. By starring in movies like the romantic comedy-drama "Adventureland," adventure drama "On the Road," war drama "Camp X-Ray," and fairy tale reimagining "Snow White and the Huntsman," Stewart proved she'd continue to do the unexpected. But she wasn't purposefully trying to diversify her filmography; it just happened naturally.

She previously explained back in 2008 that she was never worried about being typecast by "Twilight," especially after appearing in films like "Welcome to the Rileys." "I just came off of a movie where I play a homeless kid, like a really damaged and really broken little kid and she looks nothing like Bella. In fact, she's a stripper. So I'm not worried about [being typecast] and I never really was," Stewart told Collider. Stewart has always been more interested in pursuing independent movies and just hoped any "Twilight" fame would make it easier for her to keep doing that.

Kristen Stewart might have been starting to gain notoriety for her independent films like "The Runaways," which had critics praising her performance, in the early 2010s. However, it was bigger budget blockbusters like "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2" and "Snow White and the Huntsman" that were lining her deep pockets.

The fifth and final Installment of "The Twilight Saga," which was released in 2012, grossed $829.7 million worldwide, the highest of any film in the franchise. Stewart is believed to have taken home $12.5 million for the work in the movie, plus bonuses based on profits. The fairy tale epic "Snow White and the Huntsman" also had an impressive theater run, grossing $396.7 million worldwide.

While it's not clear exactly what Stewart earned for her role as the titular heroine, it must certainly have been a hefty sum because combined with her "Breaking Dawn – Part 2" earnings, it meant Stewart took home $34.5 million between May 2011 and 2012. This effort saw her shoot up to the top spot on Forbes list of Highest Paid Actresses in 2012 (bringing her up from fifth place the previous year). She was also the youngest star to claim that honor.

Although Kristen Stewart never dreamed of winning an Oscar, or the French equivalent, she did dream about getting into directing. She officially made this dream a reality in 2014 when she co-directed the "Take Me to the South" music video for the band Sage and the Saints.

Afterward, Stewart was clearly keen to get back behind the camera, so she started working on directing her debut short. "Come Swim" stars Josh Kaye and is about the dark and painful emotions that collectively all humans feel but don't talk about. It was lauded as a powerful directorial debut for the "Twilight" star. But she admitted her fame played a part in getting her film a spot at Cannes. "People who are much more talented and inspired couldn't ever have the opportunity to make a short film for the amount of money I was given to make this," she admitted to The Guardian.

Aside from a couple more music videos, Stewart bided her time before jumping into the director's chair again. It wasn't until 2020 that she began working on her feature-length directorial debut with a screen adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir, "The Chronology of Water," which she definitely feels is going to be a challenge. But, as she gets older, Stewart feels the need to expand her skill set, noting to Vanity Fair that she is now "more comfortable in the idea of making something from top to bottom, rather than giving myself to [it]."

Kristen Stewart knew exactly what she signed on for with "The Twilight Saga," given how popular Stephenie Mayer's book series was before the big screen adaptations. Nevertheless, that didn't fully prepare her for quite how famous she would become, and she never fully felt comfortable in the spotlight. She told Wonderland Magazine.

For years, Stewart tried to balance her work and life's purpose with privacy, but as she became more comfortable sharing details of her sexuality and took ownership of her status as an LGBTQ+ role model, she began to embrace her fame. "I used to sit in interviews and go, 'God, I wonder what they're going to ask me?' But now — literally — you can ask me anything!" Stewart admitted to Harper's Bazaar. Ultimately, the movie star just felt it was just better for her mental health to be more open. "I just wanted to enjoy my life. And that took precedence over protecting my life, because in protecting it, I was ruining it," she added.

In 2019, actor-writer-director Elizabeth Banks brought Charlie's Angels back to the silver screen. The film stars Banks as the first female Bosley alongside Kristen Stewart as Sabina Wilson, Ella Balinska as Jane Kano, and Naomi Scott as Elena Houghlin. It's an unapologetic celebration of women and sisterhood, but it's also just an action movie that was meant to appeal to the masses. Unfortunately, marketing didn't quite get that message, and "Charlie's Angels" didn't do as well as expected at the box office, grossing $17.8 million domestically and $73.2 million worldwide on a budget of $48 million.

Critics also had lukewarm feelings about the movie, but one person who doesn't is Stewart, who stands by "Charlie's Angels" and her performance in it. "The movie is so warm. I'm proud of the way it makes me feel. I think if it makes other people feel like that, it's a good thing to have in the world," Stewart proclaimed during a conversation with Shia LaBeouf for Variety. The "Happiest Season" actor also explained that she felt a really strong connection with her character Sabina, an openly queer character who she brought to life on her own terms. "It's kind of rare when you don't play somebody who is very defined, and outside of yourself, and your job really is to just bring something natural and something true and something that reflects maybe closer to what you are," she explained to People.

When an actor grows up in front of the camera — especially during that transition from childhood to adulthood — the world often bears witness to every phase of their lives. While Kristen Stewart seemingly skipped over the typical awkward teen years and blossomed in front of our very eyes, she's had her fair share of fashion phases over her years. During her "Twilight" years, Stewart could be seen rocking sparkly dresses, heels, and her signature messy hair. Her fans definitely thought it was a look, but the "Love Lies Bleeding" star admitted she felt quite overwhelmed by the fashion world.

However, Stewart has clearly found her way through and experimented with her sense of style along the way. In terms of her hair, she's had various blonde stages and a buzz cut, but she, more often than not, dons her signature messy mullet. She's also shifted toward more androgynous fashion, though it still has an edgy, pop rocker element. Stewart admitted she got a lot of fashion inspiration from playing Joan Jett. "I liked her Rock 'n' Roll style so much that it really influenced me. I already liked jeans and leather jackets before playing [her], though, but my rock-n-roll style developed thanks to playing Joan," she told Hollywood Life (via Yahoo! news).