Kristen Stewart’s remarks on gender bias resurface after directorial debut

Kristen Stewart’s comments on Hollywood’s gender bias in acting craft resurface after she turned director for her 2025 movie, The Chronology of Water.

The Twilight star’s resurfaced comment traced back to her interview with The New York Times where she called out movie industry for not giving freedom to female actors in the wake of method acting debate.

In her interview, Kristen said that men in Hollywood are “aggrandized for retaining self” within their performances, while women are not given the same treatment.

The actress-director described acting as “inherently vulnerable and therefore quite embarrassing and unmasculine”.

“There’s no bravado in suggesting that you’re a mouthpiece for someone else’s ideas. It’s inherently submissive. Have you ever heard of a female actor that was method?” she questioned.

Kristen further said that Brando “sounds like a hero, doesn’t he? If a woman did that, it would be different”.

However, Charlie’s Angels actress pointed out, “If you have to do 50 push-ups before your close-up or refuse to say a word a certain way — I mean, Brando, I’m not coming for him.”

Interestingly, Kristen noted that there’s a “common act” among male actors when they’re getting into character.

“If they can protrude out of the vulnerability and feel like a gorilla pounding their chest before they cry on camera, it’s a little less embarrassing,” she continued.

Kristen added, “It also makes it seem like a magic trick, like it is so impossible to do what you’re doing that nobody else could do it.”