Cannes 2016: Kristen Stewart shares her philosophy, work approach

May 17, 2016 6:13 AM PT

6:11 A.M. Cannes, France

Cannes 2016: Kristen Stewart shares her philosophy, work approach

Steven Zeitchik

Kristen Stewart addressed reporters ahead of the premiere of “Personal Shopper,” her Europe-set ghost tale that reunites her with director Olivier Assayas, in Cannes on Tuesday. Here are excerpts from her comments:

“The constant nature of life is so terrifying that you can’t get away from it. Right now. I can’t get out. I can’t get out. That’s really scary.”

“[This film] is a ghost story but supernatural aspects lead you to the very base questions. Am I making this up right now? Is this current reality a thing? It’s so ridiculous. Is this (my) perception compared to yours?”

“It is really a movie about finding yourself. It’s an identity crisis movie.”

On super-fame:

“Sometimes I feel like I have my limbs cut off. That’s not a bad feeling. It’s just surreal.”

On playing an assistant to a person so rich and famous she can’t leave the house:

“There’s a lot of hatred and conflicted desires that go along with [my character’s] attraction to shiny things. To be on the other side [of someone who is] not able to go to a store and buy something. Technically you can but it can prove to be ... not worth it. Maureen is so capable just so tactile and physical.. It was fun to play someone who was sort of like um, what’s the word I’m looking for dude. So capable.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about distractions. I’m absolutely guilty of constant stimula that’s not actually stimulation….In the context of the movie the fact that she can sit behind the phone and feel closer and feel alive, it says something about how we interact with technology. It would be a lot easier for me to sit down and write an email of what I’m talking about right now. [Pause.] But it’s nice to engage too.”

On Assayas, who also directed her in “Clouds of Sils Maria”:

“There’s a flame he lights under mine [butt] that is stronger than I ever felt. I don’t know why…. I really try to navigate my career by feel, and I just feel him.”

“Without any religious implications, I’m agnostic about ghosts. [Pauses] This is going to sound great in quotes. I’m really sensitive to energies. I truly believe we’re driven by something. I’m driven by something, I can’t really define. I can’t necessarily take responsibility for it and it gives me a feeling we’re not so alone.”

On sexually charged scenes:

“I wasn’t afraid of that. I’m really--I’ll do anything. I really appreciate all of it.”

On acting technique:

“I’m not trying to affect you, I’m not trying to manipulate you. [It’s not about] packaging and delivering a notion. It’s being shocked by it and then someone captures it. And the only way to do that is to get naked. My favorite kind of work is someone says ‘did you know that about yourself, because I saw it and wanted to highlight it.’”