Kristen Stewart has opened up about how portraying Princess Diana in the 2021 film "Spencer" continues to haunt her, revealing the lasting emotional impact of stepping into the late royal's life.

The role earned Stewart an Academy Award nomination, but the experience went far beyond accolades.

"I can't drive around this city," Stewart told The Telegraph on February 5, referring to London, "and Paris for that matter, without thinking about her. All the love that poured out of this woman... I can cry about her at any moment."

Stewart said that Diana's life under constant media scrutiny and public obsession struck a deep chord.

"She was plucked, plucked to death [by paparazzi]," Stewart explained. "And her rebellious qualities felt so desperate, and so young and so vulnerable."

The actress admitted that by the end of filming, she felt "a bit like a shell," echoing Diana's own experience of exhaustion and isolation in the public eye, PageSix reported.

Despite her initial hesitation to take on the role, Stewart said director Pablo Larraín convinced her to step into Diana's world.

"I told Pablo he was insane and he should probably hire someone else," Stewart recalled. "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."

Larraín reassured her, saying, "You really must detach from those things—this is about spirit," which helped Stewart focus on capturing Diana's essence rather than the superficial details.

Kristen Stewart Opens Up About Vulnerability

Stepping onto the set in full costume allowed Stewart to embody the Princess physically as well as emotionally.

"The clothes were part of the armor," she said. "They allowed me to step into her physical space and create images of her in this prison of a castle yet wearing lavish, stunning pieces of clothing. That is a poem in itself."

Stewart also sees parallels between her own life and Diana's, noting that both experienced intense public attention at a young age—Stewart through her rise to fame in the "Twilight" series, and Diana through the global spotlight of the British royal family.

This connection, she explained, helped her understand the vulnerability and pressure Diana endured.

Beyond her portrayal of Diana, Stewart has spoken about living openly and honestly, including her own sexuality.

According to DailyMail, she has emphasized the importance of not hiding who she is, saying she refused to live a "partial life" for her career. Stewart married her wife, screenwriter Dylan Meyer, in April 2025, after dating since 2019.

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Kristen Stewart, Princess Diana