Kristen Stewart has revealed that she continues to feel "haunted" by Princess Diana, nearly five years after portraying her in the biographical drama "Spencer," which is based on the life of Spencer.
Speaking in a new interview, the 35-year-old actress opened up about the lasting emotional impact of inhabiting the role.
Stewart said: "I still am. I can't drive 'round this city, and Paris for that matter, without thinking about her."
The star added that Diana's capacity for warmth continues to move her deeply: "All the love that poured out of this woman I can cry about her at any moment."
Kristen Stewart has revealed that she continues to feel "haunted" by Princess Diana, nearly five years after portraying her in the biographical drama "Spencer," which is based on the life of Spencer.
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Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a Paris car accident in 1997, aged 36.
Spencer, directed by Pablo Larraín and penned by Stephen Knight, depicted Diana navigating Christmas 1991 with the Royal Family as her marriage to the future King Charles crumbled.
Stewart admitted she questioned the casting decision from the outset.
"I told Pablo he was insane and he should probably hire someone else, but he refused to accept that," she recalled.
Kristen Stewart accepting an award for her portrayal of Princess Diana.
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The actress pointed to obvious physical differences between herself and the princess, noting her green eyes compared to Diana's famously blue ones that matched her engagement ring.
"So I was like, 'Should we make the engagement ring green, then?'" Stewart joked, adding that Larraín insisted the role was about "spirit."
The director recognised a connection between Stewart and Diana rooted in their shared experiences of relentless public attention.
Larraín identified "a little bit of overlap in terms of our experience. And there was something about my energy," Stewart explained.
Such constant scrutiny "does kind of soul suck," she observed, revealing that completing the film left her feeling depleted.
The director recognised a connection between Stewart and Diana rooted in their shared experiences of relentless public attention.
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She said: "I did feel a bit like a shell, and I think she did too. That was the point."
Stewart's performance earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2022 Academy Awards, marking critical recognition for her portrayal.
In a separate interview with People that same year, the actress spoke of Diana's remarkable gift for connection.
"Diana Spencer made people feel good," Stewart said, noting she had depicted the princess "at a time that was hard and tumultuous and sad, but she also has this unstoppable light."
The role proved transformative for Stewart personally.
"I felt like I was allowed to grow as a person," she explained, describing how she convinced herself she had temporarily acquired Diana's "superpower" of making others feel valued.
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