Kristen Stewart Calls Acting “Embarrassing” and “Unmasculine”

Kristen Stewart is sharing her thoughts on Method acting and why she thinks it plays out differently for men and women in Hollywood.

In a new interview with the New York Times, she said that acting itself puts performers in a vulnerable place, and she believes that some actors use Method acting to avoid facing that feeling.

Stewart said that performing means giving up control and letting yourself be seen. She explained that this can feel uncomfortable, especially for men.

She said, “Performance is inherently vulnerable and therefore quite embarrassing and unmasculine.” She added that acting involves speaking someone else’s words, which she sees as “inherently submissive.” Stewart also pointed out that she rarely hears about actresses using Method acting. She asked, “Have you ever heard of a female actor that was method?”

Her comments came up when the interviewer brought up Marlon Brando and his well-known moment from the 1978 film “Superman,” when he mispronounced the name “Krypton.” Sean Penn had once suggested that Brando did things like that to keep his own sense of dignity while working on a big commercial project. Stewart said that men in the industry often get credit for holding onto their “authentic selves,” while women are judged differently for the same behavior.

She said, “Brando sounds like a hero, doesn’t he? If a woman did that, it would be different.” Stewart said she was not attacking Brando, adding, “I mean, Brando, [expletive], I’m not coming for him.”

She went on to describe what she has seen some male actors do before emotional scenes. She said that some like to push through the discomfort by acting tough before the camera rolls. According to her, “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 added that this behavior can make acting look like a rare skill that only certain people can do.

Stewart also mentioned a moment when she asked another actor if he had ever seen a woman act in the same “Method” way some men do. She said the reaction was immediate. According to her, he answered, “Oh, actresses are crazy.” Stewart said that response only strengthened her view that women are not allowed the same space or freedom when it comes to their acting process.

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