Kristen Stewart Slams Hollywood and Says Respect Only Came When She Stepped Behind the Camera

Kristen Stewart is speaking openly about how differently she is treated in Hollywood now that she is directing instead of just acting. In an interview with The Times of London, the actor said becoming a director changed the way people in the industry talk to her and respect her ideas.

Stewart said the shift was immediate once she started promoting her first feature film as a director, The Chronology of Water. Actresses get treated like s***, I’ve got to tell you, she said. She explained that meetings suddenly felt different. The first time I sat down to talk about my movie as a director, I thought, wow, this is a different experience, they are talking to me like I’m somebody with a brain.

The Chronology of Water is based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir. The story follows a woman dealing with trauma through swimming, writing, and self-expression. The film stars Imogen Poots as Yuknavitch and includes performances from Thora Birch, Jim Belushi, and Tom Sturridge. The movie premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and was released in theaters on January 9, according to festival and studio reports.

While promoting the film, Stewart has continued to talk about how power works on film sets. She pushed back against the idea that directors are somehow magical or unreachable figures.

There’s this idea that directors have otherworldly abilities, which is not true, she said. Stewart added that this image is often used to keep control in the hands of a few people. It’s an idea perpetuated by men, she said, explaining that actresses tend to be taken less seriously than male actors. It’s worse for female actors than male ones — they get treated like puppets, but they are not.

Stewart also praised Imogen Poots for her performance in the film. She said the role demanded complete emotional honesty. Imogen put her whole body and soul into this movie, Stewart said, pointing out how much vulnerability the role required. Her comments echo a recent interview with the New York Times, where Stewart criticized how male actors are often praised for staying emotionally distant while women are judged more harshly for the same choices.

Outside of work, Stewart has had a full year. She married her wife, Dylan Meyer, in early 2025 and described the past year as the most “carbonated” time of her life.

Stewart says she plans to take a short break before jumping into another directing project, but she has made it clear she wants to keep working behind the camera. She has even said she would be open to directing a remake of Twilight, the franchise that made her famous.

For now, Stewart says she wants to break down the strange rules around acting and authority on set. Speaking again in her recent profile, she said if male actors 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.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!