Kristen Stewart: Standing Up Against Old-School Mindsets
We want to believe that things have changed, but sadly, many times they remain the same as always. Hollywood has evolved, yes, but the bosses are still, to a large extent, gentlemen who do not accept that social change has passed them by.
Luckily, Kristen Stewart is clear about what she wants and what she doesn’t want: she’d rather hold hands with her girlfriend than star in a Marvel movie. The actress, who made her way into Hollywood by playing Bella Swan in the ‘Twilight’ saga, came out as bisexual in 2017, and it was a more than conscious decision.
Electing Between Marvel or Girlfriend
“They told me, ‘If you want to do yourself a favor and not go out holding your girlfriend’s hand in public, you can get a Marvel movie. I don’t want to work with people like that.” It informed me of an old-school mindset: if you want to preserve your career, your success, and your productivity, there are people in the world who don’t like you, and they don’t like that you date girls, and they don’t like that you don’t identify as lesbian nor as heterosexual. And people like to know things, so what the fuck are you?”
It is true that this was at the beginning of her career. Afterwards, she has had no problem making her way in the world of cinema and has appeared in such interesting roles as that of ‘Spencer’, ‘Crimes of the future’ or ‘Personal shopper’, something for which she also has an explanation: “Literally, life is one big popularity contest.”
Breaking Ground
In fact, she is already preparing her leap into directing with ‘The chronology of water’, the adaptation of the memoirs of a drug-addicted swimmer. For her part, it should be remembered that Marvel did not introduce her first gay character until ‘Avengers: Endgame’, a secondary that only had a couple of phrases in her support group at the beginning of the film. Step by step.
Changing the Industry
Kristen Stewart is one of many actresses who have openly fought against the old-school mindsets in Hollywood. By standing up for what she believes in, she has made it easier for others to do the same. With each new role, she breaks new ground and challenges the industry to be more inclusive and accepting of all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation.
