Actress Kristen Stewart recently opened up on the struggles of women while transitioning from acting to directing in Hollywood, saying that actresses get “treated like puppets” if they choose to helm films.
Stewart, known for playing the role of Bella in the Twilight films, recently made her directorial debut with The Chronology of Water, a 2025 biographical drama based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir. It starred Imogen Poots in the lead role and also featured Thora Birch.
“Actresses get treated like s**t, I’ve got to tell you...People think anyone could be an actress, but 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 35-year-old actress told The Times of London during an interview.
There is a perception in the industry, Stewart said, that directors have “otherworldly abilities”.
“There’s this idea that directors have otherworldly abilities, which is not true. It’s an idea perpetuated by men. Not to sound like I’m complaining all the time, but it’s worse for female actors than male ones — they get treated like puppets, but they are not...Imogen put her whole body and soul into this movie,” she added.
Stewart’s directorial debut The Chronology of Water released in October last year after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
The film follows writer Lidia Yuknavitch, who after an abusive childhood, finds an escape with the help of competitive swimming, sexual experimentation, toxic relationships, and addiction before finding her voice through writing.