Kristen Stewart talks playing Princess Diana in 'Spencer'

"She really sticks out as a sparkly house on fire," Stewart said.

ByABC News via logo
September 3, 2021, 3:00 PM

Director Pablo Larraín's movie "Spencer" just debuted at the Venice Film Festival, and Kristen Stewart is already winning raves for her portrayal of Princess Diana.

During the festival, Stewart shared her thoughts on the late royal's inimitable personality and her impact.

When asked during a press conference why Diana had "power on people's imagination and hearts," Stewart said she thinks "it's just something she was born with."

"There are some people that are endowed with an undeniable penetrating energy," the actress continued. "I think the really sad thing about her is that she -- as normal and sort of casual and disarming her air is immediately -- she also felt so isolated and so lonely. She made everyone else feel accompanied and bolstered by this beautiful sort of light and all she wanted was to just have it back."

Stewart also commented on how she felt Diana's environment affected her.

"She was sort of just desperate to reveal some truth in an environment that is steeped in the energy of -- you know, as an outsider, I can say the Brits generally have the stiff upper lip mentality -- it is the go-to generalization," she said. "And I think that for her, I look at pictures of her, anything, even just a fleeting little video clip of her and I feel like the ground shakes and you don't know what's going to happen."

"The idea of somebody being so desperate for connection and somebody who is able to make other people feel so good, feeling so bad on the inside and being so generous with her energy -- I just think we haven't had that many of those people throughout history," Stewart added. "She really sticks out as a sparkly house on fire."

"Spencer" opens in theaters Nov. 5.