Kristen Stewart Not Aloof

“Twilight” star Kristen Stewart could be forgiven if she seems stand-offish, given the unrelenting attention she’s gotten and the loss of privacy she’s suffered because of her instant fame. But in a wide ranging interview she says that’s not who she is.

“I am quite shy and people think I’m aloof,’ she explains to Will Lawrence, a reporter with London’s Telegraph newspaper.

“I get that all the time: ‘She should not be in this position because she can’t handle it,’ and, ‘She is stuck up and doesn’t want to talk to anybody. She is miserable, and if you are so miserable stop doing it,’” she says recounting the criticisms she’s heard.

“But do you have a choice? I want to be an actor, I am just not very comfortable talking about myself.

“When I did the first Twilight movie they were like, ‘Now you have to go and do media training,’ and I was, ‘Screw you! Do you think you are going to wrap up all my little insecurities and throw them out the window?

“Do you think you are going to put soundbites in my mouth? I’ll do your course, but that’s not going to happen,” she said.

Not surprisingly, Kristen comes across a lot like Bella Swan, the protagonist in the “Twilight” series, who has become a model of teenage, high school insecurity and angst.

Williams reports that Stewart smokes one cigarette during the interview and says she’s pretty much given up the habit. Kristen was in the UK promoting “The Runaways,” the Joan Jett biopic, which also stars Dakota Fanning, 16.

The film bombed in America, recouping barely a third of its estimated $10 million budget.

“The Runaways started everything for chicks in rock and roll,’ says Stewart. “So many women in bands say, “I’m in
a band because of the Runaways.

“I felt comfortable in Joan’s clothing. ‘It’s like armor. Punks put it on because they are protecting themselves, because they are outsiders, and because they are fighting something,” she said hinting at her shyness again.

Kristen, reticent as ever, blew off questions about her relationship with Rob Pattinson.

“It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve spoken to someone or how well they know me, I’m just not going to talk about that,’ she said.

“But it is weird with the paparazzi,” she said. “We are not on the top of the paparazzi list, but it is definitely tougher for Rob.”

Stewart is currently shooting an adaptation of “On the Road, the Jack Kerouac novel, directed by the Brazilian film-maker Walter Salles. Then, she’ll move on to filming “Breaking Dawn.