Kristen Stewart Says She's Still 'Haunted' by Diana After Playing Her Onscreen: 'I Cry About Her'
Princess Diana has touched lives far beyond her lifetime, her philanthropy and compassion remembered across generations. Despite her untimely death in August 1997, she remains a powerful source of inspiration for films and series that seek to honor her legacy. Actress Kristen Stewart, who portrayed Diana in Spencer, has reflected on her tragic demise, revealing that she sometimes felt 'haunted' by her, particularly in Paris, the city where the late Princess spent her final moments.
In a February 5 interview with The Telegraph, Steward spoke highly of Diana's legacy, claiming that she felt 'haunted' by her. She said, "I can't drive 'round this city, and Paris for that matter, without thinking about her. All the love that poured out of this woman… I can cry about her at any moment." The late Princess, along with three others, was fatally injured in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel while being driven from the Ritz Hotel. The car, which was traveling at high speed, collided with a pillar as it attempted to evade paparazzi. She later died of her injuries in the hospital.
Steward expressed disbelief when she was asked to play the late Princess. She recounted, "I told Pablo he was insane and he should probably hire someone else, but he refused to accept that. There were some massive distinctions between her and me. It was the statuesque thing. It was the eye color – I have green eyes; she has very famously blue eyes that match her ring. So I was like, 'Should we make the engagement ring green, then?'" Her excellent portrayal of Diana received widespread praise, for which she was nominated for Best Actress at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Criticizing how the paparazzi reduced Diana to a mere commodity, rather than a person, the actress believed that the Princess was "plucked to death" by them. She stressed, "And her rebellious qualities felt so desperate, and so young and so vulnerable." She added that that level of attention does "kind of soul suck," revealing that when filming wrapped, "I did feel a bit like a shell, and I think she did too."
In a separate 2022 interview with PEOPLE, Steward had also reflected on Diana's legacy, gushing that the late royal made people feel good and that she portrayed the Princess at a time that was hard, tumultuous, and sad. "Even if it was in my imagination and I was completely convincing myself that suddenly I had this superpower that she had, which was to make people feel good." Her performance leaned into subtle expressions and internal conflict, rather than blatant imitation of the late royal.