TAKING ON A TOUGH ROLE KRISTEN STEWART ON HOW HER DARK ROLES STAY WITH HER

Over the past 15 years, Kristen Stewart has appeared on the big screen in countless hits, bringing to life memorable characters such as Twilight’s Bella Swan.

- KATIE ELLIS

But despite her success, the actress says she often cannot bear to watch her own films. “It’s horrible,” she says. “The first time I see something I’m in, I know I won’t be able to watch without being super critical.

“I’m always thinking about the millions of things I could have done differently. Just the thought of watching myself fills me with terror.”

But the star is more than happy to fill her legions of fans with a different kind of terror in her latest movie.

In romantic crime drama Love Lies Bleeding, Kristen stars as Lou, a gym manager who gets drawn into her criminal family’s violence after falling in love with an ambitious bodybuilder – and the Los Angeles-born actress relished every moment, despite the movie’s dark themes.

“It was a lot of fun – and freeing, actually,” she says. “[Director] Rose [Glass] described the endeavour as bombastic and it really was – and more. The script was amazing, but we were encouraged to try different things and play with it. It was a really inspiring way to work.”

For Kristen, 34, who has always danced to the beat of her own drum, the fact that the film had female strength at its core was part of the reason why she was so passionate about the role.