At Cannes, Kristen Stewart Slams 'Gnarly' Aspects of Fame

Cannes: Twilight actress Kristen Stewart blasted the downside of superstardom but thanked Woody Allen for uncovering her hidden depths as his new film opened the Cannes film festival on Wednesday.

Kristen, who has premium billing at this year's event with two films in the main showcase, delighted critics with her performance in Mr Allen's Cafe Society, a romantic romp set in Thirties Hollywood.

As she completes the transition from teenage vampire star to indie movie darling, Kristen said that massive fame at a tender age had been a heavy price to pay for her current artistic freedom.

"It's like the most gnarly popularity contest in the world," said Kristen, whose relationship with Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson attracted intense media attention.

"You take high school and make it like in the real world - it amplifies everything, it's pretty intense," she said.

Kristen, 26, and her co-stars Jesse Eisenberg and Blake Lively were peppered with questions about a line in the film that says: "Hollywood is boring, nasty and dog-eat-dog."

"There's definitely an undeniably-opportunistic, hungry, insane fervour that occurs," Kristen said.

"I think human beings are always clawing at each other to get on top. I think that's true in most industries but Hollywood can have a surface nature that makes it more obvious," she added.

Kristen said she had auditioned for the part in Mr Allen's film - a rare move for an actress with her strong box office draw - and had to abandon her usual approach to a role.

"Luckily once we got going, that tonal quality that's so familiar and immediately recognisable (in Mr Allen's films), it just happens intrinsically. Who knows, maybe we didn't do it but I think we kind of nailed it," she said with a sly smile.

The best feeling

Kristen said she worked with Mr Allen to develop the character, a small-town secretary who wins two men's hearts in Hollywood.

"It's never completely changing myself but it's like finding things that are a little more buried. He probably saw something in me that I didn't and that's the best feeling in the world," she said.

Blake, displaying a slight baby bump in a crimson red jumpsuit, said Tinseltown had evolved since the glamourous era depicted in Mr Allen's film.

"Back in the Thirties, the studios were probably a bit more dominating than they are now, they owned actors and filmmakers," the 28-year-old actress said.

"Now I think it's the media that is more dog-eat-dog and invasive and the access people have to knowledge - if they don't have access they'll just make it up. Now it's probably more challenging," she said.

Kristen, who will also appear in the competition film Personal Shopper during the 12-day festival, chimed in: "That's a good point."

Jessie, 32, whose private life has attracted less intense speculation in the press than that of his female co-stars, said earning a name in the movie business had been "very useful" to him as an artist.

"Fame is the probably most valuable currency, for better or for worse," said the Social Network star.

So youthful it's astonishing

Mr Allen took the long view on his more than six-decade career, warning stars against taking themselves too seriously.

"There are great, great upsides to it (fame) and great downsides and my own opinion after years in the spotlight is that the perks far outweigh the downsides," he said.

"Celebrities often kvetch about the lack of privacy and the amount of paparazzi, things like that - these are not life-threatening problems and they get enormous advantages as they go through life."

When asked about his remarkable longevity, Mr Allen said he even surprised himself.

"I'm 80, I can't believe it. I'm so youthful, agile, nimble, spry, mentally alert that it's astonishing," he said.

"I'm sure one day I'll wake up in the morning and I'll have a stroke or something. Until that happens, I'm just going to continue to make films as long as people are foolish enough to put up the money to support me," he said. At Cannes, Kristen Stewart Slams 'Gnarly' Aspects of Fame Cannes | Agence France-Presse "It's like the most gnarly popularity contest in the world," said Kristen Stewart, whose relationship with Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson attracted intense media attention. "You take high school and make it like in the real world - it amplifies everything, it's pretty intense," she said Caption: Kristen Stewart photographed at the Cannes Film festival. (image courtesy: AFP) Highlights For Kristen, fame had been a heavy price to pay for artistic freedom Her performance in Allen's Cafe Society has impressed critic at Cannes Kristen's Personal Shopper will also appear in the competition section Twilight actress Kristen Stewart blasted the downside of superstardom but thanked Woody Allen for uncovering her hidden depths as his new film opened the Cannes film festival on Wednesday.

Kristen, who has premium billing at this year's event with two films in the main showcase, delighted critics with her performance in Mr Allen's Cafe Society, a romantic romp set in Thirties Hollywood.

As she completes the transition from teenage vampire star to indie movie darling, Kristen said that massive fame at a tender age had been a heavy price to pay for her current artistic freedom.

"It's like the most gnarly popularity contest in the world," said Kristen, whose relationship with Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson attracted intense media attention.

"You take high school and make it like in the real world - it amplifies everything, it's pretty intense," she said.

Kristen, 26, and her co-stars Jesse Eisenberg and Blake Lively were peppered with questions about a line in the film that says: "Hollywood is boring, nasty and dog-eat-dog."

"There's definitely an undeniably-opportunistic, hungry, insane fervour that occurs," Kristen said.

"I think human beings are always clawing at each other to get on top. I think that's true in most industries but Hollywood can have a surface nature that makes it more obvious," she added.

Kristen said she had auditioned for the part in Mr Allen's film - a rare move for an actress with her strong box office draw - and had to abandon her usual approach to a role.

"Luckily once we got going, that tonal quality that's so familiar and immediately recognisable (in Mr Allen's films), it just happens intrinsically. Who knows, maybe we didn't do it but I think we kind of nailed it," she said with a sly smile.

The best feeling

Kristen said she worked with Mr Allen to develop the character, a small-town secretary who wins two men's hearts in Hollywood.

"It's never completely changing myself but it's like finding things that are a little more buried. He probably saw something in me that I didn't and that's the best feeling in the world," she said.

Blake, displaying a slight baby bump in a crimson red jumpsuit, said Tinseltown had evolved since the glamourous era depicted in Mr Allen's film.

"Back in the Thirties, the studios were probably a bit more dominating than they are now, they owned actors and filmmakers," the 28-year-old actress said.

"Now I think it's the media that is more dog-eat-dog and invasive and the access people have to knowledge - if they don't have access they'll just make it up. Now it's probably more challenging," she said.

Kristen, who will also appear in the competition film Personal Shopper during the 12-day festival, chimed in: "That's a good point."

Jessie, 32, whose private life has attracted less intense speculation in the press than that of his female co-stars, said earning a name in the movie business had been "very useful" to him as an artist.

"Fame is the probably most valuable currency, for better or for worse," said the Social Network star.

So youthful it's astonishing

Mr Allen took the long view on his more than six-decade career, warning stars against taking themselves too seriously.

"There are great, great upsides to it (fame) and great downsides and my own opinion after years in the spotlight is that the perks far outweigh the downsides," he said.

"Celebrities often kvetch about the lack of privacy and the amount of paparazzi, things like that - these are not life-threatening problems and they get enormous advantages as they go through life."

When asked about his remarkable longevity, Mr Allen said he even surprised himself.

"I'm 80, I can't believe it. I'm so youthful, agile, nimble, spry, mentally alert that it's astonishing," he said.

"I'm sure one day I'll wake up in the morning and I'll have a stroke or something. Until that happens, I'm just going to continue to make films as long as people are foolish enough to put up the money to support me," he said.