Kristen Stewart surprises revealing secrets of 'New Moon' and 'Eclipse'

What a difference a year makes.  During the press train for "Twilight" 12 months ago, Kristen Stewart looked increasingly ill at ease whether she was doing a one on one interview, appearing on a TV talk show or making a public appearance to promote what became one of the surprise blockbusters of 2008.  With the sequel "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" part of the media spotlight since production was announced soon after, Stewart hasn't gotten much of a break from the public eye.  That sort of pressure could drive many actors to become even more distant and cold with the press, but imagine this, the opposite seems to have occurred with the 19-year-old better known as Bella to most "Twilight" fans.
 

As she appeared at a press conference at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles on Friday, Stewart was calm, confident, energetic and almost at peace with the 24/7 spectacle her life has become.  Most of the journalists who have covered Stewart over the past year from "Twilight" to "Adventureland" through Comic-Con weren't just pleasantly surprised, they were a bit dumbfounded at this new and improved Stewart.

The much in demand actress went into many "New Moon" details including working with director Chris Weitz, her love of playing Bella, the responsibility she feels to the fans, how proud she is of co-star Taylor Lautner's performance and eloquently explaining her "controversial" comments from Comic-Con that got some franchise fans in a tizzy.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Moreover, Stewart brought the contrasts between "New Moon" and the just completed third installment, "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" into focus for fans by noting, "what I really like about 'Eclipse' what was great for me to explore was different levels of love and acknowledging that the ideals that maybe you had a little while ago aren't true. Bella is innately honest and that's something  I feel that she is. And in 'Eclipse' she lies to herself and everyone around her about the fact that she's in love in Jacob just not as much."

And she may have also remarked on just how scary Victoria will be played by Ms. Bryce Dallas Howard.

You can read the complete transcript of the press conference below, but at the end of the story you can also listen to the complete audio of a confident and cool Stewart taking on those pesky entertainment journalists.  As one "Twilight" fan remarked, "it looks like our little Kristen is all grown up."  Indeed she has.

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Q: How has this year been with so many stories breaking on 'New Moon' all the time?

I think I've gotten a lot more comfortable about talking about myself and knowing what you say people are really going to take into consideration.  That always intimidated me so much that I minced every word that came out of my mouth because I was so concerned about how it was going to sound and I didn't want to come across insincere about something I really love to do. So, I realized that instead of refraining from saying, 'I put my heart and soul into this thing and I love it.' That's what I should have said instead of, y'know the really logical, analytical reason why I love it. you just do. So, I have gotten more comfortable with it. The whole rumor and tabloid stuff is so obviously false to me even before I became a part of it that I was sort of the star -- it's like a show. It's like a ridiculous show.

Q: A soap opera with your name in it?

Like with false realism. A soap opera that seems real, but you're not sure quite sure. It doesn't bother me. I don't take it personally. Luckily, since I've had so much experience it's gotten easier to talk about the work.

Q: What about the work on this one?

I had a really good time on this movie.  It was really intense.  Just because of the nature of the story it goes in a different direction.  We undermine the first. We establish a very ideological idea of love and basically we tell our main character, our protagonist, she was wrong. And it's like where is our story going to be left if Edward's not there.  What I really love about 'New Moon' is that you really see this girl build herself back up and by the time she makes the sort of 'rash' decision to spend eternity with a vampire she's in a position that you actually believe her. OK, you're old enough, you're mature enough to know, to have lived life.  She grows up. And yeah, I don't know what I'm talking about anymore. (Laughs.)

Q: The scenes with Victoria are really harrowing in this. I've been wondering what it's been like working with Bryce Dallas Howard in that role in "Eclipse"?

Really good, Bryce is scary. She's really oddly sweet as well so it's funny to see her switch back and forth.  But, Victoria for Bella is like an ever present fear.  Even when she's not around she's scared that she's coming back. So, Bryce is such a good actress and it was easy to be scared of her.

Q: Can you take about breaking in your new director? How did you work with Chris?

Chris has everything. I think to be a good director you have to be a good person and you have to care about people and I don't know a more compassionate human being. I couldn't have done this unless I had such a believable environment and comfortable safe environment to be comfortable in.  And he provided that ten fold.  He's one of the smartest, funniest guys I know. And he really loves the project as well. He's not just about jumping on the next big thing. So, it wasn't about breaking him in at all. He only helped make everything - he made everything what it is. He's incredible.  l love him.

Q: He gave you guys guide books when he came in?  How did that help you?

Chris did a cool thing that I've never had a director do, he put together like a syllabus almost of what we were supposed to achieve and how he was going to make it easier for everyone and introduction on how he liked to work. And it covered not only -- it didn't only introduce the idea of collaboration it was like inviting everyone on to this project and saying, 'Please, everyone love it and please everyone be invested and work hard.'  You know what I mean?  It also had technical aspects of like how he was so sorry that so much of the movie was going to be CGI stuff we were going to be reacting to, but he was always going to make us aware of what we were acting with and he was never going to leave us high and dry.  A lot of effects movies are hard to do because you don't know what you are reacting to. So, he had a full rundown of how he planned on making the movie. And most directors are like, y'know, 'Have you put together notes for our meeting?' 'Uh, no, that's your job.'  So, yeah, he's amazing. I love him.

Q: Taylor is on the verge of becoming such a huge star and obviously we know how the books are going and how things are going to unfold.  However, if you could just wipe the slate clean do you really think she wouldn't have gone with fine, old Jacob? 

I know. Trust me. I feel you completely. (Laughs.)

Q: Can you talk about Taylor? Because there was such a controversy of being in the movie and he does such an incredible job.

Totally. Yeah, I think that controversy has probably been made bigger than it was.  We needed to make sure that whoever played Jacob was going to be Jacob in 'New Moon.' He becomes a man, it's not just a physical transformation. He becomes an adult. And I always knew Taylor could do that, we just needed to make sure it was so important. So, once he actually proved himself, which wasn't hard to do, even seeing him walk around on set was like different experience. He's literally become a different person. He's so grown up.  He's so confident and like the nicest guy I've ever met. And I know I am using this grammatically incorrect, but he's like the funest guy I have ever hung out with. He's great. I'm so proud of him.