Kristen Stewart has opened up about playing Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s upcoming biopic, Spencer.
In a new interview with InStyle, Stewart said she remains “viscerally affected” by images of Princess Diana’s funeral, which she watched as a child.
“The accent is intimidating as all hell because people know that voice, and it’s so, so distinct and particular,” she added. “I’m working on it now and already have my dialect coach. In terms of research, I’ve gotten through two and a half biographies, and I’m finishing all the material before I actually go make the movie.”
“It’s one of the saddest stories to exist ever, and I don’t want to just play Diana – I want to know her implicitly. I haven’t been this excited about playing a part, by the way, in so long,” she continued.
Stewart’s comments mark the first time she’s gone on record talking about Spencer, which will begin filming at the start of 2021. The film is another chapter in a string of unconventional biopics by Larraín, including acclaimed films like Jackie and Neruda on Jackie Kennedy and Pablo Neruda, respectively.
“I think there is sort of an unbridled, open, and intimate exchange that she had with the public that was so striking for people that were used to a sort of different face to the royal family,” she added. “That’s not something I grew up with. I always thought this person was stolen from us and I always had a curiosity about her. Every day that I unfold this story the more emotionally invested I get.”
“Kristen is one of the great actors around today,” Larraín told Deadline earlier this year about casting Stewart. “To do this well, you need something very important in film, which is mystery. Kristen can be many things, and she can be very mysterious and very fragile and ultimately very strong as well, which is what we need. The combination of those elements made me think of her. I think she’s going to do something stunning and intriguing at the same time. She is this force of nature.”
Besides portraying the obvious drama that comes with the royal relationship and its pressures under the spotlight of the press, the film will also give Stewart a chance to break out a range of Diana’s iconic 90s looks – here’s six outfits we want to see.