Kristen Stewart says she’s ‘haunted’ by Princess Diana after playing her

Kristen Stewart has opened up on playing the role of Princess Diana and how she's still 'haunted' by the late royal.

For those who are unfamiliar, the American actress stepped into the shoes of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 2021 for Spencer - a historical psychological drama film directed by Pablo Larraín and written by Steven Knight.

The film was set during a 1991 Christmas in Sandringham, with the Twilight actress portraying the royal as she was on the verge of crisis following her husband's affair.

While it was of course inspired by real-life people, rumours, and events, it was still very much a work of fiction.

Stewart's uncanny transformation into Diana went on to receive critical acclaim and landed the actress an Oscar nomination - but she still can't drive around London or Paris without thinking of her.

Speaking to The Telegraph about the moment she was offered the role, the star recalled: “I told Pablo he was insane and he should probably hire someone else, but he refused to accept that."

Stewart played Diana in the 2021 movie Spencer (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

The actress pointed out a number of physical differences between herself and the late royal - their eye colour and their height, with Stewart being 5ft 5, while Diana was approximately 5 ft 10.

Stewart said: "There were some massive distinctions between her and me. It was the statuesque thing. It was the eye colour - 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?’”

She admitted the small details 'were pulling me under and Pablo was like, ‘You really must detach from those things – this is about spirit’.”

Stewart claimed that Larraín's casting choice was partly down to 'a little bit of overlap in terms of our experience. And there was something about my energy'.

The actress says she's still 'haunted' by the late royal (NEON/Youtube)

“She was plucked, plucked to death [by paparazzi]. And her rebellious qualities felt so desperate, and so young and so vulnerable. Who can understand that better than a teenage movie star?" questioned Stewart.

The actress explained that the role did 'kind of soul suck' and by the end of filming she 'felt like a bit like a shell'

"I think she did too. That was the point," she added.

As we say, Stewart also revealed she still feels 'haunted' by Princess Diana, even five years after the movie was released.

She admitted: "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."

Her portrayal even earned her an Oscar nomination (Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

Stewart spent some months perfecting her Diana with the help of voice and movement coaches.

The actress told The Guardian back in 2021: “She had such a particular way of talking, and she makes me feel something so specific to her. It was like a full-body exercise – the most muscular, unintuitive, yet extremely instinctive thing.

"It was weird: I needed to master it in order to kind of mess it up."

Stewart continued: “I don’t know if I believe in anything. I don’t believe in ghosts, but I don’t not believe in ghosts. I believe in a lingering energy.

"I took her in, whether or not it was my idea of her or there was some actual literal remnant of her."