Kristen Stewart: Hollywood's gendered view of acting styles

Kristen Stewart has asserted that acting is an "unmasculine" and "inherently submissive" craft. She suggests that "the method," a style of immersive acting, was developed by male actors as a form of compensation. Stewart questions why male actors are praised for their intense preparation, often seen as a sign of dedication, while women displaying similar commitment are frequently dismissed as "crazy."

Stewart elaborated that male actors are "aggrandized for retaining self," a trait that might be perceived differently in women. She described how some male actors exhibit "gorilla pounding their chest" behaviors before a scene, which makes the process appear more like an impressive "magic trick." This contrasts with how female actors' emotional expressions are often misconstrued.

The actress pushed back against the stereotype that female performers are inherently unstable. She recounted an instance where a fellow actor immediately labeled actresses as "crazy" when a distinction was made between male and female performers. Stewart emphasized that this reaction indicates a predisposition to dismiss women's on-set intensity as mere emotional imbalance.