"the highest-paid actress in the history of Hollywood"

Maybe this is an odd thing to say given how much money and how much adulation you’ve gotten out of the “Twilight” series, but I wonder if you feel like the difficulty of the acting challenge has gone underappreciated by critics and non-fans. I mean, they’re not my favorite movies or anything, but they’re a lot better than the books! The cast in general does good work, and your character feels very well thought-out and precisely crafted. Do you feel like people don’t notice that?

I don’t know. I feel like people think that’s me! [Laughter.] It is pretty funny. I say this all the time, and I don’t want to contradict myself: I feel really close to all the characters I play. I’m not the type of person who hides behind a role. I’m not a character actor. The reason I’m ever able to do the job is, like, you read a bit of material that reveals yourself. It can be shocking and surprising, and there are aspects that are a little bit more buried than what seems to be apparent. But at the same time, it is crazy for people to think that I was vicariously having this experience, just dipping along through “Twilight”-land.

But then, a lot of your fans think that, too, am I right?

Oh, for sure! People think that that’s me, that that’s who I am, that I am Bella. It is crazy. Because I am — quite different, in so many ways. Just the other day, somebody asked me in an interview, “So, does it bother you that you’re definitely no critics’ favorite or whatever? Don’t you feel like you want some validation or recognition, a pat on the back?” And, I mean, oh my God. It is so not the issue. It’s kind of the same answer that I had about being typecast. If I suddenly started hitting walls, if I felt like I wasn’t being challenged anymore, if I felt stagnant, that would be one thing.

But I feel like I’ve been so lucky to keep moving. As soon as you start doing things for that reason, it’s so crazy. Plus, then you talk to people who really want to talk about your movies and are really into it. So, it just doesn’t feel like his general perception, which was pretty much that I’m the “Twilight” girl that everyone shits on.

Read More | "Kristen Stewart: The thinking person’s movie star" | Andrew O'Hehir | ?Salon