That giant sigh of relief heard around the world Tuesday morning came from Kristen Stewart fans who hoped she would score her first Oscar nomination for the Princess Diana biopic Spencer. Thankfully, that wish came true when the nominations for the 94th Academy Awards were announced. Although Stewart was long considered the frontrunner for the Best Actress Oscar, the nomination suddenly wasn’t such a sure bet after she missed out on a Screen Actors Guild Award nod last month. Stewart, 31, was just as excited to be nominated as fans were to see her incredible work recognized.
“WOW I wish Pablo and I were in the same country today,” Stewart said in a statement on Tuesday, referring to Spencer director Pablo Larrain. “I wish I could see his face. I am speechless and humbled this morning. I am bowled over by this. I never thought in a thousand years I’d be in the company of these four incredible women.”
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“I would pay to make movies. I would make them if it was illegal. This is a dream state, to share on this level,” Stewart continued.”I am so touched and I am so grateful for the work that was generated on this film. I’m so proud to be a part of our film community. I am SO happy. It is a good day.”
The other stars up for Best Actress are Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter), Penelope Cruz (Parallel Mothers), and Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos). Kidman is considered the frontrunner after she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama and earned the all-important SAG nomination. (Respect‘s Jennifer Hudson and House of Gucci‘s Lady Gaga were the two SAG nominees who missed out on an Oscar nod.)
Spencer is a fictionalized version of Princess Diana’s decision to leave the British Royal Family after she spends Christmas 1991 at Queen Elizabeth’s Sandringham Estate. Sadly, Stewart’s nomination was the only Oscar nod the unconventional biopic secured. Larrain also made an unconventional biopic about Jackie Kennedy, Jackie, which earned star Natalie Portman an Oscar nomination.
Although Stewart was excited to be nominated on Tuesday, she previously told Variety in November that she didn’t really care about the Oscar buzz. “The Oscars are such a funny thing. There are so many incredible movies and performances that barely get seen,” Stewart said at the time. “It definitely says something about where we’re at as a cumulative presence – what we’re looking at, what we care about. I really appreciate that something that I was involved in, has ignited such a large conversation. We don’t make movies to not connect with each other.”
For longtime Stewart fans, the Oscar nomination should be seen as recognition that her Twilight days are far behind her. Like co-star Robert Pattinson, Stewart has built an astounding post-Twilight career by working with acclaimed filmmakers. Her other recent films have included Certain Women, Personal Shopper, Seberg, and Underwater. Meanwhile, the 2022 Oscars will air live on ABC on March 27.
