Movies

Kristen Stewart Actually Has a Reason Why Bella Stutters So Much in ‘Twilight’

Bella Swan from 'Twilight' has a lot of quirks as a human, with one of them being her stuttering. While some made fun, there was a reason behind it.

by Alani Vargas

Published on September 8, 2020

3 min read

Kristen Stewart was more than ready to be a vampire after four movies

It took four movies, but Bella finally becomes a vampire, able to live forever by Edward’s side. And when she does, she’s pretty good at it. Viewers also get to see a brand-new side to this Twilight universe. Instead of seeing the vampires run and hunt from a distance, Breaking Dawn: Part 2 lets fans see the inside of a vampire’s life up close.

And for Kristen Stewart, the aesthetics and general experience of being a vampire were very appealing to her.

“I’ve been really excited about developing Bella’s vamp-thing,” Stewart said in a featurette on the Breaking Dawn: Part 2 DVD. It went way deeper than Bella’s beauty, too. “Everyone was very obsessed with how beautiful she gets… But really, for me, I loved how alive she became. And how before the idea was even like really, clearly stated in the book, in lines like in dialogue that she’s different and she’s special, you can feel it instantly.”

Stewart, herself, was also really good at the physicality that came with this new vampire Bella. Whereas Bella is clumsy or really inept compared to her vampire boyfriend and friends, she’s now wildly good at it. Stewart stepped into that aspect of being a vampire well.

“She’s one of the best stunt people we have,” Stephenie Meyer, author of the books, said in the featurette. Between the footage and behind-the-scenes look at Stewart filming Bella’s newborn scenes with the cougar, she was definitely fierce.

Bella’s new vampire mind works so much quicker, which is why she doesn’t stutter anymore

So, back to Bella’s stuttering. While it happened a lot more in Twilight than any other movie (although New Moon was a close second), it was on purpose. Stewart said that this new version of Bella was a “huge departure” for her as an actor. Her vampire mannerisms were difficult because they were so unnatural. But that difference was also so important for Stewart.

“To be completely still and controlled and to know that your mind works faster than Bella’s mind worked, and so before you speak you already know what you’re saying,” Stewart said, explaining the new Bella. “Before you move, you’re already there. Mentally, it’s like it already happened. So, being a clumsy person it’s not the easiest thing to do.”

And with Bella’s fast, new mind, there’s no need for her stuttering anymore.

“And also, the way I usually learn my lines is I learn the idea,” Stewart explained. “Which is why I stutter a lot in Twilight. Which is something that I liked. But now it’s just a completely different way of approaching an entire scene.”

It was almost like Bella was made to be a vampire

As the featurette showed, it’s almost like Bella was born to be a vampire. She has immense control over her thirst that even vampires with decades of experience don’t have. She can control her movements and abilities a bit better, too. And she just clings to this new life with a fervor that the old Bella didn’t.

She’s able to be around Charlie less than a month after turning, something no other newborn would have been able to. Plus, Bella’s shielded mind manifests into a really potent power in her new vampire form.

Just as Stewart came out swinging as a new vampire, Bella really acclimates to this new life too.