Kristen Stewart felt ‘spooky, spiritual feelings’ portraying Princess Diana

Actress Kristen Stewart has claimed she felt “spooky, spiritual feelings” portraying Princess Diana for her upcoming film.

US actress Kristen Stewart has been lauded in early reviews for her upcoming portrayal of Princess Diana.

The 31-year-old Twilight alum plays the late Princess of Wales in the soon-to-be-released historical film by director Pablo Larrain, which chronicles Diana’s decision to leave Prince Charles over Christmas in 1991.

Opening up about the role in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Stewart said she experienced “moments where I kind of got the sign-off”.

“I felt some spooky, spiritual feelings making this movie,” Stewart said.

“Even if I was just fantasising … I felt like there were moments where I kind of got the sign-off.

“It’s scary to tell a story about someone who’s not alive anymore and who already felt so invaded. I never wanted to feel like we were invading anything, just that we were kind of adding to the multiplicity of a beautiful thing.”

Kristen Stewart attends the red carpet of the movie "Spencer" at the Venice International Film Festival. Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Stewart, who has stormed ahead in the race for a Best Actress nomination at the 2022 Oscars thanks to her performance, also felt an extreme emotional toll playing Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997.

She said she would have weekly breakdowns upon remembering Diana was no longer alive.

“She felt so alive to me when I was making this movie, even if it’s all between the ears and it was just a fantasy of mine. But there were moments where my body and mind would forget she was dead,” she said.

Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in the upcoming film, Spencer. Picture: Roadshow

“And suddenly, I would just have an image of what happened. And remember who she left behind. And I was amazed by the renewed emotion.

“Every single time. Maybe two or three times a week, I would just fully break down about the fact that she had died. I just could not come to terms with it, because I was fighting to keep her alive every single day.

“It just destroyed me constantly. And that itself felt spiritual … there were times where I was like, ‘Oh, God’, almost like she was, you know, trying to break through. It was weird. And amazing. I’ve never felt anything like it in my life.”

Spencer will be released in November.