Kristen Stewart and comedy? Well, Team 411 seems to think there is (or at least that there can be) a relationship between the two.
This week Team 411 somehow ended up on the topic of Kristen Stewart’s potential as a comic actress. “Comedy” is not a word most people immediately associate with Kristen, and it’s true, her resume is drama-heavy. However, this is an intriguing idea. In interviews, Kristen often displays a dry, ironic wit. As seen at the MTV Movie Awards when she dropped her award, she is capable of poking fun at herself, and is not afraid to roll with looking less-than-perfect at all times. So we got to thinking—could Kristen be a successful comic actress?
I think yes and no. Simply put, could she make a career out of it—no. She just isn’t that type of actress. But could Kristen be very funny in a comic role? Yes. There is evidence of some comedic chops in her past work. To date, Kristen has been in five projects you could classify as comic, though none of them are straight comedies.
Adventureland and What Just Happened are dramedies, Zathura and Catch That Kid are action-comedies. I’m going to call the 2007 short film Cutlass a dramedy, too, though it is probably the most light-hearted thing Kristen has done to date.
When thinking of Kristen Stewart in a comedic role, I think of directors like Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums), Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), or Michael Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), directors who make intelligent, slightly esoteric comedies that are highly stylized and feature subtle wit. These directors use actresses in their films one doesn’t automatically think of when choosing a comedy to watch on a Friday night. Gwyneth Paltrow, Meryl Streep, Catherine Keener, Kate Winslet—all these actresses have turned in fine comedic performances. Also, Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen’s costar in Adventureland, helmed horror-comedy Zombieland to great effect. His droll deadpan was perfect for an apocalypse survivor suffering Z shock.
That said, I don’t exactly picture KStew making a slapstick comedy. Although… Wouldn’t it be intriguing to see her work with Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up)? Think of James Franco in Pineapple Express—which was produced by Apatow—no one saw his brilliant turn as stoner Saul coming. Could Kristen surprise us all in the same way? She’s an actress known for her total commitment to her character, and committing yourself fully to looking stupid is the key ingredient to good comedy. She has also demonstrated considerable physical ability in the past, which means she’s got a good pratfall somewhere in her. So yeah, I do think she could surprise us one day with a comedic performance.
People often ask what kinds of roles I’d like to see Kristen attempt. Given that her upcoming films continue to expand her repertoire as a dramatic actress, I would love to see her try and make me laugh. What about you?
Thoughts?
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