“Her parents are just regular movie people,” says Jodie Foster, who starred with an 11-year-old Stewart in “Panic Room. “That was Kristen’s approach to acting; it was a job.” Even then, Foster saw a familiar quality in Stewart. “I know this sounds like I love myself so much,” Foster says. “But she really reminded me of myself as a child. She had all the joy of being a kid, but it was really like being with an adult.”
Stewart has heard people call her guarded. She admits she’s still nervous on red carpets, which is why she sometimes looks miserable when walking them. “The amount of tumultuous growing up I’ve had to do in front of everyone is awesome,” she says. “For somebody who is super-sensitive and cagey, it’s the perfect place for me to be thrust into, because I’m like, ‘Oh my f—ing God. Now I have to live in a f—ing bounce house and stand and say, “‘No, I deserve to be here.” ’ ”