Kristen Stewart’s turn as Princess Diana has received a mixed reaction from Diana’s brother. Charles Spencer praised Stewart’s work while giving the 2021 movie a harsh review. He said the actress captured something important about his late sister. However, he did not hold back when he described the film itself.
Charles Spencer shares his reaction to Kristen Stewart’s Diana portrayal in Spencer
Spencer discussed Diana’s screen portrayals during an interview with writer Tina Brown. Brown then wondered if there was ever a fictional portrayal that approached Diana’s actual character. Spencer said one portrayal did, although he does not watch The Crown. He also praised Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki, who played Diana at different stages of her life.
He then recalled watching Spencer during a flight. He admits that he was skeptical about the film but chose to watch it anyway. The film stars Stewart as Diana during a Christmas stay at the royal family’s Sandringham estate. Director Pablo Larraín gave the 2021 drama a highly stylized and surreal approach to Diana’s life.
Stewart earned her first Oscar nomination for playing Diana in the film. Spencer admitted that he did not think Stewart looked much like his sister. Still, he praised her strongly and said, “my goodness, she caught her spirit.” He called her work “an incredible performance,” but he also gave the movie a blunt verdict that “the film is terrible.”
Spencer’s comments came as he discussed how difficult it can be to portray Diana on screen. He told Brown that Stewart’s performance stood out to him despite his dislike of the movie. The movie follows Diana as she faces a difficult Christmas with the royal family and considers ending her marriage to Prince Charles. Spencer concentrated on the decline of her emotions and told that story in a unique way.
Critics gave the film a strong overall response, while audiences remained more divided. For Spencer, Stewart’s performance still captured Diana’s spirit even though he found the movie itself terrible.
