Kristen Stewart claims she's 'haunted' by Princess Diana after taking on role as the late royal in biopic

Kristen Stewart has revealed how portraying the late Princess Diana in the biopic Spencer still affects her to this day, five years on from the movie's release.

Stewart was cast by Pablo Larraín to play the famous royal in his 2021 movie, something which the actress thought was 'insane' at the time and even suggested that he choose someone else.

But Larraín made the right choice in picking the Twilight alum to portray Princess Diana, and the film went on to receive critical acclaim and landed Stewart an Oscar nomination.

Recalling what she told the director after being chosen for the role, Stewart shared in a new interview with The Telegraph: "I told Pablo he was insane and he should probably hire someone else, but he refused to accept that."

Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in 'Spencer' (NEON)

"There were some massive distinctions between her and me. It was the statuesque thing. It was the eye colour – I have green eyes; she has very famously blue eyes that match her ring," she went on.

After being picked for the role, Stewart admitted that she felt 'haunted' by Princess Diana — and still does.

"I can’t drive round this city [London], and Paris for that matter, without thinking about her. All the love that poured out of this woman... I can cry about her at any moment," she shared.

As to why Larraín chose Stewart for the role despite her hesitations, he felt they had 'a little bit of overlap in terms of our experience' and that there was something about Stewart's 'energy'.

The Love Lies Bleeding star described Princess Diana as having been 'plucked to death [by paparazzi]' — something which the 35-year-old can somewhat relate to, having been thrust into worldwide stardom as a teenager following the success of Twilight.

Princess Diana tragically died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 (Bettmann / Contributor)

The actress-turned-director's interview with the news outlet comes ahead of the release of her new movie The Chronology of Water, which marks Stewart's directorial debut.

The movie, which has already been released in the US and hits theaters in the UK today (February 6), was filmed in Latvia because she said it would have been 'impossible' to shoot in America under Trump's administration.

"Reality is breaking completely under Trump," she said. "But we should take a page out of his book and create the reality we want to live in."

With this in mind, the Panic Room star said she probably won't stay in the US since she 'can't work freely' there at the moment.