Kristen Stewart debuts new hair, old awkwardness on 'Letterman'

Kristen Stewart braved a return to the Late Show last night on her Eclipse promotional rounds. (For anyone who doesn’t remember her last miserably uncomfortable visit, the clip is after the jump.) There was an accidental allusion to funny business with co-stars. “That’s so not what I mean!” she groaned. And then another one. “Anyways, uh, he’s a really active guy,” she said. The audience tittered. Stewart grimaced. Her anecdotes pained her, stories trailed off in angry sighs. “You’re fine, it’s fine,” Letterman said, trying to let her off the hook. “I should never take weekends off.”

That said, she was miles more relaxed than her last visit. Ouch.

PopWatchers, I ask this in all seriousness, and am hoping for some answers beyond “She sucks!” or “You suck!”: Is it part of an actor’s responsibility to be charming in interviews? If your trade is acting, does that suggest that you can play breezy and relaxed in a five-minute TV appearance? Part of me appreciates Stewart’s authentic awkwardness, and part of me just wants her to take a breath, count to 10, and stop making promotional appearances so painful for everyone involved, including herself. One last programming note: I’m digging the red hair but tired of the one-shouldered dresses. You?