Kristen Stewart has revealed she suffered a "really traumatic period" when she was at the height of Twilight fame, as she criticised expectations that she conform to a Hollywood starlet stereotype.

Stewart, who played Bella Swan from the age of 18-23, has endured tabloid descriptions such as "stony-faced beauty" for buckling against the mould of appeasing red carpet clothes horse during her time in the hit franchise.

"I believe the operative words are, accessible, easy, and uncomplicated," she told Marie Claire US.

Her reaction, she explained, was to turn "feral" during her early 20s.

"I lit my universe on fire and I watched it burn," the 25-year-old said.

Stewart was placed on the receiving end of extreme scrutiny from the Twilight fandom during her high-profile relationship with co-star Robert Pattinson and then, in 2012, made headlines for a clinch with director Rupert Sanders, while she was still dating Pattinson.

She has previously told the magazine "I stand by every mistake I've ever made" and in her latest interview, she explained: "I'm really proud that I am able to move forward and not fall into every mental crater. That's a new thing for me. Age has made me smarter and calmer. And it is f***ing awesome."

The star, who recently called Hollywood "disgustingly sexist", is currently shooting Ang Lee's film adaptation of Ben Fountain's hit military novel Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, in which she plays soldier Billy's older sister Kathryn Lynn.