5 Ways to Save Kristen Stewart’s Career

The “Twilight” star needs to get her act together if she’s going to outlast the franchise

Sure, Kristen Stewart is sitting pretty.

Now.

The surly starlette is headlining one of the hottest film franchises in history and, in "Twilight" co-star Robert Pattinson, a hunky boyfriend to boot.

But what happens when the final frame of the vampire saga is shot? How does Stewart make sure her career aspirations don't ride off into the sunset along with Bella and Edward?

So far, when the young actress has ventured too far from Forks, be it as Joan Jett in "Runaways" or Jesse Eisenberg's love interest in "Adventureland," audiences haven't gone along for the ride.

In honor of Thursday night's Los Angeles premiere of "Eclipse," a star-studded event that the perpetually aggrieved actress is certain to approach with her patented funereal sparkle, TheWrap provides some unsolicited career advice.

1. PICK A ROLE MODEL

Teen queens go one of two directions, Molly Ringwald or Jodie Foster. You need to decide which example you want to follow. Ringwald played the teen queen too long, and after John Hughes moved on to other muses, found herself out of favor with teen audiences. Unless you mix it up, you'll find that your favorite acting trick — flipping your hair — could lead to flipping burgers.

Follow Jodie's example. Entering her awkward years, the "Taxi Driver" star went back to college and took a breather. When your "Panic Room" co-star returned to the screen, however, she wisely alternated between mainstream projects and dramatic roles such as "The Accused" and "Silence of the Lambs" that catapulted her out of teen idoldom and helped her emerge as a true movie star. There's no shame in taking a break to regroup and re-emerge.

2. BUY A PROPERTY

No, not a house or a boat, but a book or a concept or a hot new script that you can own, develop and help mold. Everyone knows you want to play Lisbeth Salander, the antisocial protagonist in the film adaptation of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." Should the studio go in a different direction, find your own detective series (maybe a different Scandinavian gumshoe series) and shepherd it to the silver screen. Hell, just look at what Jason Bourne did for Matt Damon.

3. TAKE THE MONEY

So you've tried being an indie queen, and the results were … meh. Sorry to tell you, but it's time to sell out. Taylor Lautner has wisely steered clear of acting pyrotechnics in favor of slam-bang studio fare. Maybe they need a female lead for Taylor's big-budget "Stretch Adams." Or how about a "Catwoman" reboot?

4. FIND A CAUSE

Getting passionate about some serious issues isn't just philanthropic. Just look at what happened when your fellow teen idol Leonardo DiCaprio discovered the environment. A couple of meetings with Al Gore and one "Vanity Fair" cover later, and he became seen as an authority on global warming — and a grown-up. One who also made hit movies with Martin Scorsese as a day job.

Of course, do some groundwork first. Look at the backlash Lindsay Lohan inspired when she blundered into the issue of human trafficking in India with her recent BBC documentary.

5. LIGHTEN UP

Slinking around looking miserable might work when you're starring in an overripe vampire romance series, but stop acting as if being a movie star is such a chore. Take a tip from Lautner, a man of dubious acting talents, who nonetheless has the good grace to look grateful in front of fans.

And it's not just in your public appearances. Find a part that taps into the funny side you showed briefly in "Adventureland" or send up your sourpuss persona as a guest host on "Saturday Night Live." Barring that, take some Prozac.

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