What Is Kristen Stewart's Acting Secret?

Plenty of pros and fans believe that Kristen Stewart has no talent, but talent isn't what counts in Hollywood. And no, it isn't looks, either ...

If so many people hate Kristen Stewart, why do studios offer her leading roles? Aren't they afraid no one is going to see them?
—Clockwise 1, via Twitter

Right, right. You mean the way "no one" went to see Breaking Dawn: Part I, to the tune of a $138 million opening weekend?

But yes, among civilians and pros alike, there is much talk about whether Kristen Stewart can act or not.

And here's why none of that matters:

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First, the though, let's be clear: Many folks think Kristen Stewart doesn't exactly have Oscar-worthy chops.

"The worst casting news since Jessica Alba was picked to be Sue Storm," the St. Petersburg Times mourned when it first heard that Stewart would play Snow White, noting "Kristen's terrible, terrible lack of acting ability."

And her own directors aren't afraid to say that Stewart needs a little attention on set.

"Wily, kind of twitchy," director Jake Scott said of Stewart, who starred in his project Welcome to the Rileys. "Directing her is kind of like wrangling a herd of cats."

And yet, Stewart routinely tops the IMDB Starmeter, and offers just keep pouring in.

She will, as has been feverishly reported, appear in a big-screen adaptation of On the Road next year, as well as that Snow White and the Huntsman with Charlize Theron. Breaking Dawn: Part 2 will squeeze in there, too, somehow, and so forth.

Why?

Money. Cash. Quid. Filthy Hollywood lucre.

Sure, some may not like Stewart's acting, but lots and lots and lots of other people love her and want to see her and read about her and look like her and live her life. And that means money for whatever businesses or producers partner with her.

According to the Davie-Brown Index, which measures the influence and marketability of celebrities, Stewart ranks higher than many, many other stars when it comes to appeal and trend-setting.

"She posts her highest attribute scores in the Influence and Trend-Setter categories, in which she ranks 177th and 130th out of over 2,900 celebrities," a spokesperson for DBI tells me. "These scores rank her higher than other young Hollywood stars like Shia LaBeouf, Nina Dobrev and Jesse Eisenberg, as well as more established actors like Kate Hudson.

"The success of her previous roles in the Twilight franchise proves that she is a bankable actor, and, regardless of anyone's criticism that she is not skilled in the trade, her roles have made her influential in today's world as seen by her DBI scores."

So. Take that, haters.