Kristen Stewart

Stewart was born in Los Angeles, California on April 9, 1990. Her father, John Stewart, is a stage manager and television producer, while her Australian-born mother, Jules Mann-Stewart, is a script supervisor and filmmaker. Jules, an Australian native raised in Maroochydore, Queensland, had studied at the University of Sydney before moving to Hollywood at the age of 16. Jules was adopted by a Jewish couple in California, Norma and Ben Urman, in 1953; a DNA test showed that one of Kristen's biological maternal grandparents was Ashkenazi Jewish. Stewart has an older brother, Cameron B. Stewart, and two adopted brothers, Dana and Taylor. In 2012, her mother filed for divorce after 27 years of marriage. Stewart grew up in the San Fernando Valley. She attended local schools until the seventh grade, and as she became more involved in acting, she continued her education by distance until graduating from high school. Since she was raised in a family who work in the entertainment industry as non-actors, Stewart thought she would become a screenwriter or a director, but never considered being an actor, saying: "I never wanted to be the center of attention—I wasn't that 'I want to be famous, I want to be an actor' kid. I never sought out acting, but I always practiced my autograph because I love pens. I'd write my name on everything."