Joan Jett shielded Kristen Stewart from snappers on Runaways set

Joan Jett shielded Twilight beauty Kristen Stewart from photographers on the set of her biopic The Runaways because she knew the young star was overwhelmed by her sudden rise to fame.

The 22 year old signed on to play the role of iconic rocker Jett in the 2010 film just as her celebrity status soared thanks to her starring role in the popular vampire franchise.

But the Bad Reputation hitmaker, who also struggled with hordes of fans and snappers in her youth, took Stewart under her wing and helped navigate her through the chaotic time.

Stewart tells Interview magazine,"Joan was so protective of me with the paparazzi. They were hounding our set like crazy. She was so concerned and emotional about it, and I was always like, 'It's fine. I'm fine.' But it bothered her a lot. We grew to know each other so well, she knew that I wasn't the type of person - even though a lot of people think of me like this - to not care."