Seemingly overnight, Robert Pattinson went from playing Voldemort’s roadkill in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ to being the immortal half of one of the hottest screen couples of all time. He spoke with TIME about how he landed the role of Twilight’s Byronic vampire Edward Cullen, what it’s like to be a generational crush and how to walk unmolested along the streets of Vancouver.
You took on an edgy vampire movie and it’s become this. Did you know what you were signing up for?
I had no idea it was going to be like this. I really had no idea until … I guess I still don’t. The time that it hit me really was when we were shooting in Italy and the emotional reaction — it wasn’t just screaming. It was like people were so intently listening and watching. After every take there was polite applause. And it wasn’t hysteria. It was literally devotion to the characters. It was amazing. I haven’t felt that in any other situation.
Casting Edward was crucial to the franchise. What did Catherine Hardwicke see in you?
I don’t know. I was a little intimidated by Kristen [Stewart] in my audition. So I played it like a guy who is beating himself up a lot about everything. I don’t think anyone else did it like that. I think they concentrated on the confidence aspect. If you read the book, you know he’s the perfect man, ideal man. If you’re a guy, you have certain ideals about what you think is attractive. And that’s why I didn’t go into it for ages, because I thought I’d end up being silly in the audition. I’d be posing. I guess I tried to ignore every aspect of the confident hero of the story. And I played the extreme opposite. It didn’t end up being that in the film.
If they had cast anyone else as Edward, would the franchise have been as successful as it is today?
I honestly don’t know. No matter how famous I get as an individual, it’s always evened — or even surpassed — by the fame of Edward Cullen. That’s got to mean something. I don’t mind that. That’s just the way it is.
For our interview, Robert was dressed in an old T-shirt, jeans and unlaced trainers. Throughout, he nervously ran his fingers through his gorgeous, floppy hair and revealed he doesn’t feel comfortable talking about himself – which was rather sweet…
Is it difficult to master the American accent?
Not really. All of my favourite actors are American and I grew up watching American movies. It’s weird, but I used to do a New Jersey accent in every audition in the States just because I liked to do it, really. It’s completely bizarre. Everybody would ask: ‘Where are you from?’ And I would say, ‘Oh, I’m from London.’
In the novels, Edward Cullen is described as gorgeous, do you see yourself as that?
Not really! I put off doing the audition for months because of that. I read the book and I thought, well, there’s no point in going in. I thought the whole point of the part was to give a purely physical performance. Like a modelling job. And I thought, I’m not going to go to the gym for one thing, so I’m already ruled out because he’s meant to have this amazing body too.
So did you get in shape for the role?
(Nods) I did go to the gym for the movie in the end. I didn’t just want to have a six-pack, I wanted to have no fat at all.
When this writer first met Robert Pattinson, he was a relatively obscure British actor who’d received a tiny bit of notoriety from appearing in a “Harry Potter” flick. It was April, 2008 and as we talked on the set of this tiny flick titled “Twilight” during a night shoot in the middle of a small Oregon town, he considered a scenario where he might not continue acting. Perhaps he’d focus on the music side of career, perhaps not. Needless to say, what a difference a year and a half makes.
Arguably up there with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as one of the most popular celebrities in the world, it’s no understatement to say the “Twilight” franchise has completely changed Pattinson’s life forever. We spoke again during the “New Moon” press day on Saturday and while it wasn’t the 45 minutes I’d been granted when he was “up and coming” not that long ago, it was clear that Pattinson was still as polite, genial and honest as he was back then.
The 23-year-old joked about how he may just keep working as much as possible because the seclusion of shooting allows him a somewhat “normal life” and went in depth about the differences between working with his “Twilight,” “New Moon” and “Eclipse” directors. He also made some particularly intriguing comments about the last “Twilight” installment in particular.
Rob Pattinson’s and Kristen Stewart’s rooms sit side by side on the thirtysomethingth floor of the Sheraton hotel in Vancouver (”the Couve,” as Kristen calls it), where they are filming Eclipse, the third installment of the Twilight saga. They spend a lot of time in their rooms in the sky — two Rapunzels of sorts entertaining themselves behind closed doors — because it’s really, really hard to go out. “There are like 15 different exits in this place,” observes Kristen of the tactics she and the rest of the Twilight cast use to avoid the paparazzi. She adds, “Rob is more frustrated with it, but he’s 23 and I’m 19. He had a couple more years to be an adult and to be independent, whereas just as I was getting to the age when it’s normal to go out by yourself …” She pauses. “But it’s boring because this is all I fucking talk about.”
Not since Titanic unleashed Leo-mania has an actor sparked the overnight adulation that greeted Robert Pattinson’s 2008 debut as Edward Cullen in Twilight. As the vampire saga’s next installment arrives, the author explores the frenzy, isolation, and sheer embarrassment of Pattinson’s past year, his instant connection with co-star Kristen Stewart, and the life he wants when this $10 million gig is over. Plus: Exclusive outtakes from Bruce Weber’s cover shoot.
Welcome to Robert Pattinson Fan, the first and largest fansite dedicated to the talented young actor Robert Pattinson! Robert is known for his portrayal of Cedric Diggory in the fourth installment of the Harry Potter Movie series and Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies, as well as his roles in Ring Of The Nibelungs, Vanity Fair, The Haunted Airman, How To Be, and his upcoming role in Little Ashes! We hope to bring you all the latest news, pictures, and media on Robert. Take a look around the site, browse the gallery, and join the largest Rob forum on the web! Don't be afraid to leave some feedback, hope you enjoy!
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