When “Twilight” first hit theaters in 2008, no one really expected cultural appropriation to occur. It started out as just another adaptation of a popular young adult (YA) novel, but it turned into a global obsession: blockbuster numbers and a massive influence on teen movies.
Even now, people can’t stop talking about it, whether it’s with nostalgia, memes or pure love. And right in the center? Robert Pattinson, the man who went from undersized freelancer to instantly likable as the moody vampire Edward Cullen.Looking back, “Twilight” changed Pattinson’s life overnight. Big box office numbers, fans watching every move, and endless discussions, even from critics. This legacy stuck.
Now, nearly 20 years later, Pattinson reflects on his Twilight days, and notices some things he never noticed before.
What Robert Pattinson revealed about his “strange” acting choice
While thinking about his hit Twilight film series, there’s one acting choice Pattinson is still considering. In a recent conversation with Vogue, Pattinson, now 39, joked about discovering a bit of unintentional weirdness in one of the early cafeteria scenes.He described how, while sitting down for the first time, he pressed both sets of his index and middle fingers on the table to lower himself, and thought it looked “elegant,” perhaps even “vampire.”
“There was one thing I saw the other day, which was very funny, that I sat in the cafeteria for the first time, and I never noticed that, and for some reason, I sat like that at the table,” he said in the interview. “I thought it was something elegant and vampiric. I guess that’s what the thought process was,” he laughed, continuing, “But looking at it 20 years later, you say, ‘Huh, that’s pretty weird.’
“”That’s the thing about “Twilight.” Pattinson’s performance was very serious: not winking or sarcastic. Everyone took the story seriously, even though it was a love story about a vampire and a human girl.“I really love this movie. I think I would have done exactly the same thing — to be honest, I don’t even think I would be able to perform now,” Pattinson told the outlet, adding: “Everyone was approaching it very seriously and taking it really seriously.”He continued: “There was no kind of element of ridicule. No one winked at the audience.” “It feels very real, which is strange for a movie about romantic vampires.” He even admits that he envies his younger self for being able to dive without a hint of sarcasm.In fact, Pattinson has always been very vocal about the whole “Twilight” phenomenon as well. In 2019, while speaking with Jennifer Lopez, he called the story “weird,” but understood why it worked. “I mean, it’s a weird story, Twilight. It’s weird how people have reacted,” he said, and continued, “It’s very romantic, but at the same time, it’s not like The Notebook is romantic. The Notebook is very sweet and heartbreaking and stuff. Twilight is about this guy who finds the only girl he wants to be with, and he also wants to eat her. Well, don’t eat her, drink her blood, whatever.”He added: “I thought there were definitely very romantic parts, but for me, I thought it was a very strange story, and even when I was promoting it, I was very open about how strange I thought it was when I was doing it.”In fact, this strange commitment says a lot about where Pattinson was thinking at the time. He wasn’t trying to play Edward as realistic or ordinary: he wanted every movement to feel a little off, to remind people that Edward wasn’t even human.In this regard, it will not change anything. Pattinson said his love for the film shows every time he talks about it, especially how seriously everyone takes it.
Filmography of Robert Pattinson over the years
For Pattinson, Twilight has catapulted him to insane levels of recognition. But it also threatened to relegate him to a mere teen idol who, for years, had to work hard to escape. So, instead of following the obvious path, he made big swings.He began casting independent films with unusual directors and even strange scripts. “The Lighthouse”, “Good Time”, etc. Each role pushed him and the audience in a new direction.
Some choices paid off; Others were strange. But at least it was unpredictable.Eventually, Pattinson returned to blockbuster films, but on his own terms. With “Batman,” he returned to the mainstream as a strong, complex leading man, not just another face of the franchise.Even now, Pattinson is still topping the box office, but he’s equally respected in the independent film world.His latest release is “The Drama” with Zendaya, a romantic comedy-drama about a relationship on the brink. The film has earned him huge appreciation. As for the rest of the year, he has “Dune: Part Three” (set to delve into another big sci-fi universe with Denis Villeneuve) and “The Odyssey” (another ambitious collaboration with Christopher Nolan) coming to theaters.