Why for Robert Pattinson, twilight is no longer the highlight.
Unequivocally, Robert Pattinson has pulled himself away from the gloomy, seedy shadow of The Twilight Saga.
The evidence? He’s in cinemas right now, in a comedy! Albeit, not your usual run-of-the-mill titter.
The Londoner, 38, who, professionally, has dabbled in everything from serious drama, horror, crime, action and even biopics, is the main man in Mickey 17, a death and rebirth spectacular that is as odd as it is original.
If there’s a mission that feels too dangerous, the crew uses Mickey. If he dies, a new body is ‘born’ with most of his memories intact. It’s weird, but it works.
“A sci-fi comedy is a new one for me,” he says. “I think I need my movies to be a bit different… I’ll never want to do an out-and-out comedy, a Wedding Crashers-type skit – it’s just not me.”
Pattinson is, these days, a world away from Edward Cullen in Twilight, a stylish, accomplished, versatile actor. “I think the reality is I was tied to a character for a long time at the start of my career, and even now all these years on, a big part of me wants to rebel against that; so as far as I can get away from ‘the norm’ – whatever that is – the better. I certainly feel free as an actor these days, in a way that I never did before.”
This is someone who utilises obvious talent with a few other qualities – doubt, fear, even insecurity.
“They are all very useful qualities for an actor – they keep you on your toes. We all go through periods where we will hesitate and question whether we can live up to a character in a script, or even the expectations that go with it.
“I had that with The Batman because the role was so big, but it could be a small project too – it doesn’t really matter. You don’t ever want that feeling of falling short.
“In every project I’ve ever taken on, I’ve come into it wanting to learn and to achieve new things. I like the challenge.”
As well as being brilliant on camera, he’s pretty good off it too, as is proven by the time he takes to speak with and be around fans.
“The interactions are so good these days. They used to be a bit more hectic, with a very different audience. People aren’t buying the gossip magazines or newspapers in the quantities they used to, so it’s a nicer world.
“I never understood celebs who moaned about the attention – you’ve got literally what you set out to achieve. So have your photo taken, sign the autograph, and stop moaning!”
