14 Edward Cullen
Played by: Robert Pattinson
Undead in: The Twilight Saga (2008-2011)
Robert Pattinson trod dangerous ground when interviewed about his audition for the role of Cullen: “When you read the book, it’s like, ‘Edward Cullen was so beautiful I creamed myself.’ I mean, every line is like that. He’s the most ridiculous person who’s so amazing at everything. I think a lot of actors tried to play that aspect. I just couldn’t do that. And the more I read the script, the more I hated this guy, so that’s how I played him, as a manic-depressive who hates himself. Plus, he’s a 108-year-old virgin so he’s obviously got some issues.”
It was a wonder that smitten Edward fans – who’d fallen in love with the chaste vampire through Stephenie Meyer’s books – didn’t hunt the actor down and lynch him. Luckily, he had one major weapon to win them over: Pattinson is every bit as beautiful as Edward is described in the books. All he had to do to was glower at the camera, and teen proto-goths everywhere were all a quiver. And hey, as an actor, it’s got to be good for ego being cast in a role which, by definition, means you must be a looker.
Maybe now that Pattinson is rich and famous for playing a character he doesn’t like, he’ll be filled with self-loathing – perfect for method-acting his way through the sequels.
