“Robert Pattinson: For the past three years I’ve heard crazy things about you”
Exclusive interview with Franck Ragaine in Los Angeles
It’s in Beverly Hills that a short haired, relaxed, smiling and sometimes amused Robert Pattinson met with us to speak about Eclipse, the third installment in the Twilight Saga, where he again takes the role that made him a star.
Since the beginning you’ve been compared to James Dean, does that flatter you?
I don’t know… In fact I’ve decided to take it as a compliment. But I know that I can never take the place of a James Dean. Further more the world of movies have changed so much, people like James Dean and Marlon Brando don’t exist anymore. At the time their name alone allowed them to have control on a movie. Today that’s not the case!
Aren’t you scared that you’ll be Edward forever?
If I understand correctly I’ll always be compared to someone else. In fact I’ve realized that the quote “The salary of an actor depends on the success of his last movie” is quite true.
Does the fact that you’re pigeon holed into the skin of this character scare you?
This com parison seems to decrease as the films go. Fans don’t see me like that anymore. Contrarily to the first movie they can differentiate my character and me. At the start when I did public appearances, for them I was Edward 100%. I could read it in their eyes. Many lacked control which scared me. Everything has changed and now when I do interviews I am as honest and sincere as possible. I’m not Edward and I make sure it shows.
Besides every thing else you play with medias, like when you recently said that Kristen Stewart (his partner in Twilight) was pregnant.…
The only times I answer like that is to avoid mani ulation that medias can sometimes do. If I don’t reply seriously, they can’t attack me seriously either. It’s a tactic!
In three years you must have read and heard every thing about yourself?
Incredible things! I’d have slept with so many people and made so many girls pregnant… But after a while, the public doesn’t believe what’s said anymore and they tell themselves that it’s not real. Thankfully!
Do you read fan mail?
Sometimes. I think that certain letters don’t get to me. I’m surprised I haven’t received death threats (smiles).
What is the most inde cent pro posal you’ve received from a fan?
I will keep that a secret as it was so indecent I doubt she was in her normal state of mind when she made it.
The funniest experience?
It was recently. It happened while I was filming “Water for Elephants in which my partner is Reese Witherspoon. We had a scene with elephants but there were so many paparazzi around that it was scaring the animals and it was impossible to film. Out of the blue, fans, that were wait ing for autographs, had enough and circled around the paparazzi. Teens made big guys run away. It was unreal! I was pleased.
In Eclipse you play Edward for the third time. Do you fear you’ll repeat yourself?
The more I become familiar with the role, the more I try to do new things and take risks. You can’t be scared to go on unknown areas. The prob lem with Edward is that he doesn’t age, there fore it doesn’t make the task easy. Because for a human being grow ing older brings on many possibilities.
But the relation ship between him and Bella changed in this third installment?
During the first two movies, his only worry was if he wanted to make a life with her. Now that he’s made the decision to marry her, there fore accepting a life in a more human form, it changes everything. He must face the world of the living more than the immortal one. It adds a complexity that’s interesting to play.
With the salaries you get did you do crazy things like buy the car of your dreams?
No, I don’t have a passion for car, I don’t see the point in spending my money on a car. Even clothes, I don’t care much, I wear the same things all the time. But I did buy myself a few guitars.
