He may not be a household name outside of the U.K., but if you’re a fan of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, then you’ll know exactly who Robert Pattinson is. The actor famously played a lead role in the first two Harry Potter films, and recently starred in two more movies based on the famed book series. In fact, he even provided the voice for the iconic Firebolt broom in the video game adaptation of the first two Harry Potter films.
Early Career
The actor was born in London in 1965 and did not begin his acting career until the age of 22. He made his professional debut in the 1989 TV movie Back Roads, in which he played a troubled teenager. The following year, he took on the role of young Henry V in the mini-series I, Henry, which garnered him accolades and a nomination for the British Academy’s prestigious Best Actor award. He also featured in several other TV movies and miniseries in the early 1990s, including Heart of the Matter, in which he played Mark Rutman, a man who finds himself in court on charges of murdering his wife. In 1995, he starred in two films directed by Danny Boyle: the sci-fi parable The Slacker and the romantic comedy Blind Date. In the latter, he plays a struggling actor whose search for love leads him to a blind date with a gorgeous actress (Gwyneth Paltrow).
While he was certainly established as an actor in the U.K., it was his performance in the 1997 black comedy film One Night Stand that proved to be his breakthrough in the U.S. In the film, he plays an English literature professor who travels to Italy for his summer holiday, where he becomes the object of desire of several women. He subsequently appeared in several other British and American films, including the 2005 crime comedy Matchbreaker and the 2008 romantic comedy He’s Just Not That Into You. He also had a small role as an English teacher in the 2008 comedy The Wackness.
Harry Potter Years
It was in 2011 that Pattinson finally made his big-screen debut in the Harry Potter films, playing the lead role of Ron Weasley in the eighth and final installment of the series, Deathly Hallows – Part 2. The year 2012 saw him star in the French thriller The Deep, which was shown at the Venice Film Festival and later that year in the U.S. during the Fantastic Fest. He also played a supporting role in the historical drama A Royal Affair, which was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in autumn 2012. In A Royal Affair, Pattinson portrays King George, the king of Great Britain at the time of the 1911 Imperial Conference. The year 2013 was a big one for the actor, as he starred in both the fantasy adventure The Golden Globe and the period piece The Past.
While fans and movie-watchers will surely remember him for playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series, it’s the other roles that Pattinson has played that have really kept the attention of thousands – his role in the 2005 crime drama Velvet Goldmine, for example, was particularly memorable, and established the actor as a star to be reckoned with. He also appeared in the acclaimed 2006 horror movie The Damned, in which he portrayed Arthur, a ruthless businessman who is blackmailing the main character (Ewan McGregor) into committing suicide as a way to cover up his illegal activities. In the horror movie Bad Milo, he plays Milo, a drug dealer who becomes obsessed with a young woman named Emily (Kate Winslet) and does everything he can to protect her, even if it means killing others to do so.
Pattinson’s most recent appearance was in the 2015 thriller Eye in the Sky, in which he played Max, a drone pilot who clashes with a group of hackers (led by Benedict Cumberbatch) after his drone is hijacked by these digital villains and unleashed on an unsuspecting public. In March 2016, it was reported that the actor would no longer be participating in the final two seasons of the Harry Potter franchise, although at the time of writing, there is no official word from Warner Bros. Television as to why he decided to call it a day there and then. He remains, however, in negotiations with Warner Bros. Television to appear in a future production, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It’s been a big year for Pattinson so far, and 2017 looks set to continue in the same fashion. He is currently working on the script for a movie adaptation of the popular manga series Battle Royale, in which he will play the role of one of the teachers who recruits young children onto a killing spree to establish a new society free from the tyranny of the rich and powerful. The screenplay was written by Battle Royale’s screenwriter Ryū Murakami, and the project has been highly anticipated by fans of the manga series. In July 2017, it was announced that the movie would not be released until June 2021, however, it remains to be seen whether or not the delay will result in the project being abandoned.
Personal Life
Pattinson has been romantically linked to several beautiful women, but he has never officially confirmed nor denied these rumors. In 2016, he began dating English television presenter Anna Puri. They were first seen together at a press conference for the opening of the London Film Festival 2016. The following month, it was reported that the pair were hiking in the Alps and planning to travel the world together. In July 2017, they were photographed at London’s Heathrow airport, with hands on hips, staring intensely into each other’s eyes. In December 2017, the couple were spotted on a romantic vacation in the Maldives. The handsome star has also been linked to a number of other high-profile women, including Hollywood starlet Amber Heard, with whom he was rumored to have had a one-night stand in October 2017, and supermodel Heidi Klein, with whom he was photographed in May 2014 (her centenary was celebrated in April 2017 with a special display of her old pictures and some brand-new shots featuring the two of them together).
The most recent rumors suggest that he is in a relationship with French singer Vanessa Paradis. The pair were photographed holding hands while arriving at a Parisian nightclub in October 2017. In February 2018, they surprised fans by sharing an adorable photo of themselves on social media, sparking rumors that they were expecting their first child. In April 2018, it was reported that the couple had tied the knot during a romantic ceremony at a villa in Italy, which was attended by close to 100 family and friends. As for his personal life and relationships, we will soon find out whether or not these rumors are true.