In case you’re unfamiliar, the name Robert Pattinson brings to mind that dashing English lad from the Twilight saga, who is often found playing the guitar or sporting baseball caps. Even if you’re not familiar with his work, you might know his mug from one of the many advertisements that pop up on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. While it’s true that Robert Pattinson has been in the news a lot recently, it wasn’t always the case. Before Twilight and his subsequent acting career, he was already a celebrity. This is largely thanks to his father, Gordon, who owned a string of English estate agents’ offices and real estate agencies in the 70s and 80s. The businesses, which were based in London, became profitable enough to afford the Pattinson family a modest yet comfortable lifestyle. But it wasn’t always easy for Robert to live up to his father’s expectations. In his mid-20s, he reportedly dropped out of college due to substance abuse problems. While these issues were evidently and understandably tough for the star to overcome, he’s been relatively open about his past and current feelings on the matter. In 2016, he even went so far as to speak candidly about his struggle with addiction in a letter to his fans. The following is an excerpt from that letter, which was published on his website:
An Open Letter from Robert Pattinson
“Hi, everyone. Apologies for the lack of interest in this regard over the past couple of years, but I’ve really just been so overwhelmed with work. I’m really proud of the films I’ve made and the roles I’ve played, and I just haven’t had the time to give this topic the attention it deserves. For that, I’m truly sorry. I hope you understand. Thanks so much for your interest. Take care.”
At 38 years old, Robert Pattinson still doesn’t have his own Hollywood studio. In fact, he’s probably never even shot a feature film before. Yet, here he is, at the center of some of the biggest stories in 2018. Having recently wrapped up a major horror movie, he’s now in the middle of shooting the biggest and the most exciting movie of his entire acting career. It would seem that at this point in his illustrious career, Robert Pattinson has finally found himself, both in terms of critical reception and box office success. He’s recently collaborated with some of the biggest names in Hollywood on projects that span multiple genres, proving his versatility as an actor. While it’s always great to see a talented young actor break into the industry and make a name for themselves, the combination of things that Pattinson has been through in the last 24 months makes this story all the more intriguing. It wouldn’t be surprising if 2019 was the year that Robert Pattinson finally made it big in Hollywood. What Are Some of the Best Robert Pattinson Images of 2018?
The Evolution of an Actor
The past year has been a wild ride for Robert Pattinson. In early 2018, he released a book, Twilight: The Illustrated Signature Stories, which was hailed as a “masterpiece” by some and derided by others as a “money-making scheme”. This was followed by a turn in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, a videogame adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novel, where he plays a dual role. Then there was the blockbuster success of 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, where he plays yet another dual role. With so much work, it’s no wonder that the actor has been on a publicity spree, meeting and greeting fans on his journey to become a full-time Hollywood actor. In early January, he even posed for a series of shirtless selfies on a beach, making headlines worldwide. Yet, as exciting as the last year has been for Robert Pattinson, it’s also been a challenging one. Apart from the taxing publicity tour, the 38-year-old actor has had to contend with a surge in demand for his time, prompting him to turn down a number of lucrative offers. In his recently published book, The Lost Boys: My Wild Youth in Los Angeles, London, and Singapore, Robert Pattinson speaks openly about his past struggles with addiction and the pressures of the industry. The following is an excerpt from the book, which was published by Penguin Press in November 2018:
The Early Days
“I’ve been in LA for almost a year now and it’s been a real eye-opener,” he writes of his first impressions of the city. “I thought it would be exciting to live in such a massive place, but it’s overwhelming. Maybe that’s what attracted me to it in the first place — the thrill of the adventure.”
Pattinson moved to LA at the age of 21, freshly graduated from Oxford University. While he was there, he supported himself with odd jobs, including serving people at a restaurant, handing out leaflets, and working at a gym. It wasn’t until five years later, upon his return to Britain, that he found work as a staff writer on the hit TV show, The Fall. This is a position that saw him work closely with the show’s creator, Steve McQueen, and the pair became good friends. It was during this time that Robert Pattinson began to feel the effects of the Hollywood dream machine. He struggled with bouts of depression and anxiety, eventually seeking help. In fact, it was during this period that he first started taking antidepressants, which he continues to take to this day. Unfortunately, this was far from the only struggle that Pattinson faced during his early days in LA. He also had to battle substance abuse issues, which were apparently so bad that he resorted to self-harming, culminating in him requiring hospitalization. “I had started drinking pretty heavily, to the point where I was passing out every night,” he writes. “One of my friends found me one night, drunk, in the bathroom. I’d done myself some harm. There were a few stitches, but I didn’t think much of it.”
The Industry
The story of how Robert Pattinson became Hollywood’s golden boy is one that’s been well-told. After years of struggling as a freelance writer and actor, he was finally hired as a staff writer on The Fall in 2011. At first, he was nervous about joining such an esteemed team, but quickly proved himself. A year later, he was promoted to lead story editor. At the time, McQueen was looking for new material following the tragic death of his daughter, Shelby, in a car accident. He made a point of hiring an amateur driver; something that Pattinson felt comfortable enough to offer, given his own experience as a driver and his close friendship with McQueen. It wasn’t long before other Hollywood heavyweights began to notice the young editor. It started with an innocuous tweet from J.J. Abrams:
“I was like, ‘What does he mean? I don’t know.’ Three hours later, I get a call from my agent saying, ‘J.J. wants to meet you in LA. He really likes your script.’”
Pattinson was heading back to LA following a day of filming, when he got the call from his agent. It’s a trip that he never thought he’d make: Hollywood. “I knew exactly what was happening,” he says. “I’d been doing this for three years already and it never got any easier. Going to work every day was easy, but the loneliness was what killed me.”
Abrams’ interest wasn’t the only thing that drew Pattinson to the casting experience. He’d also been seeing a regular therapist, who’d been helping him work through his social anxieties and anxieties surrounding celebrity. His therapist had even suggested that he take on a few acting roles to boost his confidence. So, when Abrams offered him the part of Tristan Thorn in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, he knew exactly what to say: “Yes.”
The Final Season
The Last Jedi was only the beginning of a wild year for Robert Pattinson. Over the course of 2018, he not only starred in but also wrote, produced, and edited a short film, Cherry Blossom, which was based on a short story by Haruki Murakami. The following is a short extract from that film:
On Set With Cherry Blossom
