Ever wonder how celebrities make the big bucks?
Well, you’ve landed on the right channel – we’re going to tell you exactly how Robert Pattinson makes his money in the entertainment industry.
The actor, musician, and filmmaker has quite a portfolio – he’s appeared in films such as Twilight and Life of Pi and was also the frontman of the popular band The Rainmakers. But it’s not just his acting and music career that have profited hugely from his celebrity – his films have made tens of millions at the box office, selling millions of copies of his albums, and he also owns and runs a hugely successful record label, Kobalt.
The Making of Twilight
The first step to becoming a household name is often a tough one: you have to prove yourself to be talented and reliable. Luckily for Robert Pattinson, he already had several highly-regarded films to his name before he began portraying the role of Edward Cullen in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. In 2007, his first full-length feature film, The Last King, which follows the life of Uganda’s King Idi Amin, became a huge critical and commercial success – it took the #8 spot at the box office that year.
Twilight was released a year later in 2008 and instantly became one of the most popular and beloved films of all time. The movie introduced the world to Edward Cullen – a gorgeous, silver-haired man who falls in love with a beautiful, yet damaged, teenage girl named Bella. The film was an abject commercial and critical success, taking in almost $600 million at the box office worldwide and winning a record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In addition to praising the film, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also recognized it with a special award for cinematography. Many consider Twilight to be one of the greatest films of all time.
A Rainy Day Workout Routine
The success of Twilight propelled Robert Pattinson into a new level of celebrity, and while he’s enjoyed all the extra attention, he’s also worked hard to maintain his humility. He still spends most of his time behind the scenes, preferring to let his acting and music do the talking – he even turned down the role of James Bond in favor of Twilight.
When asked about his daily routine during an interview with Men’s Health, the actor had this to say: “I always try to do something healthy and creative in the morning, whether that’s running or going to the gym. I like to start the day with a bit of self-care and a workout. If I’m not feeling creative, then I might read the news or write letters.”
The health-conscious actor definitely keeps himself in good shape – he credits his daily runs to being able to better understand his character’s (Edward Cullen’s) mindset. He admits to being a pretty regular gym goer, and while he doesn’t specifically cook food to lose weight, he does enjoy preparing healthy dishes when he’s dining out, especially when he’s on tour.
His Love For Travel
The world is a big place, and it’s a place that Robert Pattinson visits often. He’s most famous for his trips to Thailand and Italy, where he filmed parts of Life of Pi and presented his directorial debut, the award-winning documentary The Lost City of Z. He’s even collaborated with musicians from across the world, inviting them to travel with him and perform on the popular international music festival, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
In a 2013 interview with Men’s Health, Robert Pattinson spoke about the importance of travel in his life: “I think it’s important to travel and see the sites and meet the people. I don’t know if I’d describe myself as adventurous, but I’ve definitely been to places that I hadn’t expected to be in – I’ve never been to Italy, and because of my work, I’ve been to places like Thailand and Malaysia. It’s always exciting to find a new place to explore.”
Thailand and Malaysia were two of the 14 locations Robert Pattinson visited for the upcoming Netflix science-fiction series, Altered Carbon. The show is set in a future where humans have been bio-engineered to live in virtual-reality worlds called cyberspaces. It follows Søren, an ex-envoy sent to the far-flung world of Æther — to solve the mystery of a murdered man named Leviathan — who is now hunting Søren and the other human inhabitants of Æther for sport. Altered Carbon is due to be released in 2018.
Record-breaking Album Sales
While we’re on the subject of music, let’s not forget about Robert Pattinson’s critically-acclaimed album, High as Heaven, which became his fastest-selling album ever upon its release in 2010. The album achieved diamond status, selling over 1.2 million copies in the U.S. alone. In addition, New Moon, the second album from Bella and Edward’s iconic rock band, The Cullen family, went multi-platinum and earned the group a Grammy in the process.
That same year, Robert Pattinson collaborated with the British rock band The Darkness (formerly The Creation) on their album, I Am Divine, which was promoted with a tour of the same name. During one of the band’s concerts, Richard Dawkins, the renowned British evolutionary biologist and atheist, called out Robert Pattinson in front of a sold-out crowd, accusing him of being a “paedo-supremacist” and a “rape apologist.” After the show, Richard Dawkins offered an apology, but only if Robert Pattinson would accept it. The actor-director declined, but later accepted Dawkins’ apology anyway.
His Successful Record Label
If you thought the last section of this piece was going to be all about Robert Pattinson’s acting and music career, then you’d be wrong. Let’s start by talking about the record label he founded with his partner, David Mackenzie, called Kobalt Music Label. The record label mostly focuses on fostering and promoting emerging artists – Mackenzie founded the company in 2012, and together, they’ve worked hard to further the careers of young musicians, such as Kobe And the BOYS (formerly Baby Solo).
Kobalt Music Festival is an annual science-fiction, fantasy, and horror film festival that takes place in Barcelona (Spain). Each year, it attracts thousands of attendees from around the world, and the organizers work hard to ensure that the event’s diverse range of films are made available to as many people as possible. As well as promoting new and emerging talent in the music world, Kobalt Music Festival is also responsible for showcasing films that highlight diverse opinions and lifestyles.
Forbes has ranked the top 50 most powerful celebrity brands and Kobalt Music Festival is one of them. The company has also been recognized by Forbes as a brand with a Top Earning Celebrity – a distinction that only applies to the biggest and most influential celebrities out there. It is also one of the few companies to have ever been featured in an Emmy Award-winning documentary called Brands that tells the story of businesses that become famous (and infamous) for what they stand for.
His Investment In New Ventures
In keeping with the Forbes listing, let’s not forget about the many investments that Robert Pattinson has made in various industries, such as gaming and technology. He’s also one of the first investors in the hugely successful London nightlife brand, Fabric, which owns and operates a number of nightclubs and restaurants in the UK capital.
The actor has also invested in VR technology company Oculight, biotechnology firm Givestream, and film production company FilmNation. Oculight aims to provide eye-based computer vision for businesses and consumers, so that they can easily interact with computer-generated imagery (CGI). Givestream (formerly Gyrus Inc.) produces brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that allow users to interact with their devices using only their minds – Robert Pattinson is interested in this type of technology because it could allow him to control his devices and interact with others without using his hands or voice.