What Is the Real Age Difference Between Edward and Bella?
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 brought to virtual life one of the most interesting aspects of the franchise: its age difference between its main characters, Victoria and Edward Cullen. In contrast, New Moon featured an extremely gregarious Bella and the reserved, but also protective, Edward, whose very first words to her are, “Hello, little bird.” The movie’s dialogue and the actors’ performances made it seem like Victoria was in her early 20s and Edward was well over 30 when they first met. But were the actors really that much older than their characters?
Well, most certainly not. After breaking down the details of the filming process for the first two Twilight movies, it’s easy to figure out exactly how old Edward and Victoria were when they first met. In fact, it’s easy to pinpoint the exact day they fell in love. So, let’s have a look …
How Old Are Edward And Victoria In Real Life?
The first Twilight movie was released in 2008, which was four years before Robert Pattinson and the rest of the cast reunited for the third installment. Naturally, with time gone by, the actors have to age a bit to fit the roles. So, in order to determine Edward and Victoria’s exact real-life ages, we have to look at the dates of their first scenes in the movies and then figure out how much time has passed in the real world. Let’s take a look.
As we mentioned above, the first Twilight movie was released in 2008. Based on this year, the movie’s principal cast and crew were 36 years old at the time of filming. But Victoria and Edward only appear in a few scenes in the movie, so their real ages don’t really matter that much. The interesting part is that in 2019, 36 years later, their first scene in Twilight still holds up. This scene takes place in New York City, shortly after Edward and Victoria have finished off a feast of sorts. As Edward looks on in astonishment, a phone rings, unexpectedly disrupting the couple’s moment. This is their first scene in the movie and it still has the capacity to surprise audiences today. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for D23)
Has Time Flown By?
In the above scene, it’s apparent that time has indeed flown by. Victoria and Edward are able to converse easily with each other, discussing topics such as fashion and literature, and they display a comfortable familiarity with each other. This scene was the first time we saw Edward and Victoria interact outside of their children, and the chemistry between the two is undeniable. It seemed like only a matter of time before they would fall in love.
However, the passage of time wasn’t the only thing standing in the way of Edward and Victoria. For one, Edward was already engaged to another woman when he met Victoria. But perhaps the biggest obstacle to their union was Victoria’s daughter, Bella. If Bella had been present at the time of their initial meeting, Edward would have been forced to reject her advances due to her age. But because Bella wasn’t born until four years later, Edward was able to give her the attention she sought. Even better, he was able to do so from a position of responsibility: as her father’s best friend.
Now that you know the exact age difference between Edward and Victoria, you might be wondering what prompted this article. Did someone finally decide to crack the code and reveal Edward’s true identity? Well, you might be surprised to learn that the answer is no. In fact, Edward’s age has been a point of speculation among fans for years; even before Disney bought the rights to the Twilight property and began releasing all of its films, there were rumors that Robert Pattinson was far too young to play the part of Edward. So, let’s take a closer look at these rumors…
Did Robert Pattinson Play Edward In High School?
Forbes has a list of the top 101 highest-paid actors in 2018. It includes Robert Pattinson, who earned an estimated $25 million that year. Naturally, this made him the third highest-earning actor of 2018, after Daniel Craig and Leonardo DiCaprio. The above photo was taken at the premiere of the movie, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, where Pattinson plays a fictionalized version of himself. The cast and crew of the movie were excited to share some special moments with the actor they had dubbed “the next big thing.” The photo above marked not only Pattinson’s first public appearance since premiering the movie, but it was also the first time many of his fans had seen him since early 2017, when he shaved off his hair for the role of Edward in the Twilight franchise. While at Princeton, Pattinson began taking acting classes and participated in numerous plays. He later transferred to Oxford University to study English literature, and it was there that he began taking on more prominent roles, including Edward in Twilight.
Should Edward Have Played His Part In Twilight More Secretly?
If Disney had known how much intrigue and speculation the ages of Edward and Victoria would provoke, it might have decided to keep their relationship under wraps. After all, they are characters in a children’s movie, and it’s well known that Hollywood likes to keep their subjects’ private lives as secret as possible. Instead, the studio played the role of middlemen, negotiating contracts with authors Stephenie Meyers and Melissa Meyer, who hold the rights to the Twilight franchise. The result was the publication of Eclipse in 2007, the first in a three-part series that was later retitled, Twilight. This series was aimed at a more mature audience and was advertised as such. One of the reasons behind this change in demographics was to provide adults with the opportunity to discuss the series’ adolescent themes, such as love and obsession, in a mature manner.
Twilight was a massive success both at the box office and with fans. It became the best selling paperback of all time, with over 14 million copies sold. This made it the first installment in the series to achieve such a feat. Not only was it the best selling installment, but it was also the first time Ms. Meyer had received such wide recognition.
Like its predecessors, Twilight was a success because of its unusual setting and compelling cast. The novels’ emphasis on love and obsession made it the perfect fit for adolescents, providing them with themes that they could explore and understand independently. However, many adults were able to relate to the stories as well, particularly those who had their own experience with love and obsessive behavior. This mixture of appeal made Twilight one of the most successful and beloved series of all time. Many fans consider it to be among the greatest examples of a shared cinematic universe, featuring unforgettable characters, exceptional story arcs, and a truly unique atmosphere. If you’re unfamiliar, the term “shared cinematic universe” refers to when a series, such as the Twilight Saga, shares characters, settings, and themes with other films.
While the Twilight films were hugely successful, they were also met with a fair amount of criticism. Some fans felt that the books’ more mature themes and emphasis on real-life issues, such as bullying, addiction, and sexual identity, made them unsuitable for children. Even more controversially, some critics felt that the films were little more than glorified fanfiction and that the source material was actually quite boring.
Ultimately, it was the films’ subject matter, not their quality that caused controversy. Because the Twilight films are aimed at an adult audience, they fall under the classification of adult fiction. This means that they should not portray events, situations, or characters that are not suited for adults. Regardless of whether or not you agree with this idea, it is important to note that the subject matter of the Twilight films is not actually illegal. It is a common misconception that the films’ themes and subject matter represent a form of literary pedophilia, because the books on which they are based are not actually intended for children. (Photo by James Devaney/Getty Images)
Has Edward’s Age Always Been A Mystery?
Many fans were unable to reconcile the fact that Robert Pattinson was so young with the character he was playing. As we mentioned above, it was initially speculated that the 32-year-old actor was maybe 17 or 18 years old when he started playing Edward. This rumor gained traction after the first Twilight film was released. In the years that followed, as the franchise continued to grow, so did the age discrepancy between the actor and the character he was portraying. By the time of Eclipse, Edward was supposed to be in his late 20s, with his 30s being the peak of his career. But for some reason, the actor chose to keep playing the part.