You may know that Rob Pattinson is the English actor who gained popularity for his role in the movie New Moon, or that he’s a member of the popular band The Fratellis. But did you know that he’s a really talented artist? Or that he’s been painting for most of his life? Or that he’s always dreamed of being a writer?

Here’s a look into the fascinating life of Robert Pattinson.

Early Life: The Twilight Saga

As a child, Robert Pattinson did not have a happy or easy life. He was quite sickly as a baby, and spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals. He was also bullied by other kids in school, which undoubtedly contributed to the actor’s depression. In 1993, at the age of 14, he dropped out of high school and ran away to join the circus, a decision which helped him to cope with his problems and to develop his talents.

He was discovered by a modeling scout while performing as a trapeze artist, and it wasn’t long before he was signing contracts with top modeling agencies. But the circus life wasn’t for him, and in 1997, he returned to England and began studying art and design at the Winchester School of Art. While at the school, he also took private lessons from renowned artist Basil Spence.

After graduating, he made his debut as a stage actor at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2004. Over the next few years, he appeared in a number of plays, including Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and Aristocracy, for which he won a TMA Best Actor Award. In 2009, he starred in the movie The Last Airbender as Park Officer Jin, which was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 84th Academy Awards. The following year, he made his Broadway debut in the musical Once, which also starred his good friend Lea Michele.

In 2012, Rob Pattinson landed his first starring role in a movie, as Edward Cullen in the Twilight Saga. The movie went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Since then, he has starred in several other high-profile movies, including the Divergent series and the highly anticipated The Batman.

Career

The Twilight Saga made Rob Pattinson a household name, and soon after the movies came out, he was doing pretty well for himself. He published his autobiography, One Day, in 2017, and had plenty of offers to do interviews and talk about his life. In 2019, he made Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid celebrities, earning $16 million (about £12.3 million) in one year. In July 2019, he was part of a group of famous faces who appeared in a sexy advertisement to promote facial cleansers.

His net worth is currently around $20 million (about £15.4 million). In 2019, he purchased a 20-acre country estate, La Colonia, in Los Angles for $16 million (about £12.3 million). He also owns a six-bedroom London mansion, with a private outdoor pool, as well as a six-bedroom mansion in Paris.

Personal Life

Rob Pattinson married Vanessa Paradis, a singer and songwriter, in 2014. They exchanged vows at a lavish ceremony in Venice, Italy, and had twins, Lily-Rose and Luna, three years later. In 2018, they welcomed their fourth child, a son named Arthur. The family spends their winters in either Los Angeles or London, and their summers at their French estate.

Outside of work, Rob shares his time between his family, friends, and his dogs, Bella and Gigi. He also spends a lot of his free time painting. In July 2019, he became an accredited associate of the Royal Society of Arts (RA).

Artistic Career

As a child, Rob Pattinson loved to paint, and even made his own costumes and sets for plays. He went on to study art and design at college, where he experimented with different media. He began painting as a form of therapy, using his experiences as a source of inspiration. In his spare time, he studies art history and theory, and has even curated an art gallery in his hometown of London.

Though he’s never been really shy about showing off his work, it wasn’t until 2012 that he began to gain recognition for his oil paintings. That year, he won the Goldsmiths Medal at the Royal Academy of Arts for his painted wooden sculpture, Alecto.

Over the next few years, he began to exhibit his work around the world. In 2019, he was nominated for six awards at the Sydney Opera House Art Awards, including Overall Exhibition and Achievement in Sculpture. The following year, he had solo exhibitions in London’s Mall Galleries and the Sydney Opera House. In 2022, he will have solo exhibitions in New York and Los Angeles.

Filmography

Aside from acting in movies, Rob also appears in several documentaries about artists and designers, including Oscar Wilde: The Works, The Eccentric Studio of Basil Spence, and The Art School Dropout, about himself. Some of his other work includes:

  • The Last Airbender (2009)
  • The Art of Rob Pattinson (2012)
  • The Divergent Series (2014-2019)
  • Twilight Saga (2012-present)
  • Jin’s Story (short film, 2018)
  • Pandora (2019)
  • King Arthur: Legend of a King (2020)

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