Robert Pattinson is one of the biggest movie stars in the world right now. The British actor first gained international fame for his role in the critically acclaimed 2012 indie film, The Rover. Since then, he has appeared in such blockbusters as X-Men: Days of Future Past, Exodus: Gods and Kings, and most recently, The Great Gatsby.
Early Life
Born in Reading, England, on June 23, 1986, Pattinson studied English and Philosophy at the University of Exeter in the UK. After graduating, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career.
Pattinson was raised in a very theatrical family. He is the son of acclaimed British director Stephen Pattinson and actress Vanessa Marris. His maternal grandparents are actors Donald and Barbara Harris, while his great-grandfather was theatrical producer Donald Cammell. Before becoming an actor, Pattinson worked as a stage hand for a year. He then landed his first major role in the 2003 TV movie The Gathering, followed by another in the 2009 miniseries Fallen Angels. The following year, he appeared in the acclaimed indie film Death on the Nile.
Career
In 2012, Pattinson was featured in the prominent role of Richard Parker, a young man from London who befriends a mute American artist (played by Josh Brolin) in The Rover. The film, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, won the Audience Award and was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Director for John Hillcoatt. The following year, he appeared in the ensemble cast of The Bourne Legacy, which was released in theaters in June of 2014. The film was a major box office success, grossing over $400 million worldwide.
2014 was a banner year for Pattinson, as he appeared in two major blockbuster films that both surpassed the $400 million mark at the box office: Maleficent and The Great Gatsby. In addition to his acting career, he also recorded an album, Believe, with songwriter Jeff Lynne. The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard Top Albums chart. In March of 2015, he played George Sands, a novelist and recluse, in the drama Sigrid, which premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Later that year, he took on the role of James Bond in the 2015 film Bond 25, which was theatrically released in May of 2015. The following month, he reunited with his The Rover co-star Rebecca Ferguson in the indie romantic comedy Sleeping Beauty. Directed by Terence Davies, the film was a quiet success at the box office.
In October of 2015, it was announced that Pattinson will be one of the narrators in the 2018 animated film Sonic, alongside Tilda Swinton, Jim Carrey, and Jeff Daniels. The film, which is directed by Jon Favreau, will be released in theaters on November 8, 2018.
Personal Life
Aside from his busy acting schedule, Pattinson participated in the 2015 Vogue Arabia Fashion Week, where he showed off his sense of style with outfits designed by Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, and Versace.
Pattinson began dating American actress Reese Witherspoon in 2012. They became engaged a year later and were married on November 1, 2015, at the Gardens Hotel in London. The couple’s first child, a son named James, was born in June of 2017.
To promote The Great Gatsby in 2015, Pattinson appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Diet Coke. In the ad, he takes a sip from a glass and then says: “I want to be the best version of myself that I can be for the people that I love. So I work hard at it, and I think you’ll like what you see.”
He has also been connected to several high-profile romances. In April of 2016, he began an ill-fated relationship with Australian artiste Amber Heard. Later that year, he called off his engagement to Witherspoon and began dating Swiss supermodel and occasional actress Amal Alamuddin.
Pattinson and Alamuddin quietly called off their engagement in June of 2018 and are now reportedly focused on their careers. In August of 2018, it was announced that he will serve as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Disaster Reduction.
Filmography
Here is a list of Pattinson’s major filmography: