For the majority of his life, comedian and actor Robert Pattinson has kept his private life under wraps. The 27-year-old British star has not only stayed away from the spotlight, but has even gone back in time and avoided interviews when he could. But no more. Since breaking his own rules by posing for the Posed Instagram account in February, the actor has opened up about his personal life—including his first major relationship, the source of his famous cheekbones, and more.
Early Life
Pattinson was born in London on September 4, 1986. His parents, Paul Danson and Caroline, were both schoolteachers. As a kid, he was a quiet, bookish child who loved drawing. He began acting in 2009 after completing his A-levels and went on to study at Liverpool John Moores University and then the London School of Economics. He is, however, not a complete academic tinkerer. While at university, he spent most of his time partying and getting into trouble. He also enrolled in a short-lived comedy group called Lame with Louis CK and Jack Whitehall, who would later go on to be Prime Minister.
Career
Pattinson’s big break came in 2011 when he was cast as the young John Lennon in the movie, Now This. The following year, he had roles in two separate blockbusters: as a punk in Green Street Hoops and as a dashing young man in Dangerous Game. Both of those movies were directed by Michael Bay. The same year, he also landed the starring role of Charlie Manx in the movie adaptation of the Roald Dahl book, The Man Who Lived Underground. The next year, he would star as another iconoclastic character, David Bowie, in the biopic, The Man Who Played The Falsetto. He also appeared in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films as the young Bard the Bowman. He has since played supporting or cameo roles in numerous other big-budget Hollywood flicks, including Spectre, Love Story, and The Dark Knight Rises.
Relationships
Pattinson, who has dated fashion model and YouTube star Gigi Hadid, made headlines for his whirlwind romance with model and musician Emily Meadows. They became engaged in 2015 and married the following year. The happy couple chose an engagement party at London’s famous Claridge’s Hotel. They are now parents to a baby boy, Egor.
In 2017, Pattinson confirmed that he and Hadid were amicably divorced. In 2018, he began dating singer and actress Lily Collins. The couple began a relationship in 2019 and got engaged in July of that year. They are now planning to wed in the fall of 2020. The pair have been seen on numerous occasions walking their dogs and shopping together. Collins even wrote an Instagram post bragging about how she helped Pattinson celebrate his 27th birthday.
Modeling
While Pattinson has always preferred the stage over the screen, he has found some solace in fashion. In 2012, he was chosen to be the face of Burberry’s Menswear Winter/Summer 13 collection. He also posed for Ralph Lauren in 2017 as part of the designer’s “winter wonderland” campaign. In 2021, he became the face of Urban Outfitters’ Fall 2021 collection.
Artistic Inspiration
The multi-hyphenate has been painting since he was a child. His grandfather was a well-known artist and owned a small painting studio in Cornwall where Pattinson spent lots of his time as a child. The family business would later inspire him to pursue art as a career. Since then, he has shown a particular affinity for the works of William Blake.
Self-expression
During his media blitzkrieg in February, Pattinson admitted that he purposely kept a low profile for the sake of his art career. “I didn’t want to be defined by my jobs—I wanted to be known for my art, and for my films, but I also wanted to do my painting,” he explained. “When you have a whole year off, you can focus on your own work and not worry about promotions or schedules. I feel like I’ve been able to grow as an artist and find my own style.” In the coming months, he would go on to show off his newly found identity by taking up painting again and even experimenting with ceramic sculpture. The British star is perhaps best known for his cheekbones, which he credits to his maternal grandmother. “It’s funny, my mum always says that I have her cheekbones, but she is also very fair-skinned, so it could be that my uncle or my dad has contributed to my cheekbones as well,” he mused. “I have a very unique combination of beauty genes, I guess!”