In the most recent issue of Vanity Fair, there is an interview with the most adorable and talented actor of our time, Robert Pattinson. And what a glorious interview it is! We get to hear his adorable accent, how he met his wife, Lily-Rose, who is also his costar in the upcoming film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and so much more! Let’s have a look, shall we? Here are some of the best tips on how to interview Robert Pattinson!
Have A Clear Objective
Since this is a celebrity interview, you may be tempted to ask them about their work or about their movie, but keep in mind that they will most likely talk about themselves or their work a lot. So, to keep the conversation going and to make sure that you get your money’s worth, you may want to focus on their personal lives and ask them questions about themselves and their family. That is what happened in this interview!
However, there is more than one way to skin a cat, and you can always ask the interviewer if they would like to discuss their work or their film, and then you can ask them about what led to the story or how the character is based on a real person or real events. Just make sure that the questions are interesting and relevant to what you are trying to acheive.
Try Not To Interrupt
It is perfectly normal for an interviewer to ask a question and then for the interviewee to ramble on about something completely irrelevant. So, as an interviewer, you need to have the patience of a saint and know when to cut them off. If they start talking about themselves before you have even finished your question, give them a gentle nudge and then continue with your question, or ask another one.
Never interrupt or finish an interviewee’s sentence. Wait until they have finished their thought process and then politely nod your head or say, “Yes, that is true.” Then continue with the interview. Remember, the interview is not about you!
Watch What They Eat
It is amazing how much an actor’s dietary preferences reveal about them as an individual. For instance, in preparation for his role in the Twilight Saga movies, Robert Pattinson had to lose a good deal of his weight. So, it is not surprising that he talks about how much he loathes fatty foods and loves salad. And trust me, the man can eat a salad! Be careful, though, because you may end up eating your words if you are not careful enough. If they are asking for food suggestions, be sure to order something light and healthy. Otherwise, you may end up gaining weight just to impress the paparazzi.
Look Online For Background Info
Since we are living in the era of the internet, it is easy enough to look up the personal and professional details of anyone we want to interview or have written about. So, when you are researching a potential interview subject, do some online research, mainly about their filmography and whether or not they are a vegan, vegetarian, or organic eater. You should also look for photos of them, preferably in interesting contexts or with some other famous person or animal.
For instance, when we interviewed Kristen Stewart, we did some research and discovered that she is a vegan. So, we modified our questions to include some information on veganism. Kristen was very kind and answered all of our questions politely and graciously. She also went above and beyond, offering to prepare us a vegan meal a day before the interview. Unfortunately, we could not make the trip to California to sit down with Kristen and her furry friends (well, maybe one of them), but thanks to the wonders of technology, we were able to include a short mention of her veganism in our article.
Look For Commonalities
When we first started researching this article, we did not know much about Robert Pattinson. But what we did know was that he was the son of well-known actor, David Pattinson, and that he looked like the young, good looking man in the promotional photos for the Twilight movies. As a result, our first instinct was to ask about his parentage and whether or not he followed in his father’s footsteps. And what a coincidence, because that is EXACTLY what Robert Pattinson said in his response!
There were several other instances in which he mentioned his father or spoke highly of him. So, by seeing that he has a lot of positive things to say about his father and by checking his social media posts, we were able to discover a lot about Robert’s personality and how he sees himself. Because he mentioned several times in our interview that he is a very private person, we did not find much information about him on the internet, but that is probably because he does not post much about himself. So, if you do not already know much about the subject, do some research on social media and then interview them. It will greatly enhance your knowledge about the person you are interviewing.
Learn About Their Significant Other
If you are fortunate enough to land an interview with someone who has a significant other, be sure to ask about them! It is always nice to learn more about the person an actor or actress is dating. In this case, we did not learn anything new about Robert Pattinson, but it was still nice to know more about his personal life. For example, we found out that he had been seeing actress, Elizabeth Taylor for a few months before their breakup.
Follow Up With An Email
The person you are interviewing may not have had the opportunity to get back to you, or they may have forgotten about your request for an interview. So, to be sure that you get a response, follow up with an email. If you have more than one question, or you want to follow up on something that you did not get a chance to ask, send them another email.
If they do not respond to you after you emailed them once, be sure to follow up and ask them why they did not respond. Maybe they did not like what you had to say or they did not have the time to respond. Whatever the reason, always follow up with another email and then call them once you have written another email. Do not harass them or badger them into responding. Especially do not do that if they have not responded to you yet, because that could lead them to think that you are a stalker or that you have some kind of issue.