For years, Robert Pattinson’s beauty mantra has been, “Gentlemen don’t cry.”
But as one of the most recognized faces in the world, he might want to consider changing his tune. After all, a career in acting might not be what he wants to dedicate his life to, and he has been known to shed some tears on screen.
While promoting his upcoming film, Bel Ami, the 25-year-old English hunk opened up about the issue in an interview with France’s Vogue magazine. Bel Ami is about a group of men who work at a Paris wax museum and cater to wealthy socialites and celebrities. In the beginning of the film, we see Pattinson playing Jeff, the American owner of the wax museum who comes to Paris for a business trip. While there, he befriends Olivier, a French man who owns a barbershop. They soon form a bond as they both have a secret desire to be more than just friends with benefits. After Jeff leaves Paris, we slowly peel back the layers to see if the rumors of whether or not he has romantic feelings for Olivier are true.
Here, Pattinson discusses his famous “don’t cry” mantra, what it means to him now, and whether or not he harbors romantic feelings for Olivier:
Does He Really Have That Problem?
When Vogue interviewed him for this upcoming issue, the England-born actor was very open about his emotions. “I haven’t really cried in front of the camera since my first film. It was a scene in a movie called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I played this guy who gets tortured in the dungeons. While I was lying there in my underwear, screaming, it all came out. But otherwise, no, I haven’t really cried in front of the camera. I think that when you’re in front of a camera, you have to keep something back. Otherwise, you’re just letting out all your feelings, and then it can be really hard to keep your cool.”
Pattinson has been in a committed relationship with actress and fellow English glamour girl Mia Wasikowska since 2014, so it’s no secret that he’s guarded when it comes to his personal life. And while he doesn’t deny the fact that he’s been in a long-distance relationship with actress Lily James, he’s careful not to let his fans and the media know too much about their personal life. Wasikowska has also admitted to using a fake Facebook account in an attempt to protect her privacy. So it comes as no great surprise that even after all these years, Pattinson is still learning to be comfortable in his own company.
The Meaning of “Gentlemen Don’t Cry”
For those not in the know, Robert Pattinson’s “gentlemen don’t cry” beauty mantra is something that he has said time and time again over the years. In 2014, he told Elle that he didn’t want to be defined by his work; he wanted to be known for being “a happy chap.” But over the past two years, he has been very open about the fact that he feels uncomfortable displaying affection in front of the camera. In fact, he hasn’t even starred in a couple of movies because he said that he didn’t feel comfortable doing so. And it’s not just in front of the camera that he feels this way; even in private, he prefers to keep a cool head.
As the son of Indian immigrants, Pattinson was born and raised in England, and it was there that he developed an interest in acting. But it was his decision to go abroad for university that established his career. He went to Oxford University, and while there, he got his first taste of acting in an amateur production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. He also starred in a couple of television shows while he was at Oxford, including Misfits, an IFC series about four unlikely friends, and Kavanagh QC, a British legal drama. After graduating from Oxford, he moved to Los Angeles to take on the big screen.
Romantic Feelings For Olivier?
While we’re still reeling from the fact that Drake just dropped a new single, Bel Ami spoilers reveal that not all of the movie’s romantic tension is between Jeff and Rosaline, the French waxwork played by Margot Robbie. When Jeff travels to Paris, he discovers that Olivier is harboring secret romantic feelings for him. But it’s not just about a physical relationship; Jeff ultimately decides to stay in Paris and help Olivier fulfill his dream of running his own barbershop. While in Paris, they form a close bond as Jeff opens up to Olivier about his own dreams, which include becoming a standup comedian. But while they initially seem like compatible friends, it soon becomes clear that they have different goals in mind.
As the film progresses, it’s revealed that Olivier has been using Jeff and Rosaline as a cover for his true feelings for him. He even goes as far to suggest that they should be together, since they are both lonely individuals who need someone to talk to. Ultimately, these are all the hints that we’re given about whether or not Jeff and Olivier’s story has a happy ending. We will have to wait until November 23 to find out.