When it comes to the rich and famous, there are certain tropes that come with the territory. You have your spoiled child star turned international supermodel, your coterie of beautiful ladies, and of course, your wild nights out. Now, add one more to that list: writer’s block.
For decades, authors have struggled to find the right words to describe the feeling of brilliance that consumes the mind of a creative person. The world’s great authors have certainly tried their hand at it, from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to James Joyce, but perhaps the best modern-day writer’s block definition comes from the pen of Bret Easton Ellis himself. In his book White, he describes the experience as such:
“Writer’s block is simply the inability to write. It is absolute and complete and total. There is no aspect of your creative self that it does not touch. Your mind does not work, your hands do not move, it is as though you have vanished into a black hole and will not come back. For those who have it, there is no coming back.”
Over the course of his 47-year acting career, British actor Robert Pattinson has tackled everything from medieval tosteampunk eras, fought alongside Batman and Superman, and been featured in a panther thriller. Now, the English actor is set to make his directorial debut with the dark comedy The Laundromat, which he also wrote and stars in.
From Child Star To International Superstar
Pattinson was born in London in 1978 and began acting at a young age, eventually landing the starring role of Peter Parker in the 2006 reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. Since then, the British actor has mostly stayed clear of the big-budget action pictures in favor of more independent works, which tend to generate more acclaim and interest. He has, however, featured as the title character in the horror-comedy Beneath, and was nominated for a BAFTA for his role in the independent drama The King. Most notably, his performances in the 2017 films Beautiful Thing and Pattinson were nominated for Academy Awards, with the latter movie also winning the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.
Pattinson’s career got a major boost in 2018 when he was cast in the upcoming film adaptation of Michael Chabon’s The YAAS (Yet Another Adult Activity Site). Starring alongside Kate Winslet and Liam Neeson, the film is described as a “comic saga” about “an aspiring young writer who crashes lands a freelance job writing for a website called YAAS.” The Guardian’s Kate Erbette has more:
A Storied Career
The YAAS movie marks more than just a return to form for Pattinson. It also serves as the culmination of a decade of varied work, which also includes the HBO series The Sopranos and the films The Lost City and Night School. As for which era of his career to pick as a starting point, it’s hard to say. He’s been around for quite some time, playing everything from classical musicians to futuristic cops, and appearing in several big-budget films along the way. For fans who have followed his work, it perhaps feels like an eternity.
The Unofficial Biographer
Speaking of biographies, one of the more exhaustive accounts of Pattinson’s life and work is Neonoir’s Guide to the Actor’s Life. Released this year, the exhaustive tome by journalist Jamie Broadhurst (formerly of the Daily Mail and now of the Daily Beast) covers every facet of the actor’s life, his family, his relationships, his passions, and his career. The book has already come under scrutiny from fans who feel it is not historically accurate. In an interview with Broadhurst, Pattinson says he is surprised by the volume of interest in his personal life: “I expected people to know quite a bit about me, but actually not a lot seems to be out there. I suppose I kept a low profile as an actor, and that was my intention. I didn’t want to be in the limelight.”
Broadhurst disagrees, citing numerous interviews and exclusive photos from Pattinson’s personal life as sources for the book. In an open letter addressed to Pattinson, Broadhurst writes, “[…] I am an unofficial biographer who has written an exhaustive tome about your life. This is, of course, a subjective endeavor, but one that I’m sure you’ll appreciate. Everything from your personal life to your work can be found in the book, and it’s also available for purchase in your native England.”
In the book, Broadhurst goes into great detail about what made Peter Parker such an interesting character to write about. For someone who has spent so much of his life in front of the camera, it’s easy to see how a biography would be a tempting project. If nothing else, it is an opportunity to look back on a career in photography, a field in which he is arguably the best in the world. He’s worked with the likes of Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, and Gwyneth Paltrow, and was behind the camera for a 2013 Vanity Fair cover featuring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. He has also won several photographic awards for his work, and was even featured on the cover of a book about great female photographers.
Fatherhood And Family
While Peter Parker may have gotten most of the attention as a result of his film career, Pattinson has spent the last decade acting in both films and televisions shows as a husband and father. In addition to starring in The Laundromat, he also co-starred in the upcoming Black-ish Season 3. Since 2007, he has been married to screenwriter and director Emily Morgan, with whom he shares two children, Luca and Léa.
As for what is next for the actor, he is set to star opposite Naomi Watts in The Lost City, based on the award-winning graphic novel by Brian Selznick. He also has the sci-fi thriller Deep Dive, in which he plays the lead role, as well as the thriller Night School, in theaters now. In addition to acting, Pattinson has also become a successful novelist, with his work appearing on both the New York Times Bestseller List and the Booker Prize’s shortlist. The actor says his work has always been inspired by actual events and people he knows, and that he tries not to make too much sense out of his stories. What we have here is more than enough material for the next few years. Or, at least, for one book.