When it comes to the pop culture scene, there’s no one that fits the bill quite like the British hunk Robert Pattinson. The 25-year-old is famous for his on-screen romances with the likes of Kristen Stewart and Rose McGowan. Despite his fame, he’s still incredibly humble and kind. On top of that, he’s a family guy at heart; appearing as himself in hit comedy series Family Guy.
The actor recently sat down with TV Guide to talk about his role on the cartoon, his romantic life, and his passion for Twilight.
On Family Guy:
“It was always a dream of mine to appear on Family Guy,” he told TV Guide. “I’ve been a big fan of the show for a long time.”
The actor plays the title role in the show, which follows the adventures of a fictionalized version of himself. In the first season, we follow him as he tries to help his brothers with their problems. Later on in the series, he starts dating Meg Griffin (who’s played by Anna Faris), and his life turns into a romantic comedy.
The series co-creator Seth MacFarlane said that he based his portrayal of Peter on the real Robert Pattinson. In an interview with Rolling Stone, MacFarlane said: “We definitely took some artistic license, but I think we did an okay job. The biggest difference, especially now that he’s famous, is that he doesn’t call himself ‘Mr. Pattinson’ anymore. He’s just ‘Robert.’ We also made his brothers a little more Scottish and a little less hippie. And his mom is still very much alive in the show, even though she’s not in real life.”
Asked about which episodes he finds the most memorable, Pattinson told TV Guide: “Probably the ones where I get to play the ‘family guy’ — where I play all the different characters. I think it’s because there are so many funny situations and jokes that you don’t get to see in one film.”
On His Romantic Relationships:
Though he’s frequently spotted with actresses, the actor says he doesn’t necessarily look at them as a romantic interest. “Some of them are really cool and funny, and it’d be an honor to be with them,” he said. “But at the same time, there’s this fantasy element to it as well. I think for the most part, it’s better to have friends with benefits, because at least you know what you’re getting into. But I don’t know if I’d necessarily say no to a romance with an actress or a model. It’s not something I think about too much, but I think it’s important to maintain that balance.”
He continued: “I don’t think it’s any secret that I like to have fun. It doesn’t matter what kind of relationship we have, we’ll always have fun. I think that’s a key part of being in a healthy relationship. It doesn’t mean you have to change who you are to accommodate each other, but it means you can find a way to make it work.”
Many of his co-stars from Twilight were eager to talk about the handsome British actor, and how his personality differs from Edward’s in the film. Kellan Lutz (who played Edward), told Yahoo that he’s always happy to work with him, and that he’s “a genuinely nice guy who gets along with everyone.”
“It’s different to work with someone you’ve never met before, especially when they’re this attractive,” he continued. “It’s not like we were hanging out with each other all the time before the movie, so it was fresh in everyone’s minds when we started shooting. I had a good time with him. We had a lot of laughs, and I think we made the role of Edward a little more interesting. He’s such a talented guy, and it’s such a privilege to work with him.”
On Twilight:
The actor says that while he was filming the vampire romance, he received a big increase in the number of female fans. “It was really funny, because on the first day of shooting, there were almost no female fans there,” he said. “And then all of a sudden, there were like hundreds there. It was strange, because I hadn’t really done anything before that movie to attract a lot of women. But I think it was just because I was there.”
The handsome hunk also spoke about his approach to acting, and how much it differs from that of a normal person. “If you were to ask me what my normal personality is like, it’d be a bit like Edward’s, I suppose — Reserved, reserved, reserved,” he said. “But I think acting challenges that. In a way, you have to let loose, and be more emotional and show more range — and hopefully make people laugh, in the process.”
What attracted you to the role of Edward in Twilight?
“I’d been offered this role after my first film, but at the same time I was doing a TV show at the time, which wasn’t that great. But the director of that movie, Catherine Hardwicke, saw the show, and she thought I was excellent, and went ahead and cast me in the film. So it was this weird situation where I’d been in one film, and the director of that film wanted to work with me again. So she offered me this part in Twilight, which I said no to initially, because I didn’t want to do another vampire movie. But for some reason, I found myself saying yes, and now here I am, doing another one.”
On Working With Director Peter Jackson:
Jackson, who also helmed the Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong, has directed numerous episodes of Family Guy. After working with him on the show, the actor says he’s gained a valuable knowledge of how to pace a scene, and how to direct actors. “There are certain directors that you just learn from, and Peter Jackson is one of them,” he said. “I think he’s an incredible director, and even though we’re working on completely different projects right now, I still keep in touch with him, and I’d love to work with him again. He’s got this amazing way of working, and he cares so much about the actors, and making them feel comfortable and confident. It was a real privilege to work with him.”
While promoting his new movie The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2, Pattinson spoke about what it’s been like to navigate the romantic comedy scene. “It’d be great to break up with someone and find out that they’re not actually that broken up with,” he said. “There aren’t that many romcoms, so it’d kinda be like dating someone who you think is going to break up with you, but then stays with you. It’s great when it ends happily ever after, but it can be really frustrating when it doesn’t. And then you’ve just wasted all this time. It’s good to find someone who you can spend the rest of your life with. It’s better to find that person when you’re younger, before you’ve wasted so much time.”
What’s the best thing about the series?
“I like how in every episode, something funny happens,” he said. “Even if it’s a small thing, like a running joke or an accident that someone trips on or says something funny about. So it’s not like you need to have a lot of plot or a lot of characters. You can just focus on the comedy and the situation, and I think that’s what makes it different from other shows.”
On The Future Of His Career:
Though he’s undoubtedly one of the biggest movie stars in the world, the actor is quick to point out that he’s still just an actor. “I’ve been in this business for almost 10 years now, and there’re still so many things that I don’t know,” he said. “I still haven’t worked with Richard Simmons, so I’ve still got a lot to learn. I love what I do, and I think it’s a good stepping stone, but I don’t really look at it as a permanent solution to everything.”
So what will the future of Robert Pattinson hold? We’ll have to wait and see. But for now, let’s bask in the glorious present of this handsome star’s incredible interview.