While most of our readers probably didn’t know who Robert Pattinson was before the release of the latest Batman movie, he has now firmly entered the public consciousness as the charismatic, brooding, and extremely wealthy man who drives a red Lamborghini and hangs out with Hollywood’s most glamorous A-listers. Having starred in one of the biggest films of all time, The Dark Knight, it’s only fair to say that it’s now possible to know a little about the actor behind the Hollywood good guy image. Here are five facts about Robert Pattinson that you probably didn’t know before.
1. He Started Out As An Extra In Wimbledon
The first big break for Robert Pattinson came when he was 17 years old and landed a part in the British film, Wimbledon. Based on the real-life tennis tournament, the film follows the story of a teenage boy who enters the adult world with a chip on his shoulder. While the film was a big success, it didn’t make much money and director Gurinder Chadha, who had also co-founded the English Film Academy with Pattinson, had to declare bankruptcy. Thankfully, Wimbledon gave Pattinson the break he needed to establish himself as an actor, and it paved the way for bigger and better things to come. The British film star also admitted that without the hit British series, Broadchurch, he wouldn’t have been able to land a part in his first feature film, The Rover. He’s still best known for playing Will Mellor in the award-winning drama series.
2. The Dark Knight Rises Will Be His Last Leading Role
In what will likely be his last leading role, Robert Pattinson will star as Batman in the upcoming film, The Dark Knight Rises. The Hollywood blockbuster is the third installment in the Batman film series and will be directed by Christopher Nolan. Set for release in July, it will be the actor’s last chance at playing the iconic superhero. After The Dark Knight Rises, there’s only one other Batman movie in the pipeline. It’s unclear whether or not Pattinson will be involved.
3. He’s One Of The Most Popular Celebs On TikTok
While our readers may not know much about Robert Pattinson, they’re certainly aware of his celebrity on social media. The 27-year-old has almost 300 million followers on TikTok. He’s one of the most popular celebs on the video platform and has over 125 million likes on his Instagram account. Interestingly, although most people know him as an actor, it was his work in musical theater that helped land him his first big break on TikTok. In 2016, he starred in a short film called Sing, and it went viral. The video shows Pattinson performing covers of pop songs with fans participating by singing along. The success of Sing led to other projects such as the horror movie, The Locker and the romantic comedy, The Great Train Race. The former is currently in theaters, while the latter is due for release in December 2018.
4. He Wants To Try Everything Once
In what can only be described as a dream come true for any aspiring actor, Pattinson revealed that he would like to try everything. It may seem like an exaggerated statement, but it’s clear that the English actor is trying to live life to the fullest. When asked about his bucket list by The Sunday Times, he said: “I’ve always had a really long list of things I wanted to do. I just never really had the time to do them. Now that I’m in a place where I can try almost everything, I want to live as much as I can. I’d love to try acting, directing, and producing. I’d also love to travel the world and give lectures about literature and history.”
5. He’s One Of The Most Influential Male Celebrities
It’s rare for celebrities to speak out about the influence they’ve had on others. However, when it comes to Robert Pattinson, it’s something that the English actor is extremely proud of. When speaking to The Sunday Times, he said: “I’ve certainly had an influence on many people’s lives, but I don’t really feel like I’ve had that much influence. When I meet people and they tell me that my films or my music helped them through a tough period in their lives, it gives me a lot of satisfaction. It makes me feel like I’m doing something worthwhile.” This sentiment was shared by his grandmother, who said that meeting Pattinson was one of the highlights of her life. She added that he “is a beautiful, gentle, wonderful boy and I’m glad I met him.”