Who is Robert Pattinson?
The world was shocked when the ‘Twilight’ actor, who has been in the spotlight for the past few years thanks to his starring role in the popular vampire series, announced that he was marrying long-time partner, Ms. Kate Bosworth. The ‘Bef*cker’ actor and former model wed on Saturday, September 29, 2012, at a private ceremony in Italy. The stunning union comes after two years of dating.
While the actor’s personal life has been plagued by rumors since his teen years, he has mostly handled rumors with a smile. But, in recent months, he has kept a low profile as his upcoming marriage to Kate Bosworth has created a media frenzy. In an interview with ‘People’ magazine, Pattinson admitted to being “shy” around the media but promised that he would not be “hiding in a cave” in order to avoid them. It seems that the 28-year-old has finally decided to grow up and embrace the role of a celebrity. Is he shy? Let’s take a look.
A Shy Little Boy
If there was ever a celebrity whose whole life was shrouded in mystery, it would be Robert Pattinson. The ‘Twilight’ star was born in London on October 15, 1985, and, even at a young age, showed signs of being a bit of a hermit. As a child, he would sit in his room with the door closed, listening to music and rarely speaking to anyone. His father is the writer, David Pattinson. His mother, Vanessa, is an interior designer. At school, he was a bit of a loner, often playing truant and staying in his room with his music, his books, and his Xbox. He later attended the prestigious Edinburgh Academy in Scotland, where he became more of a social butterfly and started participating in school events. But, even at this stage, he still maintained a distance from others. In 2003, he graduated from Oxford University with a degree in history. While he was there, he made a few friends, mostly men, who would become his drinking buddies. It was at this time that he started developing an interest in acting. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles. He then attended screenwriter’s workshops but found them uninspiring and dropped out after a few months. He moved back to London and worked as a temp clerk. He returned to LA in 2011 and worked as a personal assistant to fashion TV host, Kelly Osbourne. In 2012, he began taking acting classes and attended a few open mics to try out his new skills. After getting a taste for the limelight, he soon booked his first major film role in the thriller, ‘High Strung’.
The Mysterious Life Of Robert Pattinson
Even before he had made his film debut, Robert Pattinson was already well-known for his reclusive nature. He would often go days without speaking to anyone, except for members of his family. In his early teens, he started experiencing mood swings and became more of a hypochondriac, constantly worried about his health. In 2002, he was hospitalized following a mental breakdown and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 2005, he was admitted to a mental institution in St. Barts for an assessment but has never spoken about the experience. After his stay, he was more introverted than ever and would spend his time in his room, playing video games and listening to music. In 2009, he traveled to Ireland to meet with his mother’s family but stayed in his grandmother’s house. During this time, he became fascinated with the paranormal and started documenting unusual phenomena on his blog, ‘The Revenant’. In 2011, he published his first book, ‘Whip Your Hair’, which is an account of his childhood. This would turn out to be the last non-spy related book he would write. In the same year, he became involved with the actress, Kate Bosworth. The couple started dating in 2011 and got engaged soon after. They had a small, private ceremony in Kate’s native France in September 2012 and have since kept a relatively low profile.
A Self-Confessed “Social Anxiety”
“I’m not going to be in a hurry to let the world know who I am or what I do; I want to find my own way,” Pattinson told ‘People’ magazine in July 2012. “I’m shy. I’m not going to put myself in a situation where I have to talk to people I don’t want to talk to. I know what social anxiety is, and it’s something I have to watch out for.” While he might not want to rush into revealing himself to the world, there are certainly signs that he is beginning to embrace his fame. In March 2012, he starred in the indie film, ‘Wish You Were Here’, which was screened at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. The following month, he started appearing in magazine fashion spreads and walked the runways for a number of high profile designers. In April 2012, he was even named one of Britain’s most eligible bachelors. This is perhaps a reference to his reputation as a bachelor, even though he has been dating Kate Bosworth for over two years. At the time, he commented, “I wouldn’t say no to a proposal. I think most people would be surprised by how relaxed I am around the idea.” While he might not want to rush into proposing, he clearly has no problem being married. In June 2012, he told ‘Time’ magazine, “I’ve been waiting for the right person for a long time. It feels like the right time to be proposed to.” He also gave an interview to the UK’s ‘Metro’ magazine, in which he talked about his shyness. He said, “I’ve always been a little bit of a loner. I think growing up in London gave me a certain degree of social anxiety. I didn’t really want to go out and meet new people, as much as I liked being with my friends. I think it’s just finding your own level of comfort and being yourself. I don’t want to put on a performance, because that’s not me. That’s not who I am. I think people can get nervous in social situations, but you just have to go with it.”
Is He Really Shy?
Whether or not Robert Pattinson is shy in real life is up for debate. But, clearly, he has grown more comfortable in the limelight since starring in the Twilight movies, in which he played the undead. Since then, he has mostly stayed out of the public eye and avoided interviews. Is he really shy? If he is, is he afraid of what will happen if he opens up to the world? We can only speculate.