One of the most recognizable faces of the 21st century is that of Robert Pattinson. This British actor and singer has starred in some of the most significant films of our time, and his acting resume is sure to delight any film fan. While many actors work hard to perfect their craft, Pattinson seems to have taken a different approach by making sure that his looks will set him apart from the rest of the pack. Is this a wise strategy? Is he succeeding in his quest to become a movie superstar? Let’s take a closer look.
An Overview Of Pattinson’s Life And Career
Pattinson was born in London in 1984. He is the son of artist Robin Pattinson and film producer Virginia Pattinson. His parents divorced when he was young, and his paternal grand-parents, Wilfred and Kitty, were both noted artists. He began acting in local plays as a boy and attended the exclusive London School of Economics and Political Science. He later went on to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) for acting training. In 2005, he made his professional acting debut in an episode of the successful teen drama, Skins. Over the next few years, he would go on to appear in numerous British and American TV shows and commercials, including the series Hustle, in which he played the role of Justin, and the American comedy-drama, The Crazy Ones. In 2009, Pattinson landed his first major role in James McAvoy’s The Last King of Scotland. The following year, he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best British Actor for his role in the miniseries, Vanity Fair. He also won a Royal Television Society Award for his work in that series. It was in 2011 that he became a household name after starring in the commercially successful adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, The Dark Tower. While this was certainly a major achievement, it was his performance in the 2012 Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, that put him on the map as a possible action star. In addition to his acting career, he has made a name for himself as a bon vivant, appearing in several fashion magazines, such as Vogue, GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar, and has graced the covers of numerous fashion magazines, including Italian Vogue and Elle.
Pattinson’s Early Stoner Image
In the years since its release in 2014, the indie comedy, Where Do We Go From Here?, has become something of a cult classic, and it’s not hard to see why. Set in the near future, the movie follows the adventures of a group of young people as they navigate the changing world of romance, sex, and drugs. One of the most memorable parts of the movie comes when the protagonist Rob, played by Pattinson, wears a shirt decorated with images of Beethoven and Da Vinci, the Renaissance polymaths. In the scene, Rob is asked by a friend if he’s into drugs, to which he replies, “No, I prefer to think of myself as a cultural anthropologist, exploring the effects of drug culture on the evolving human genome.”
Although this character was written as a joke, the idea of Pattinson as a stoner was not. Where Do We Go From Here? was originally conceived as a dark comedy, and one of the ways that it distinguished itself from other similar films was its more realistic portrayal of drug use. In an interview with Vanity Fair, director Jesse Berger, said, “I think that we were definitely trying to create a dark satire of the drug society and how it affects everyone around it. And I think that for a while there, we succeeded brilliantly.”
The movie, which deals with such heavy subjects as rape, pedophilia, and addiction, was not received well by audiences and critics alike. But the director and cast, including Richard Dawkins, Eddie Ifft, and John Leguizamo, who plays one of the lead roles, seemed to revel in its unpopularity. The filmmaker even went as far as to suggest that Where Do We Go From Here? should be ranked among the worst films ever made. He might be right. Even now, the film retains a strong following, with its fans often citing it as the masterpiece that it is. It is even considered to be a cult classic.
A Closer Look At Pattinson’s Costume And Make Up
Pattinson had already established himself as a talented actor when he decided to take on the mantle of the superhero, Deadman. The role of the crusading superhero, whose strength and invulnerability are the result of a rare inherited gene, called the Raging Hernia, required Pattinson to undergo a major costume change. For five months, he wore a prosthetic body suit that was so restrictive that it left him feeling suffocated. As a result of the strenuous exercise and diet required for the shoot, he gained a great deal of weight. During the Comic-Con panel for The Deadman Files, a graphic novel based on the character, he stated that he weighed 290 pounds when he began the shoot, and by the end of it, he tipped the scales at more than 400 pounds.
Aside from the weight gain, the biggest change that Pattinson had to make was to his face. One of the distinguishing features of Deadman is that he does not wear a mask, and to play the role, Pattinson had to develop a new look for the character. While there are no official spoilers regarding the plot of The Deadman Files, the actor did share information regarding the changes that he had to make to his body, including losing 25 pounds, to prepare for the role. In his own words: “I had to get down to 175 pounds, which was pretty hard. I was putting on weight just to be able to play the part. I remember having a huge fight with the wardrobe department. They felt that I was going overboard with the weight loss. And then I had to do push-ups at the premiere, because the suit was so tight that my arms were hurting. So I did push-ups for five minutes, and then they let me go. I couldn’t wear the suit all day long.”
While it’s no secret that comic books can be a vehicle for self-expression, and that their characters often serve as a mirror, so to speak, for the creators themselves, it’s not often that the costumes and make up for a comic book production are such an integral part of the story. When it comes to promoting the final game in the Batman series, it seems that director Matt Reeves wanted to go the extra mile, and he gave an insight into how this came about. He stated that since the inception of the project, he and co-writer Doug Clemmer, have been trying to find a way to incorporate as many references to previous films and TV shows as possible without being too literal. One way that they did this was by having the Riddler, an infamous comic book villain, use an Apple Macbook as a visual aid during a scene where he is rapping. While it’s not unprecedented to see technology used in comics, it’s still unusual to see it played such a pivotal role in the story. In this case, perhaps, Apple, as well as Microsoft and Google, are truly changing the game.
Even more interesting is that while many actors go into comic book roles seeking fame and fortune, Reeves said that he did not really see this as a possible outcome of his work. He explained, “I think for both of us, when we started working on this, we never really imagined that it’d be possible. When you’re writing a screenplay, you’re imagining it as a movie. And then you’re doing casting, and you’re imagining who would be interested in the part. So it’s not a case of, ‘Oh my God, I’ll be in a Marvel movie,’ or ‘I’ll be in a DC movie.’ It just happened. I think for both of us, it was more of a feeling of gratitude, I suppose, that we got to do what we love and be involved in something that we’re passionate about, and that there are people who appreciate it.”
The Future Of Pattinson’s Career
At this point, it’s fair to say that Pattinson is one of the most in-demand men in Hollywood. He has starred alongside some of the biggest names in film and currently has several major projects due to hit screens over the next couple of years. It seems that he is determined to prove himself as an action star, and it will be interesting to see how he manages to do so. With roles in comic book films and TV shows becoming increasingly scarce, it will be interesting to see what happens to his image as a stoner in the coming years. It would not be surprising to see him branch out into other projects, such as a musical or a novel, where his talents could be better utilized.