It has been over a year since the release of Pattinson, now known as Apple Tree, and while the movie itself isn’t bad, it wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire.
The Twilight saga continues to loom over the actor’s career, and while his next three movies, the fantasy-romance Beauty and the Beast, the comedy-drama Goodbye Christopher Robin, and the children’s fantasy Peter Rabbit, appear to be light-years away from Twilight’s dark shadow, it’s hard to imagine that Robert Pattinson will ever be considered for stardom again.
How does he smoke a cigarette?
It turns out that, like most famous men, Robert Pattinson has his own signature smell he uses to scent his cigarettes. One whiff of any of these and you’ll be reminded of the exact moment you smelled him the first time.
There’s something about him that makes you want to take a deeper whiff. Maybe it’s his charming dimples when he smiles, or that infectious laugh that makes you want to laugh along with him. Whatever it is, you’ll find yourself suddenly longing to inhale the heady scent of tobacco and spice.
But while most people will remember Pattinson for his acting, it turns out that behind the scenes, he’s been creating some of the most unique and creative promotional materials of this decade.
Take a look and find out how Robert Pattinson smokes a cigarette.
Pattinson’s Signature Smell
Pattinson has become famous for covering himself in tattoos and for the distinctive musk that accompanies all of them. When he first started seeking attention with Twilight, many assumed that he had suffered from depression, which led him to cover his body in ink. While this may have been true at one point, the now 30-year-old actor says he got the ink after he had suffered from severe depression. He revealed the full story during an interview with Paudie Barr, saying:
“I had sort of given up on life,” he explained. “I wasn’t going to school. I wasn’t doing anything. And then this guy I worked with at the time, he was like, ‘You know what? Let’s do something about it. Let’s get some ink done. You can’t be walking around covered in tattoos all the time. Let’s do something about it.’ So we went into his basement and he gave me a tattoo gun. I hadn’t used one in a really long time. I was like, ‘All right, I guess this is what we’re doing.'”
Barr asked if he got the tattoos because he felt like he was missing out or if it was to mark some sort of spiritual renewal, and Pattinson replied:
“Well, it wasn’t something I planned. I didn’t know what was going to happen with the movie or anything like that. But it’s been incredible. It’s actually brought a lot of attention to mental health, and not just in terms of, you know, the stigma that surrounds it. A lot of people who’ve been through similar things to me have messaged me on social media or come up to me and said it was eye-opening to them how much pain I was in as a result of my depression. So I think it’s been really positive in that way.”
The tattoos aren’t the only thing that lend him a unique identity. The scent that accompanies all of them is something that he created himself. While he often wears sweaters and hoodies to cover up his ink, the musk that emanates from his body is something that you’ll find hard to forget.
When asked if he could go on record as to say what fragrance he is wearing, Pattinson replied:
“I’m wearing, like, a cologne that my friend designed for me. I can’t really give it out too much information because we’re not quite sure how other people might react to it, but it puts me in mind of Marlboro Lights when I wear it. It’s nothing too heavy, it’s more of a light scent. It’s not designed to be overpowering. But it is addictive, that’s the only way I can put it. It’s a very subtlety crafted fragrance that I don’t want to overdo it with, you know.”
The addictive quality of the scent is something that Pattinson’s fans have noticed. In an interview last year with Vogue, Nan Goldin of TikTok commented:
“If you’ve never tried it, you should,” she said. “It’s a beautiful thing when an actor can bring something so personal to their work. I love seeing how he has used his platform to shine a light on an issue that isn’t usually talked about.”
While most people think of tattoos when it comes to Robert Pattinson, the truth is that they’re simply a part of who he is. In an interview with Nan Goldin, he discussed the importance of the ink and how he got the idea for it:
“I think it was when I was about 16,” he said. “I was in my parents’ house and I opened up my dad’s old suitcase, which I think he’d forgotten about, and there were all these old dried-out paint stain splatters from when he was a kid. And it was then that I realized, ‘Oh, these could make good artwork.’ So I started doing them. It was really fun at first. Then it sort of morphed into this thing where I couldn’t stop myself, where I would do anything to ink myself. It sort of became this thing that I liked that was sort of connecting me to this time in my history that I didn’t really have any memory of. I had a lot of depression and anxiety growing up, so it was a way for me to process those feelings and not feel so alone with them. I like to think of it as my ‘Anchorman’ moment. Like, okay, that’s how I’m doing things now. That’s my signature scent, that’s what I’m wearing, and here’s a list of the tattoos I have on me right now. Kind of like when Ron [Howard] went from being not that interesting of a person to becoming sort of this fascinating character.”
You could put down any number of reasons as to why Robert Pattinson’s unique and creative self-image might be taking the world by storm right now. Perhaps it’s because of the tattooed poster boy image itself. Or perhaps the fact that he has taken this strange route to fame and fortune has opened up a new realm of possibility for him. Wherever the reason, we’re sure to be treated to many more interesting stories and unique visuals as Robert Pattinson continues to blaze a trail throughout 2020.
Pattinson’s Tattoos
If you thought tattoos were weird before, just wait until you see the collection that Robert Pattinson has obtained. The actor has covered nearly every square inch of his body in ink, and while some of the designs are relatively simple (such as the two roses he has on his neck, or the band of text across his chest), others are more complicated (the jaguar he got inked on his right shoulder, or the two tigers on his arm).
As mentioned, one of the central reasons behind many of the designs is to connect to his past and the depression he endured. As a result of these tattoos, he is often referred to as “The Prince Of Darkness” amongst his fans.
Amongst the more interesting pieces of work is the jaguar he got inked on his right shoulder. The meaning behind this design is somewhat mysterious, but it has become a symbol of strength for Pattinson. He even had a tattoo etched with the words “Born to Raise Hell” on his arm in 2018. If you’ve never been a fan of tattoos, these designs might just change your mind.
The Tattoo Process
It’s fascinating to learn about the process behind some of Robert Pattinson’s designs. Take the jaguar for example. As is the case with most of the tattoos he has on display, this design started as a small sketch on his arm. He would then have it inked by a friend, who happened to be a professional tattoo artist. While he usually gets his tattoos done in a day, the jaguar took a bit longer, arriving in its completed form several weeks later.