Robert Pattinson is one of the most well-known faces in Hollywood due to his role as the romantic lead in the Harry Potter films. While the British actor has appeared in several big-budgeted blockbusters, he will be remembered most for his work on the ground-breaking series of films based on the bestselling book series ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’.
Pattinson was born in London, England on June 23rd, 1986 and is of Scottish and German descent. His mother is named Marjorie and she hails from Scotland, while his father is named Paul and he is of German descent. He studied performing arts at the prestigious London Arts School and then began working as an actor, appearing in several short films before being offered a role in a play titled “Gnomeo and Juliet” at the London theaters. A few months later, he was cast as Harry Potter in the fantasy film series based on J.K. Rowling’s best-selling book series.
Pattinson didn’t immediately find fame and fortune, however. He had to wait until he was 24 years old to star in his first big-budgeted film, “Water for Elephants”. Despite its limited release, the film went on to become a box-office hit and received widespread acclaim, with many critics claiming it was one of the best films of 2012. He followed this up with another award-winning performance in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1”, the first installment in the four-part blockbuster ‘The Twilight Saga’ and its spin-off “New Moon”. Both films featured prominently in the annual top ten lists for 2012 and 2013.
Pattinson’s Early Career
Pattinson was cast in several of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight-related films before being given an opportunity to direct a short film titled “Maiden’s Blush”, which was featured in the 2012 anthology film “Twilight Saga”. He also wrote and directed a music video for the band Mettle, in which he stars as the lead male character alongside singer Elizabeth Mitchell. The track is named “Blackbird” and it’s featured on the group’s début album, “Mettle”, which was released in 2012.
His first major acting role was in the psychological thriller film “The Falling”, which was released in 2014 and stars Emma Watson, Olivia Munn and Lena Olin. That same year, he played Richard Nixon in the biopic “Impeachment: The President v. The People” and King George in the epic historical drama “The King’. Both films were released to critical and commercial success.
The Narnia Films
Pattinson played a significant role in the 2011 fantasy film “Prince of Persia: Sands of Time”, which was the first of The Chronicles of Narnia films to be released. Directed by Mike Newell, it’s the second installment in the series and stars Scott Adkins as the eponymous Prince of Persia. In the film, the Prince of Persia must travel to ancient Persia to find the legendary dagger with which he can free his people from the tyranny of the Caliphate. The movie went on to become the third most popular film of the year, behind only Harry Potter and Snow White and the Huntsman and Toy Story 3.
Pattinson then portrayed Peter Pan in “Pan: Part One”, the first of two films based on the ‘Peter Pan’ character. It was released in 2014 and starred Tom Holland as Peter Pan and was directed by Joe Johnston. Critics praised Pattinson’s acting, calling him “a born leader”, “brave and resourceful” and “commanding”. Despite critical acclaim, it failed to make a profit at the box office.
Pattinson’s Future
Pattinson’s biggest upcoming project is the fifth installment of The Twilight Saga, titled “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”. It is set for release on Aug. 30, 2017.
He is also set to star in the upcoming biographical films “My Bonny”, about late American comedian and actor Billy Connolly, and “The Kingmaker”, a historical drama about the founding of the first modern Olympic games in 1896 in Atlanta, Georgia.
With his busy schedule, it’s no wonder that Pattinson still finds time to enjoy what he does. When asked about his work process in a recent interview, he responded: “I think it just depends on what works for me and what is meaningful to me. Sometimes it can be very meditative, getting into a good mood, going for a walk or riding a bike. On other occasions, I need to be really busy, working through problems and taking action! I love what I do and I never feel like I’ve had enough. It’s more than enough for me to just be happy that I get to do this work. Whatever is meaningful to me is what I look for.”