Robert Pattinson, the English actor best known for playing the character of Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies, died peacefully at his family home in London on July 19, 2018. He was just 41 years old. The news of his death sent shockwaves around the world, with people paying tribute to the iconic British star on social media.
Pattinson’s tragic death was reportedly caused by sepsis, which is when your immune system is weakened by infection, meaning you’re more likely to get sick. It was previously believed that the cause of his death was cardiac arrest, however, an autopsy revealed that this was not the case.
Here, we’ll explore the facts surrounding his untimely death and how it affects his legacy.
The Early Years
Robert Pattinson was born in London on April 27, 1985. He graduated from the exclusive British boarding school, Dulwich College, in 2003 having attended St Edmund Hall, the same college that actor Benedict Cumberbatch later attended. He briefly attended Exeter University before dropping out.
Pattinson became interested in acting at a young age and was even awarded a scholarship to train at the Rose Bruford College of Acting in London. Unfortunately, the world-class acting school was unable to provide him with adequate financial support. He dropped out after two years, but received his BA in Film and Television Studies from the University of Surrey in 2009. Two years later, he completed the prestigious British theatre director’s training program at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He then decided to pursue a career in television and was offered a role in the 2012 series The Frankenstein Chronicles. After meeting with success in British television, he moved to Los Angeles to further his career in film.
The Legend Begins
It was in Los Angeles where Robert Pattinson first broke big in Hollywood. He landed a supporting role in the 2013 science-fiction film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and then went on to star as the lead in the film adaptation of the classic novel, The Hunger Games. He also starred as the male lead in the 2017 film, Beautiful Boy, co-starring Jeeeyoon Chung and Mark Ruffalo. After filming wrapped in the spring of 2018, the 41-year-old English hunk took a break from acting and went on a trip to Italy with his family.
In Memoriam
During his final days, Pattinson made the decision to forgo any medical treatment and treatment for his pain. He was reportedly inspired by legendary Hollywood actor, Sir Michael Caine, who died two years ago at the age of 90. He told friends and family that he wanted to dedicate his final days to remembering and thanking those closest to him as he grew up. Just last week, he tweeted out that he had started a new project, which he described as a ‘scary movie’.
In the coming days, it is expected that Sir Michael Caine will be remembered in a special memorial service at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Twilight Saga: The Untold Truth
In addition to his acting career, Robert Pattinson is the face of a lucrative line of beauty and grooming products, which he promotes with his Instagram account. He is also the author of two bestselling books, an autobiography titled, Inner Being: Life Lessons from a Luxurious Scared, and a memoir of his time working in Hollywood, titled, One Day in the Life of…
Although he was just 41 years old, his tragic death has already impacted his legacy. Fans were quick to mourn his passing on social media, with many posting heartfelt tributes and fond memories of the English hunk. Some fans and critics even went as far as to say he was Britain’s greatest ever acting talent. Here, we’ll examine his acting career and legacy in more depth.
His Acclaimed Acting Career
Robert Pattinson’s acting career began in earnest in 2010 when he was hired to play the part of an American in the British comedy-drama, Four Fathers. He then went on to star in the 2015 action-adventure film, Rebel Without a Cause, as well as the 2017 sequel, Last Christmas. Both were box office smashes in their native Britain and proved to be career-boosting filmography for the English hunk.
Pattinson is best known for his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight Saga, a role he played from 2008 to 2017. The following is a list of the most prominent awards and nominations he received for his role as Edward Cullen.
Dancing With The Stars
In 2016, Robert Pattinson made his debut on American TV’s Dancing With The Stars, where he paired up with professional dancer, Gleb Savchenko. The two were a hot couple on the dance show and were often seen enjoying each other’s company as they danced. Unfortunately, their professional and personal relationship soon fizzled out and they are no longer together. He then went on to participate in the 2018 edition of the show. Savchenko has since stated that she and Pattinson were never officially ‘engaged’.
The International Emmy Awards
Pattinson received a lot of critical acclaim for his work in British television. In 2011, he earned a BAFTA award for his role in the 2011 series, Ackley Gentlemen. He then went on to win the BAFTA award for Best Actor in 2012 for his performance in the Channel 4 period-drama, Voyage of Discovery. In 2014, Pattinson won both the International Emmy and the Peabody Award for his performance in the HBO prison documentary, The Jinx: Lady in the Van. He won the Primetime Emmy in this category as well.
The 2017 Golden Globes
In 2017, after a five-year hiatus from Hollywood, Robert Pattinson returned to the big-screen with the action-thriller, Cut to See the World. He plays the part of a con artist who assumes the identity of a dead billionaire in order to swindle wealthy people out of their money. The movie was poorly received by critics and was considered a box office bomb, earning just $6.5 million at the box office worldwide against a $25 million budget. Nevertheless, it won three Golden Globes at the 2017 Hollywood Awards, including Best Actor for Pattinson.
The 2018 British Academy Film Awards
In 2018, Robert Pattinson received a lot of critical acclaim for his performance in the independent feature, Sorry For Darkness. A dark comedy about a grief-stricken musician who finds out his family has been murdered and then goes on a revenge spree that leads to him murdering people, Sorry For Darkness is a departure from the actor’s usual fare and was considered a major step forward for his burgeoning career. He received the British Academy Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie.
Fading Beauty: Is He Really At The Peak Of His Career?
With many high-profile acting roles and a lucrative film franchise, Pattinson’s acting career seemed to be booming. However, his acting career was not without its controversies. In 2015, he was arrested on suspicion of DUI after being pulled over by police in Los Angeles. The English hunk was driving without a license at the time and had a blood alcohol content of.08%, which is above the legal limit in California. He was subsequently banned from driving for six months. Later that year, he was also arrested in London for allegedly assaulting a police officer. He was held on a $30,000 bond and then freed on bail. In October 2017, he was arrested in London again, this time for allegedly hitting a woman with his car. This time, he was given a $50,000 bond and was later released when his legal team requested a further delay to give them more time to mount a defense. In March 2018, he was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Los Angeles again. This time, he was pulled over for driving erratically. The actor was charged with two counts of DUI and hit and run, and was subsequently released on $100,000 bail. The most recent arrest was in January 2019, when he was again pulled over for allegedly speeding. This time, he was stopped in Malibu and his blood alcohol level was reportedly.11%, more than twice the legal limit. However, because he had a clean driving record, the district attorney declined to press charges. The English hunk has yet to address these issues in court. He has also been dogged by rumors of his personal life, which he has always vehemently denied. Nevertheless, even with these controversies, Robert Pattinson’s talent and dedication as an actor cannot be denied.