Robert Pattison: From wizards to vampires

Finally, just one more day. After months of gaining attention and promotional momentum, the movie Twilight will open tomorrow to what is, frankly, mass hysteria. Teen and tween girls who idolize lead actor Robert Pattinson have stood hours in line at Hot Topic stores across the country waiting for a glimpse of him. Best known for his role as Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter series, this time Pattinson portrays Edward, a vampire who falls in love with a human girl named Bella (Kristen Stewart). Finally, The Muse had a chance to pose some questions to the young British actor via conference call, and we discovered that behind the fame (claimed to be greater than even Zac Efron’s, by Perez Hilton), Pattinson is just a down-to-earth guy with definite talent and a knack for success.

The Muse: What specific aspects of Edward’s character did Stephanie Meyer (the author of the series) help you out with?

RP: When I was looking at the character, at the base facts of the character, and how he became a vampire and the situation he has to live in now, I just couldn’t understand how he could be anything other than a complete manic depressive and why he would appreciate anything at all that he has in his life. He apparently appreciates his clothes and this car, and blah blah blah . . . and I was just questioning: why would he care about anything? And she kind of said that he would. I can’t remember the actual details of the conversations, but she’s basically saying he’s a happier guy, he’s just naturally happier than how I wanted to play him. So I had to take her word for it. And also, Catherine Hardwicke wanted me to play it lighter as well.

The Muse: As a 22 year old, you’re playing a guy who looks like he’s 17, but is actually over a hundred years old. How does the aspect of age play into your portrayal of Edward?

RP: Well, in the book sometimes he talks like a 108-year-old, sometimes he talks like a young guy and that can be kind of confusing. I kind of tried to think of it as he is a 108-year-old in a 17-year-old’s body, but every part of his body has frozen, so his mind hasn’t developed or anything. So you keep seeing back all your experiences through the eyes of a 17-year-old, because the world will see you as a 17-year-old so you’re always gonna be treated like one, so you don’t really mature that much. I mean, it’s a very complicated thing. I was trying to figure out a consistent way of saying it, but it’s quite difficult because I suppose there’s kind of an ‘old world’ element to the character as well.

The Muse: In your opinion, does Edward and Bella’s relationship have any root in reality? If so, have you learned anything from Edward?

RP: I mean, I definitely tried to think about it-like why the relationship would work in reality’hellip;the way I thought about it is very simple. It’s a guy who has nothing going for him. He denies his base instincts, he’s living in this kind of poetry where all he wants to do is be human again or die, and then he meets this girl who makes him feel alive again and gives him a reason to live. And he can’t use his powers on her, which up until now he thought were his curse. And his powers, which are his curse, aren’t even adequate to protect this girl, which he needs in his life. Also after that fact, a hundred or 80 years of loneliness and isolation, and it’s very obvious where his desperate love, need for her comes from. Kristen would be able to answer that better than I could.