Robert Pattinson Reflects on Twilight, Harry Potter Fame Amid Batman Casting

Robert Pattinson opens up about Twilight and Harry Potter fame and how life has changed since being cast as Bruce Wayne in The Batman.

By Vannessa Jackson Nov 20, 2019 7:57 PMTags
Watch: Why Robert Pattinson No Longer Hates "Twilight"

Its been a long journey. 

Robert Pattinson may have put his vampire days long behind him, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten how much of an impact his earlier roles have had on his career. The actor sat down with Kristien Gijbels for the podcast HFPA In Conversation and shared how his earlier roles in films like Twilight and Harry Potter have impacted him since news of his The Batman casting leaked

"It's funny because the secrecy of things is taken very seriously," Robert shared about finding out the news was leaked on his way to Cannes. "I just thought they'd all have thought I did it, but I can't even get people to come to dinner with me, let alone be able to leak stuff to the press. I don't even know my pin number." 

The news also leaked at an inopportune time for the star. He was busy promoting his film The Lighthouse.

Watch
Robert Pattinson Admits "Twilight" Shaped His Acting Career

"It was weird as well because everyone just assumed it was true, and it wasn't true at the time," he shared. "It's also annoying as well, because Lighthouse is this little movie, and you kind of don't want to piss everyone off where they organize this whole press tour and then everyone asks you about something else...It was quite stressful."

Robert is an A-list star with numerous big budget films under his belt, but when HFPA first sat down with the actor many moons ago, it was while he was doing press for Harry Potter. That might have been a lot of pressure for any actor, but Robert admits he wasn't fearful of the situation at all. 

"It was a really nice environment on Harry Potter," he shared. "Even compared to movies I've done since, it was very protective. The way the kids were treated...In Harry Potter they were at school and they were kind of doing work at the same time...It felt like a very friendly family environment." 

Watch: Why Robert Pattinson Was Hesitant to Play Edward Cullen

The star recalled a fond memory on one of his first press tours. "It was amazing. Especially during that press tour," he shared. "I remember going to Tokyo for the first time, and sitting in my room looking out over the city and being like, 'How has this happened?' I really like that movie...I wouldn't be acting if it wasn't for that."

As history unfolded, just a few short years later Robert was starring in his own franchise. A little movie called Twilight. The star recalled the audition process for the film and how it changed his entire career trajectory. "I had gone to LA because I had been just sending tapes in London," he shared. "I didn't even have my own fancy video camera. I would use my parent's old Sony handy-cam from the early '90s...I sent tons and never got anything." 

Little did he know his big break was right around the corner. "It was the scene when [Edward] had a guitar...my agent was like, 'take your guitar into the audition,'" he shared. "I just walked in and they were like, 'Oh. You brought a guitar. Do you want to play us a song,' and I was like, 'No. This is the worst decision I ever made.' I was saying no and they were like, 'You just brought a guitar into just to hold it? Why did you bring a guitar in?' My entire confidence just s--t the bed. The audition was one of the worst auditions I did in my whole life. I remember calling my parents and saying, 'I'm done, I can't torture myself anymore,' and the next day I got a Twilight audition."

Now with his turn as Bruce Wayne in The Batman, you could definitely say the rest is history! 

Don't miss E!'s Harry Potter marathon this weekend starting 2:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday! You can also watch online here.