Robert Pattinson: ‘Some Fans Scares Me’

Everywhere he appears, teenage girls start screaming. And he didn’t even bite them. A conversation with teen idol Robert Pattinson, alias the vampire Edward Cullen from Twilight.

It’s been since Leonardo DiCaprio that an actor has been so intensely worshipped as Robert Pattinson. Thousands of girls (an older women) everywhere would love to have Edward bite them – Robert Pattinson in real life, R-Pattz for his fans.

How do you deal with all the media-craziness? There are books about your life-story, and you aren’t even dead yet.

RP: Yes, I saw that there are 7 unauthorized biographies, and they all start at my 20th. I think Im dealing with it as good as possible. The past year, I have been working non-stop so the biggest Twilight craziness passed me by. My life and Twilight, it are 2 separate things. Being famous is a lifestyle, but Im only a foetus in that celebrity-world. Im better at it than in the beginning, but I would hate it if there would be people hanging around my house for the rest of my life. It would drive me crazy. Why do people want a picture of me and them at all costs? I don’t get that. I think of myself as boring.

How different was shooting New Moon in comparison with the first part?

RP: Very different. With the first movie, there were a lot of people all pulling in a different direction. The studio wanted to create a basis for a franchise, because it had already been settled that it would be a trilogy. The bosses thought the movie had to appeal to as much people as possible. Director Catherine Hardwicke had made a lot of independent movies and she sometimes was like an unguided projectile, she had so much energy. Kristen and I had our own ideas about the characters and we both are rather stubborn.

But the mega success of the first movie has made everyone more calm. We are less insecure. The studio bosses know that we are going to make the right decisions. We also have Chris Weitz as the new director. He’s very calm and got everyone ready very fast. We have all worked so hard.

Have you seen New Moon a few times yet?

RP: Once. I still think it’s a torture to see myself on the big screen. But this time it wasn’t a punishment. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it. That hadn’t happened since the beginning of my career.

Don’t you think it’s frightening to see how obsessed some fans are?

RP: Definitely. When the Twilight hype broke out, I sometimes had visions of my getting stabbed by a crazy fan. Those crowds at premieres… Im not at ease. When we were shooting New Moon in Vancouver, some fans would be out there for 3 days in a row, good or bad weather. At times like that, your instinct tells you: that is a weirdo and your imagination runs wild. But mostly it’s not so bad when you go and talk to that person.

Twilight is just my job, but for a fan, it’s something they desperately want to be a part of. Is that wrong? Im not so sure anymore. A fan is a fan, that’s all. It just takes a while before you get used to the fact that what you do, gets appreciated by people.

Have you ever been a fan of someone?

When I first saw ‘One flew over the cuckoo’s nest’, I was 16 and that movie has influenced me so much. I even started to dress like Jack Nicholson. That period lasted for a long time. I also had a thing for Patricia Arquette. But I don’t think that any of that has influenced my work. (laugh)

In New Moon, the young Taylor Lautner plays a wolf, Jacob. What did you think when you saw his muscles?

RP: That I needed to hit the gym stat. (laugh) No, I think it’s ok. It’s funny: for some reason, when you’re an actor in a teen movie, they expect you to have a six pack. So when I see a guy that meets every expectation of a teenage girl, I do get a complex yeah. Actually, that was perfect to get into my role. I now know the feeling of having to prove myself against someone younger than me.

You have a great connection with Kristen, that isn’t a secret. But in this movie, there’s also a lot of chemistry between her and Taylor. Were you jealous?

RP: No. In New Moon, we only have like 3 scenes with the three of us. I barely had the chance to be jealous. When I had to work, Taylor wasn’t around because Bella and Jacobs story line was developing without me. In Eclipse, the third movie, which we wrapped a while ago, it’s totally different. There’s a lot more interaction between the characters. Taylor and I were teasing each other the whole time.

This time, Taylor is the leading man. Does that take some pressure off your shoulders?

RP: Asolutely. I keep on saying this is Taylors movie. Im not the lead role. He’s fully responsible and that’s a win-win situation. If it’s a flop, I can always say that it’s because Im in it less. (laugh)

What’s next on your agenda?

RP: It has been a weird year. I have been working non-stop, with 4 days off at the most. First there was New Moon, then Eclipse. I was pretty relieved when we could wrap at the end of October. I finally got to sleep in. But we didn’t get much rest, with the promo tour for New Moon coming up. In February I will go to Budapest to shoot Bel Ami. Not with Nicole Kidman, as reported first. I can’t say who it is yet. Ive also signed on for Unbound Captives, a romantic drama with Rachel Weise. But chances are that before all that, Im expected on the set of the forth Twilight movie.

Megan Fox is the most beautiful woman in the world and she said that title has made her shy. What do you think of the fact that some magazines call you the most sexy man on the planet?

RP: God, I don’t even think I’m a real man yet (laugh)

Source: Nieuwsblad