The Evolution of Robert Pattinson, From Sparkly Vampire to Batman
More than a decade ago, Robert Pattinson’s face was plastered on the walls of millions of teenage girls lusting over the sparkly 100-year-old vampire he played in the goth chic romance series The Twilight Saga. Back then, Pattinson was the poster boy for teen romance films with his signature smirk and greasy hair.
Critics of Twihards, the community that propelled the world of “fandoms,” were quick to say he’d only have 15 minutes of fame before he disappeared like other one-hit wonders. What they didn’t expect was an enduring career in film with a portfolio that would rival other seasoned actors.
After Twilight, Pattinson consciously tried to build his resume with more serious films like the historical drama Water For Elephants (starring Reese Witherspoon and Christopher Waltz) and Queen of the Desert (with Nicole Kidman and Damian Lewis). Then he chose to step out of the spotlight and away from Hollywood by working on lesser-known films that showed off his acting chops like The Lost City of Z, Damsel, and High Life, consistently churning stellar work that got little attention but earned him the respect of critics.
Then 2019 came, which saw the release of Oscar-nominated film The Lighthouse and Netflix’s The King, both of which brought Pattinson back on the public radar. And now the actor will star in the highly anticipated film The Batman, which will mark the star’s return to mainstream cinema.
Somehow, Pattinson managed to transform his career from teen heartthrob to distinguished actor, all while keeping his face away from the cameras that were only more attracted to his dislike for attention. A star who hates the spotlight, Pattinson’s branding is now focused on keeping him as far away from the teen vampire role that gave him his fame. And it’s working.
