Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson (born 13 May 1986) is an English actor. Known for starring in both major studio productions and independent films, his works have grossed over $4.6billion worldwide, and he has been ranked among the world's highest-paid actors. In 2010, Time included Pattinson in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and he was also featured in the Forbes Celebrity 100.
Born and raised in London, Pattinson started acting at age thirteen in a London theatre club. He made early screen appearances in supporting roles, including in Vanity Fair (2004), and played Cedric Diggory in the fantasy film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). Pattinson achieved global recognition as Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga film series (2008–2012), which collectively grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide. He also led the romantic dramas Remember Me (2010) and Water for Elephants (2011).
Aside from acting, Pattinson is also a musician and has contributed vocals to several film soundtracks. He is involved in philanthropy, supporting organizations such as the GO Campaign. Pattinson began modelling as a child and has served as the face of Dior Homme fragrance since 2013. His sex appeal is widely discussed in the media, and he is frequently called one of the most attractive actors, having been included on People's "Sexiest Men Alive" list in 2008 and 2009.
Early life
Barnes, where Pattinson was born and raised
Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson[1][2] was born in the Barnes district of London, England, on 13 May 1986.[3][4][5] His father, Richard, owned a business importing vehicles from the United States, while his mother, Clare, worked at a modelling agency. The couple met through a mutual family friend in the Richmond Hill area and married when Clare was twenty-six and Richard was thirty-five.[6] Pattinson has two older sisters, Victoria and Elizabeth.[7][8] At the age of four, Pattinson began attending Tower House Boys' Preparatory School and developed an interest in playing piano and guitar.[9] By the age of six, Pattinson was participating in amateur performances. He secured his first role in a play titled Spell for a Rhyme, written by one of his teachers, and later appeared in his school's adaptation of William Golding's Lord of the Flies.[9]
Pattinson started delivering newspapers at the age of ten, receiving around £10 (equivalent to £24in 2023) weekly. As a child Pattinson was untidy, displayed a "blatant refusal to [do his] homework" and exhibited a "lackadaisical" attitude.[10] Pattinson's sisters often dressed him as a female persona they named Claudia.[11][12] In his free time, he enjoyed playing football, engaging in computer games and watching television shows like Sharky and George, Doctor Who and Hammerman.[13] When Pattinson was twelve, he was expelled from Tower House for shoplifting pornographic magazines.[14][15] His parents promptly enrolled him at the Harrodian School, located on Lonsdale Road near the family home.[16] Pattinson excelled in English studies, which he described as his favorite subject.[17] As a teenager, Pattinson worked as a photo model for British fashion brands and magazines and as a fashion designer.[18][19][20] In his late teens, Pattinson performed acoustic guitar sets at open mic nights in pubs across London, where he sang his own written songs. He performed either solo under the stage name Bobby Dupea or as part of his band, Bad Girls.[11]
Pattinson initially considered a career in music or studying speechwriting at university but never thought about pursuing acting. A teacher once advised him against joining the school drama club, believing he was not suited for the creative arts.[21][22] At the age of thirteen, Pattinson joined the Barnes Theatre Company, a local amateur theater group, after his father encouraged him to participate to help overcome his shyness.[23][17] After working backstage, he auditioned for the play Guys and Dolls and secured his first role as a Cuban dancer with no lines.[24][25] In the following production, Our Town, he played the lead role of George Gibbs.[26] During this performance, a talent agent in the audience noticed him, leading Pattinson to begin pursuing professional acting opportunities.[27] He went on to appear in stage productions such as Macbeth, Anything Goes and Tess of the d'Urbervilles.[28] Pattinson initially intended to attend university, but filming for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire conflicted with his schedule.[29] Around this time, he shared a flat in Soho with his childhood friend and fellow actor Tom Sturridge.[30]
In 2005, Pattinson was cast as Cedric Diggory in the fantasy film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, directed by Mike Newell.[35][36] According to Newell, "Cedric exemplifie[d] all that you would expect the Hogwarts champion to be. Robert[...] was born to play the role; he's quintessentially English with chiselled public schoolboy good looks".[37] Pattinson learned to scuba dive in preparation for his role as Cedric Diggory.[38] For his performance, he was named the 2005 "British Star of Tomorrow" by The Times[39] and was also referred to as "the next Jude Law".[40][41] The film grossed nearly $897million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2005.[42][43] In 2006, Pattinson starred in Chris Durlacher's The Haunted Airman, a psychological thriller that aired on BBC Four on 31 October.[44] He played a World War II pilot who is shot, left paralyzed and suffers from severe shell shock, eventually descending into madness.[45] Pattinson himself described the role as his "best acting experience".[45] His performance received positive reviews, with The Stage saying that he portrayed "the airman of the title with a perfect combination of youthful terror and world-weary cynicism".[46]
Pattinson appeared in a supporting role in the 2007 film The Bad Mother's Handbook, a one-off television drama adapted from a novel by Kate Long. In the film, Robert portrayed Daniel Gale, a shy young man who develops feelings for Charlotte, a girl struggling with issues after being dumped by her boyfriend and experiencing difficulties with her mother.[47]
2008–2013: The Twilight Saga and worldwide recognition
In 2008, Pattinson played his first leading role as Art in the film How to Be, directed by Oliver Irving.[48][49] In the film, Art, who, after being dumped by his girlfriend, moves back in with his parents and convinces a Canadian self-help guru to relocate to London to help him rebuild his life. Irving recalled Pattinson's audition, saying, "Robert walked in[,]forgot his lines and just started improvising, which was exactly what I wanted [...] he's a really down-to-earth guy".[50] Pattinson himself enjoyed filming the movie, stating that he "loved the script" and found it "very different from everything else [he] had read".[50] That same year, Pattinson portrayed Salvador Dalí in Little Ashes (2008).[51] He was originally considered for the role of Federico García Lorca, Dalí's lover,[51] but the part ultimately went to Javier Beltrán.[52] The film mostly received negative reviews; the Toronto Star's Greg Quill stated that "even cinematographer Adam Suschitzky's richly textured and resonantly toned cityscapes and rural scenes can't make up for a flawed script and weak performances in what might have been a powerful historical drama".[53]
In 2008, Pattinson starred alongside Kristen Stewart as Edward Cullen in the romantic fantasy Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer's 2005 novel of the same name.[54][55][56] Approximately three thousand men submitted resumes for the role of Cullen, many of whom auditioned. Director Catherine Hardwicke said that Pattinson had "everything [they] needed [...] that angular face and kind of mysterious Edward aura".[57] According to Pattinson, his performance in the film was largely influenced by that of Stewart's.[58] He adopted an American accent for the role and began wearing contact lenses.[59] In the film, Bella, portrayed by Stewart, faces danger from James, a vampire determined to kill her and drink her blood, leading Cullen—Bella's lover—to become embroiled in a battle with James.[60] While the film received mixed reviews, critics widely praised his chemistry with Stewart. The New York Times's Manohla Dargis described Pattinson as a "capable and exotically beautiful" actor,[61] while Roger Ebert beliving that he was "well-chosen" for the role.[62]
Pattinson presented at the 81st Academy Awards in February 2009; he was initially set to appear with Stewart, who declined.[63] He played Richard in Daisy Gili's film The Summer House (2009). The story follows Richard, Jane's (played by Talulah Riley) ex-boyfriend, as he travels to France to try to win back her love after cheating on her.[50][64] The short film was later re-released as part of an anthology titled Love & Distrust (2010), which features five short films exploring the lives of eight individuals from different backgrounds on their journey to find contentment.[65]Revolver Entertainment released Robsessed (2009), a documentary about Pattinson's life and rise to fame.[66] Pattinson reprised his role as Cullen in the Twilight sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which was released in November 2009.[67][68] The film grossed a record-breaking $142.8million in its opening weekend and earned a total of $711million worldwide, making it the seventh highest-grossing film of 2009.[69][70][71] Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic mentioned that "Pattinson's actually not in the film that much, but he does his best when he's around",[72] while The Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan praised his acting as "uniformly strong".[73] The film earned Pattinson three MTV Movie Awards at the 2010 ceremony.[74]
In May 2014, two of Pattinson's films debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.[99] Pattinson starred in David Michôd's futuristic western The Rover, alongside Guy Pearce and Scoot McNairy.[100] He travelled to Australia to portray the role of Rey, spending seven weeks filming. Set in the Outback a decade after an economic collapse, Pattinson's character is a young, naive American man who is abandoned by his brother following a failed robbery.[101] Pattinson earned critical acclaim for his performance; Variety's Scott Foundas praised Pattinson's "career re-defining performance", as well as his convincing Southern accent and "understated dignity" in a role that could have been overly sentimental.[102]Todd McCarthy, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, wrote that "Pattinson delivers a performance that, despite the character's own limitations, becomes more interesting as the film moves along".[103] Next, Pattinson reunited with David Cronenberg for the satirical drama Maps to the Stars.[104][105] He portrayed Jerome Fontana, a struggling limousine driver and actor who aspires to be a screenwriter.[106] Cronenberg thought casting Pattinson was an "easy decision to make", praising him as "extremely inventive".[107] The film was positively received by critics; Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph described Pattinson's performance as "winningly played".[108]
In January 2015, Pattinson flew to Morocco for Werner Herzog's biographical film Queen of the Desert, an adaptation of Gertrude Bell's life story, starring alongside Nicole Kidman and James Franco.[109][110] Pattinson portrayed T. E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia.[111] Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent described his performance as "comic and a very long way removed from Peter O'Toole", stating that Pattinson played Lawrence as "a sharp-tongued, sardonic figure who can see through the pretensions of his bosses and colleagues".[112] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called Pattinson's role "brief but significant" and highlighted the "easy camaraderie in his scenes with Kidman".[113] He next starred in Anton Corbijn's biographical drama Life (2015), based on the life of actor James Dean.[114][109] Set in the 1950s, Pattinson played Dennis Stock, a photographer who became friends with Dean after travelling with him through Los Angeles, Indiana and New York.[115] Guy Lodge of Variety called his performance a "sly turn",[116] while David Rooney, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, thought that Pattinson "[gave] arguably the most fully rounded performance".[117]
In late 2015, Pattinson starred in The Childhood of a Leader, the directorial debut of Brady Corbet, alongside Bérénice Bejo and Stacy Martin.[118][119] Pattinson took on dual roles in the film, first as Charles Marker, a reporter in Germany during World War I, and later as the adult version of the leader.[120][121] His performance garnered critical acclaim, with Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian describing it as "elegant"[122] and Screen International's Lee Marshall praising the role as "excellent".[123] In 2016, Pattinson appeared in Plan B Entertainment's The Lost City of Z, directed by James Gray.[124][125] The film premiered in August 2016 at the New York Film Festival.[126][127] Pattinson had been cast as British explorer Corporal Henry Costin in November 2013.[128] Set in the 1920s, the film follows British surveyor Percy Fawcett, who disappears in the Amazon rainforest while searching for a mythical city.[129] For the role, Pattinson grew a thick beard and lost nearly 35 pounds (16kg).[130] Though the film was a box-office bomb,[131] Pattinson received critical acclaim for his performance. Us Weekly writer Mara Reinstein thought that Pattinson's performance in the film was "compelling",[132] while The Guardian thought that Pattinson was "considerably more interesting to watch", finding that the viewer may find themselves "wishing that his character, rather than the dashing but dull Fawcett, was the focus of the film".[133]
Pattinson next starred in the Safdie brothers' neo-exploitation thriller Good Time (2017) as Connie Nikas, a bank robber navigating the criminal underworld of Queens, New York.[134][135] Premiering in competition at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival,[136] Pattinson's performance was described as a "career peak" by Variety's Guy Lodge[137] and his "career-best" by Eric Kohn from IndieWire.[138] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter compared Pattinson's portrayal to Al Pacino's performance as Sonny Wortzik in Dog Day Afternoon (1975), ultimately describing it as "his most commanding performance to date".[139] For his role, Pattinson earned his first Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead.[140] While promoting Good Time, Pattinson wrote and starred in a short film for GQ titled Fear & Shame. Filmed on the streets of New York and playing himself, the piece follows Pattinson as he navigates the city's bustling environment, attempting to buy a hot dog while evading the media and fans.[141][142]
The Zellner Brothers' western-comedy Damsel (2018) marked Pattinson's return to comedy for the first time since his 2008 film How to Be.[143][144] He portrayed Samuel Alabaster, an eccentric cowboy embarking on a journey west in search of his kidnapped fiancée.[145] His performance received positive reviews, with Dana Schwartz from Entertainment Weekly describing it as "so delightfully unhinged that it harkens back Jake Gyllenhaal in Okja".[146] Pattinson's second and final film of 2018 was Claire Denis's sci-fi drama High Life, set in space and centred on a group of criminals sent on a mission toward a black hole.[147][148] Denis initially considered Philip Seymour Hoffman for the lead role, but after recognizing Pattinson's dedication and enthusiasm to collaborate, she cast him instead.[149] Pattinson played Monte, a reluctant father who raises his daughter alone as their spaceship continues its journey into deep space.[150][151] The film received critical acclaim, with Screen International's Allen Hunter praising Pattinson as the most "dominant" and "engaging" presence in the film,[152] while Jason Bailey of The Playlist described it as "another scorching Pattinson performance", praising his compelling portrayal of the character's menace and defiance.[153]
Pattinson starred as Neil, a spy handler in Christopher Nolan's Tenet (2020), alongside John David Washington, marking his return to big-budget films.[172] He based his character's mannerisms on those of author Christopher Hitchens.[173][174] Jessica Kiang of The New York Times labelled him as "delightful" and praised his chemistry with Washington.[172] Pattinson next featured as part of an ensemble cast in The Devil All the Time (2020), a psychological thriller based on the novel by Donald Ray Pollock.[175] The film is set in the 1950s, and Pattinson played a lewd small town preacher named Preston Teagardin.[176] Austin Collin, writing for Rolling Stone, found him "eely, eerie, [and] intriguing",[177] while Owen Gleiberman of Variety praising him for doing "a stylish job".[178] In May 2021, Pattinson signed a first look deal with Warner Bros and HBO for producing and developing projects.[179]
Pattinson portrayed Bruce Wayne / Batman in Matt Reeves's 2022 superhero film The Batman.[180] Following Ben Affleck's departure from the role, Reeves wrote the character with Pattinson in mind after being impressed by his performance in Good Time.[181] The film was a critical and commercial success, though Pattinson's casting initially faced backlash from some Batman fans.[182] However, his portrayal was ultimately praised by critics upon the film's release, with Davis Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter finding him "riveting throughout".[183] In 2023, Pattinson lent his voice to the titular grey heron in the English-language dub of Hayao Miyazaki's Japanese animated film The Boy and the Heron.[184] The film grossed $294.2 million, making it the fifth-highest-grossing Japanese film of all time.[185][186] Under his production company Icki Eneo Arlo, Pattinson produced Sebastián Silva's critically successful film Rotting in the Sun (2023).[187]
In 2025, Pattinson starred in Bong Joon-ho's science fiction film Mickey 17, an adaptation of the novel Mickey7 (2022).[188] He portrayed Mickey Barnes, a disposable crew member on a space mission who is assigned perilous tasks, as he can be regenerated upon death while retaining most of his memories.[189][190] The film received mostly positive reviews, with most of the focus on Pattinson's performance as dual versions of the same character. In his review for Indiewire, David Ehrlich described it as "two of the best performances of his life here".[191] Pattinson is next set to appear alongside Zendaya in the romantic drama The Drama,[192] and with Jennifer Lawrence in the thriller Die, My Love.[193] He will produce and star as a crime investigating journalist in Primetime.[194] He will also reunite with Nolan for the epic film The Odyssey.[195]
Pattinson began modelling at age twelve and continued for about four years.[196] In a December 2008 interview with Closer, he blamed the lack of modelling work on his masculine appearance: "When I first started I was quite tall and looked like a girl, so I got lots of jobs, because it was during that period where the androgynous look was cool. Then, I guess, I became too much of a guy, so I never got any more jobs. I had the most unsuccessful modelling career".[197] Pattinson modelled for various British teen magazines as well as the Hackett clothing line and designer Nicole Farhi.[18][20] In November 2010, Pattinson was offered a £1 million deal to become the face of Burberry but declined the offer.[198]
In June 2013, Pattinson was announced as the new face of Dior Homme fragrance.[199][200] That September, he appeared in a black-and-white short film alongside French-American model Camille Rowe.[201] Since then, he has featured in multiple television and print advertising campaigns for the fragrance, collaborating with directors Romain Gavras[202] and the Blaze,[203] as well as photographers Peter Lindbergh,[204]Nan Goldin[202] and Mikael Jansson.[205] Goldin also published the book Robert Pattinson: 1000 Lives, a collection of images from the 2013 campaign.[202] In February 2016, Pattinson became the first ambassador for Dior Homme menswear[206] and appeared in several of the brand's print campaigns, photographed by Karl Lagerfeld[207] and Lindbergh.[204] Reflecting on his nearly decade-long collaboration with Dior in 2020, Pattinson remarked that "there's a timelessness to Dior; it feels like it's going to be around forever, it's a sort of monument".[208]
Music
Pattinson has been playing the guitar and piano since the age of four and often writes his own music.[209][210] He lent his vocals to two songs on the Twilight soundtrack: "Never Think", which he co-wrote with Sam Bradley,[211] and "Let Me Sign", written by Marcus Foster and Bobby Long.[212] Director Catherine Hardwicke had included his recordings in an early cut of the film without his knowledge, but Pattinson later agreed that "one of them specifically[...] really made the scene better".[213][214] He also performed three original songs, composed by Joe Hastings, for the How to Be soundtrack.[215][216] Despite his musical talent, Pattinson has said, "I've never really recorded anything [...] I just played in pubs and stuff," and when asked about pursuing a professional music career, he remarked that "music is my back-up plan if acting fails".[214] In 2010, he was recognized as Hollywood's Most Influential Top Unexpected Musician by the National Association of Music Merchants.[217]
In 2013, Pattinson played guitar on "Birds", a track from Death Grips' album Government Plates.[218][219] Drummer Zach Hill recorded Pattinson's playing on his phone during a jam session and later sampled it into the final song.[218][220] In a March 2017 interview, Pattinson revealed that he would contribute music to his upcoming film Damsel.[215][221] In February 2019, he collaborated with the Nottingham band Tindersticks, releasing the song "Willow" for the High Life original soundtrack.[222][223] In October 2020, Pattinson made a cameo appearance during Haim's performance of "3 a.m." on Late Night with Seth Meyers.[224][225] He delivered the song's opening spoken-word section via a FaceTime video call, reciting the dialogue from the track's phone call intro.[226][227]
In August 2011, Pattinson used his Teen Choice Awards acceptance speech to raise awareness for cancer, highlighting the Cancer Bites campaign, which supports those affected by the disease.[234][235] In August 2013, he visited Children's Hospital Los Angeles, spending time with young patients and participating in arts and crafts activities.[236][237] The following month, he partnered with International Medical Corps as one of their first responders, helping to raise awareness about disaster preparedness and community resilience.[238] Pattinson has also contributed to several charitable auctions. In November 2013, he attended the Go Go Gala, organized by the GO Campaign, where he purchased a cello made from recycled materials for $5,600.[239][240] In May 2014, he donated his bike to an auction supporting the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which provides healthcare to individuals in the Outback.[241] In 2014, he took part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and participated in the GO Campaign's annual charity event.[242][243][244] In October 2015, he joined the Global Goals Campaign, which aims to eradicate poverty by 2030.[245]
In 2015, Pattinson became the first ambassador for the GO Campaign.[246][247] In May 2019, during the Cannes Film Festival, Pattinson co-hosted a charity event with Helen Mirren, organized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).[248][249] Together, they donated $500,000 to the international aid organization Help Refugees on behalf of the HFPA.[250] During the first COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020, Pattinson donated to GO Campaign's emergency fund, which provided food and hygiene products to vulnerable families in London and Los Angeles.[251] Later that year, while filming The Batman in Liverpool, he surprised a ten-year-old autistic fan who had been waiting on set to meet him. However, an in-person meeting was not feasible, so Pattinson sent a package of DC Batman gifts instead.[252]
Pattinson's sex appeal has been widely discussed in the media. People included him in its "Sexiest Men Alive" list in both 2008 and 2009.[253][254] In 2009, Glamour UK named him the "Sexiest Man Alive",[255] while AskMen ranked him among the top 49 most influential men.[256]Vanity Fair also declared him "the most handsome man in the world" alongside Angelina Jolie as the most beautiful woman.[257] Both GQ and Glamour named him the "Best Dressed Man" of 2010, with the former praising his elegance and modern appeal.[258][259] That same year, People also featured him in its "World's Most Beautiful" issue.[260] Pattinson was among Vanity Fair's "Top Hollywood Earners of 2009", with estimated earnings of $18 million.[261][262] As of 2025, his films have grossed over $4.6billion worldwide.[263]
In 2011, Vanity Fair ranked Pattinson fifteenth on its "Hollywood Top 40" list, citing his $27.5 million earnings from 2010.[273]GQ once again named him the "Best Dressed Man" in 2012,[274] while Glamour called him "Sexiest Man Alive" that October.[275] By 2013, Pattinson placed second on Glamour's "Richest UK Celebs Under 30" list, with an estimated fortune of £45 million.[276] He was also recognized by the London Evening Standard as one of the city's most influential figures in both 2013 and 2014.[277][278] In October 2014, Heat ranked him third on its "Annual Rich List of Young British Stars", reporting earnings of $82.89million.[279][280]
Personal life
Pattinson is known for being private about his personal life and has often expressed a dislike for the paparazzi industry and tabloid journalism.[281][282][283] In 2017, he shared that he had struggled with anxiety, a challenge that began during his early years in the public spotlight.[284][205] In mid-2009, Pattinson was romantically linked to his Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart.[285][286] In July 2012, Stewart acknowledged her relationship with Pattinson, when she was photographed with her Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders, revealing an affair.[287] Sanders, who was married at the time, publicly apologized for the affair, and so did Stewart later.[288] Pattinson and Stewart briefly split but reconciled late that year.[289] The couple ultimately broke up in May 2013.[290][291]
Pattinson began dating singer-songwriter FKA Twigs in September 2014.[292][293] The couple, who were engaged, ended their relationship in October 2017.[292][294] The breakup inspired Twigs to create her second studio album, Magdalene (2019).[295] Since 2018, Pattinson has been in a relationship with English singer-songwriter and actress Suki Waterhouse.[296][297] In March 2024, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter.[298][299] They are reportedly engaged.[300]
↑ Marshall, Lee; Tabbara, Mona; Baughan, Nikki; Dalton, Ben; Romney, Jonathan (20 February 2025). "'Childhood Of A Leader': Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
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