Robert Pattinson's Mom Had the Best Reaction to His Twilight Casting
Robert Pattinson is now a household name. But following his portrayal of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, his life almost took a different turn completely.
Music was what he wanted to pursue, but he knew that acting would be his best shot of earning much-needed money in the short-term. He wanted to seek smaller roles to strengthen his skills as an actor, not intending to become too famous too quickly. But fate would have a different plan in mind for Pattinson, seeing him land the coveted role in a much-anticipated film adaptation of a well-known book series.
Twilight was a global phenomenon even before it was turned into films. With such a popular basis, it was inevitable that fans would have strong reactions when it came to the casting choices of their favourite characters. And sadly, not all those reactions were positive. Many fans were deeply against Robert Pattinson being cast as lead vampire Edward Cullen, feeling he was not physically attractive enough to play the role.
Indeed, an online petition was even started by angry fans, saying they would not go and see the film because of Pattinson's casting. And who alerted Pattinson to this petition? His own mother!
The actor is able to look back on the experience and laugh now, after five hugely successful Twilight films and his place being firmly cemented in cinematic history. His stint in Twilight has also earned him a small fortune and seen him go on to earn even more coveted roles, such as the lead in 2022's The Batman.
And he has spoken of his mixed feelings toward being shown the petition by his mom, briefly feeling disheartened but soon agreeing with the concern expressed by fans. The actor has admitted that he never felt "beautiful enough" to portray Edward. And that he took those feelings with him during his performance.
That ultimately gave fans an entirely new experience of Edward Cullen. Pattinson managed to show a version of Edward that was true to the books yet provided an added layer of depth as he did not feel "as beautiful" as Edward.
Such is the greatness of complexity in acting. Actors inevitably bring a part of themselves into the characters they play. And Pattinson's mother's reaction to the news of him being cast, by showing him that petition, helped keep him grounded and humble to allow him to deliver a truly great performance. And that performance would lead him toward even more wonderful roles and incredible success.