Twilight Execs Doubted Catherine Hardwick Could Make Robert Pattinson ‘Look Good’

Summary:

• The Twilight film series is based on the book series of the same name by Stephenie Meyer.
• The main roles of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen are played by Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.
• Robert Pattinson was later considered by many young adults around the world as a prime example of an attractive man but was initially almost rejected by the studio.

If you were to go on the Internet right now and suggest that Edward Cullen wasn't attractive, you would probably be slaughtered by the entire army of Twilight and Robert Pattinson stans who are still as active as ever. Back in 2008, when the first movie was released, many people didn't really understand what it was that Bella saw in him.

Other than pale and slightly glowing skin, there wasn't anything about Edward Cullen's appearance that would be considered attractive. However, he definitely set a trend of male beauty standards for many young adult males to follow.

Skinny and pale, with slightly disheveled hair and almost always a miserable look on his face, guys like Edward became more and more recognizable.

Even today, the trend is as strong as ever. Some of the stylistic choices have changed, but the general image of a mysterious, dark, and angsty hero remains the same. And looking back over the years, it is obvious that no one could fit the role as well as Robert Pattinson.

The Studio Didn’t Like Robert Pattinson’s Looks

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Twilight movies, Catherine Hardwicke, the director behind the masterpiece, sat down with Josh Horowitz and reacted to the movie, pointing out the most curious moments and fun facts. Robert Pattinson's first on-screen appearance as Edward Cullen was certainly one of the main points of conversation.

“They called me back and they said ‘Do you think you can make this guy look good?’ And I was like ‘Yeah, I do, did you see his cheekbone?’ We’re gonna do a makeover on him, we’re gonna do a hair makeover, and he’s gonna start to look gorgeous,” she shared, reflecting on her first call with the studio.

Fortunately, the executives decided to trust the director's decision. Of course, the journey to get Robert Pattinson to this effortlessly cool look of Edward Cullen wasn't easy for the actor at all. Not that we appreciate his shape as much as we do Taylor Lautner's, but he had to go through a lot of changes, including regular workouts.

The one thing Pattinson would not do, no matter how much Catherine Hardwicke liked the idea, was hair extensions. That line was drawn at one of the fittings of Edward's possible looks and never crossed again. That may have been the best decision.

If you're feeling nostalgic and want to celebrate the anniversary yourself, you can rent or buy all the films in the saga on Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV Plus.

Source: Josh Horowitz YouTube