Robert Pattinson on Transforming into Edward Cullen: An Interview with “El Mañana”

On October 24, 2008, Robert Pattinson, the British actor catapulted into the limelight as the enigmatic Edward Cullen in “Twilight,” shared his insights and experiences in an interview with “El Mañana” in Mexico. Despite not being a fan of vampire stories, Pattinson was drawn to the role, intrigued by the opportunity to work with director Catherine Hardwicke and co-star Kristen Stewart, whose performance in “Into The Wild” he greatly admired.

In Mexico to promote the soon-to-be-released “Twilight,” Pattinson reflected on his audition with Stewart, noting her intensity and the unique dynamic she brought to the role of Bella Swan. He appreciated Hardwicke and Stewart’s approach to filmmaking, which he found compellingly different from mainstream, commercially-driven cinema.

Pattinson faced a unique challenge in portraying Edward Cullen, a character who is 108 years old but appears as a 17-year-old teenager. He had to balance the dual aspects of Edward’s character – the timeless vampire with an instinct for blood, and the ordinary human qualities that make him relatable. Pattinson noted that this duality was central to his portrayal, as he navigated the complexities of playing a character who is both a mythical creature and a typical teenager in love.

Discussing the popular appeal of vampire stories, Pattinson observed that “Twilight” stands apart from traditional vampire lore. The film, he argued, is not so much a vampire movie as it is a love story. It deviates from the classic vampire narrative tropes, such as vulnerability to sunlight, garlic, and a predisposition to kill humans. Instead, “Twilight” focuses on Edward’s struggle to lead a normal life despite his supernatural condition.

The filming of “Twilight” was an intense experience due to the specific environmental requirements for portraying vampires. The production team had to constantly adapt to the weather, requiring overcast conditions to maintain the vampires’ day-time presence, a challenge that added another layer of complexity to the filming process.

• “I’ve never been a big fan of vampire’s stories or that kind of movies, I didn’t like them, but with this one, I changed my perspective, the story inspired me.”
• “I wanted to do this partly because I really liked the main actress. I remembered her role in Into The Wild, she seemed excellent.”
• “They’re two people that make the cinematography in a very interesting way, and not so much from the commercial perspective.”
• “Even though he’s one of the hottest and he doesn’t look like a vampire, people are afraid of him. It was such a challenge to portrait a character that is 108 years old and looks like a 17 years old teenager, because I got to play both situations.”
• “The fact that he is a vampire that likes drinking blood had to be in my head, but at the same time, I had to play a regular human being.”
• “The vampire’s stories are very popular, but in the case of Twilight, I wouldn’t say that it’s a vampires movie, it’s more like a love story.”
• “The difference between this and the others are that in the others, when the vampires are exposed to the sunlight they die, they are affected by garlics, there’re others that they’re determined to kill humans, and in this one, he just loves the life as a typical teenager.”
• “What happens is that vampires during the day, must have a very specific weather, it had to be very cloudy all the time and that limited us a lot, because you could not shoot when there was much sun or when it was raining.”