Robert Well On His Way!

From Amanda Bell at Examiner.com:

It seems like ages ago since Robert Pattinson was a name unknown to the mainstream world.

Ever since the release of 2008's Twilight, he's been more than a blip on the radar; he's been practically steering the course of the radar's coverage.

Through films like How To Be and The Bad Mother's Handbook, Pattinson has been able to prove the capacity of his range - and it is wide. His pre-Twilight pictures, in retrospect, go to show that his name was absolutely destined for infamy, and that his work on Twilight was the exact break that he needed for propulsion into the center of hearts, minds, and movie screens the world over.

Back in 2008, right after the film's release, one interviewer had the foresight to discuss this phenomenon with Robert Pattinson.

Said the interviewer,

I did think that you're at this point in your career where if everything goes well, and you pick the right movies, and you've been doing very well - you won the Strasberg and you've done some other interesting films that are coming our way - that you know everything goes well, you could be Leonardo DiCaprio or you could be Johnny Depp, or if you mess up you could be Orlando Bloom, so I don't know whether you're feeling incredibly excited or there's a part of you that's slightly terrified because you know this is a moment that could change your life forever if you play it right?

Robert Pattinson's response was,

Yeah, it's terrifying. I mean, the way that the industry's changed as well. So you can't wait five years to do your next job. I mean, you literally have the heat to get films financed for about a week now, I mean it's like ridiculous, so if you don't find the right job... I mean you've really gotta like think quick in doing your next job if you want to capitalize on something as success. It's weird, it feels like it should open up options, but really, it kind of narrows them down because you have way more to lose. I mean, when you have nothing to lose, it's great. You just do anything you get, and then you can take risks, it doesn't matter. But, yeah, it's very very stressful trying to find the right thing to do if you want to have a long-ish career...



...It's nice to be on a, I guess, relatively level playing field with other people because, you know, a lot of the time you can do an audition, ... and you can do it well and people just say, you know, you're not famous enough or you're commercially viable enough to do the movie, so when you have a movie that's made $130 million or whatever, it's like ... ehhh ... kiss my ... (booty ~ edited).

His ... (booty ~ edited), to be sure, is certainly being, well, noticed - by the media, by the industry, by the fans - and no one could be happier about it. He is a story to be told, a face to behold, and a movie to be sold. He is there.

Not only does Pattinson have today (with The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Remember Me) and the promise of tomorrow (with films like Bel Ami, Unbound Captives, and, of course, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), but also many years to come.

As the interviewer predicted, the release of Twilight opened many new doors for Pattinson, doors which, without the success of the film, might have been but ajar for too long. Though, no doubt, Pattinson's skill and strength of character would have burst them open eventually (as evidenced by the fact that it did, in fact, happen), the speed at which Pattinson has gained the confidence, attention, and respect that he deserves is astounding.

Not only will Pattinson have a long career, but it will be one worth watching - for many, many films and years to come.

Photos: (first) AP/Matt Sayles (second) Summit Entertainment