Thank God, he doesn’t bite me.
This morning in a suite at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills which serves as venue for the TV interviews, Robert Pattinson is just being himself and not the vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga based on Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenally successful series (including New Moon which is opening nationwide on Friday, Nov. 20; Eclipse, now in the last stages of shoot; and Breaking Dawn).
He seems very shy. His hair is, as expected, tousled as if it hasn’t been combed since he was born. His long-sleeved shirt and slacks are crumpled, as if he has rushed to the interview straight out of bed. His lips are red, as if he has just bitten the neck of a girl as pretty and as desirable (edible...burp!) as Bella Swan, the human he falls in love with. Now, does he smell? Oh yes, he really does. Sweet!
Never has fandom been as charged as it was years ago when Leonardo DiCaprio yelled “I am the king of the world!” from the bow of the Titanic. Together with Kristen Stewart (as Bella Swan) and Taylor Lautner (as the werewolf Jacob Black), Robert has created a new cult called Twilighters. Now every teenager is willing to offer her neck for Edward to bite — with pleasure!
In barely a year, the three have become superstars, no wonder their so-called handlers guard them during the interview as if Robert, Kristen and Taylor would be kidnapped anytime. The handlers sound like a broken record: No personal question, stick to the movie; no autographs and no photographs. So sorry that the 50 or so journalists from around the world aren’t able to draw answers straight out of the horses’ mouths to such “sensitive” questions as, 1) Are Robert and Kristen really into a “tortured” real-life romance?, 2) Are Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift really an item?, and 3) How do they pamper themselves away from work?
Some interesting facts about the vampire, the werewolf and the beauty caught in the war between the two man-eating tribes:
• Robert Thomas-Pattinson was born on May 13, 1986 (Taurus) in London, England. Nicknames: Rob, RPattz and Patty (also the name of his dog). He stands 6’1”, and has brownish blond hair and bluish grey eyes. His hobbies/sports are football, skiing, snowboarding and pool. His favorite actor is Jack Nicholson. He plays the piano and the guitar. Among his memorable pre-Twilight roles is Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
• Kristen Jaymes Stewart was born on April 9, 1990 (Aries) in Los Angeles, California. Nicknames: Kris and KStew. She stands 5’6”, and has green eyes and brown hair. Her hobbies and interests: Traveling, surfing and writing. Her most memorable pre-Twilight role is as the daughter of Jodie Foster in Panic Room.
• Taylor Daniel Lautner was born on Feb. 11, 1992 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He stands 5’10.5”, and has brown eyes and brown hair. His ancestry is Dutch, German and Native American. A sports fanatic, he plays American football, baseball and basketball. His favorite color is baby blue and his favorite food is Mexican, Chinese and steak. His most memorable pre-Twilight role (which he played at age 13) was Shark Boy in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D.
Did you think that Twilight would be a huge worldwide hit?
Robert: I didn’t. I didn’t expect thousands of people turning up to watch the movie. It was all so unexpected. That was only a year ago.
Kristen: No. Nobody really thought that the movie would be that popular.
Taylor: Absolutely not. We didn’t expect things to happen the way they did.
How did Twilight change your life?
Kristen: The biggest change is that I’m allowed to do the things that I enjoy doing and I know very well how to do. The hard part is you try to be private and open up at the same time. I learned a lot from Taylor. He said so many times in interviews, “I’m really worried about what we can’t control...” The thing is just be yourself.
Taylor: It did, absolutely! It has given me the opportunity to do what I love doing. We’ve been traveling and meeting new people. I think the biggest change is that my schedule has become very busy. Everytime I have a time off, I spend it with my family and friends.
What’s the downside of the whole thing?
Robert: You have to think about a lot more consequences of the choices you make; you have to be careful about the way you behave in public. Before Twilight, you could do whatever job you wanted to do and went anywhere you wanted to go. But now, you know, if you go to a bar and misbehave you have some explaining to do. Life has become a bit complicated.
Kristen: Now people are interested not only in what movies you are doing but also what you are doing away from work.
Taylor: There’s hardly any downside. I can still be with the people I love and those I enjoy working with. I’m enjoying every moment of it.
Did you feel any pressure in making New Moon equal if not surpass the record of Twilight?
Kristen: Oh yes, of course. You’re working for a lot of people that you respect and you don’t want to let them down. Millions of people are out there waiting for what you will do next and that can be very challenging.
Taylor: Oh yes, we did...absolutely, definitely! We felt some more pressure in raising the bar higher for Twilight. But then, we felt comfort because we knew that we have our fans behind us. They are very supportive and we thank them for that.
Which qualities of your character do you identify with?
Robert: Edward Cullen has doubts about himself. I always thought that I was more sensitive about the character I’m playing, especially the self-loathing side of him.
Kristen: I like the fact that she makes a lot of mistakes and doesn’t make excuses because they come from the heart.
Taylor: Jacob Black is short-tempered and I’m not like that. When he gets angry, he becomes a werewolf. I hope it doesn’t happen to me. (Laughs)
(To Robert) Your hair enhances the appeal of Edward Cullen. How do you maintain it?
Robert: Hahahahaha! People have been asking me that question. You know, I don’t have any idea.
How did you prepare for the role?
Robert: I prepared for Twilight more than I did for New Moon. I read all four books and fell in love with them. People ask me if I think Edward is a weirdo. I don’t think so. He’s just one guy with so many conflicts within himself.
Taylor: Jacob has transformed in many different ways from Twilight to New Moon. I went into a specific diet and I worked out a lot. From Twilight to New Moon, Jacob has also changed emotionally. That’s the most important part and I had to prepare for it. He becomes a completely different person when he is a werewolf.
What’s the hard part of doing Twilight and New Moon?
Robert: Twilight was more difficult to do because everyone kind of established what we were actually making. There were a lot of different people trying to decide what the audience would like to see. New Moon was a lot easier to make because everyone was quite familiar with his character.
Taylor: I think it’s the fact that the fans, after reading the books, have a specific image and opinion of how the character should look, how the character should act. It’s challenging because you can’t please everyone. We did try to be as faithful to the book as we possibly could.
(To Taylor) If you were a werewolf in real life, would you fall for a human?
Taylor: Difficult question! You know, I myself wouldn’t know.
Do you have any ideal girl?
Taylor: Somebody who can be herself.
(To Taylor) Describe yourself in three words.
Taylor: Outgoing, friendly and energetic.
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