Robert Pattinson on fame, fans and Fifty Shades

Pattinson reflected on his career, being the inspiration for Fifty Shades of Grey and the “Twi-hard” fan base.

Despite selecting characters that would remove him from his best-known role as a hunky, brooding teen vampire, British actor Robert Pattinson cannot seem to shake his Twilight past. At the Berlin Film Festival premiere of Life, in which Pattinson plays a photographer renowned for taking iconic photos of actor James Dean, a bevy of screaming girls awaited the actor.

Another upcoming Pattinson film, the thriller Brimstone, will see him team up with Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones), Mia Wasikowska and Guy Pearce.

Pattinson plays an outlaw who has a crucial influence on this tale of retribution. Wasikowska plays Liz, a heroine on the run from her past, pursued by Pearce’s diabolical Preacher.

“Martin Koolhoven directs a highly emotional, gripping and unique story of a mesmerizing woman who battles the vengeance of a zealot,” said Embankment Films’ Tim Haslam. Embankment was selling at the European Film Market in Berlin.

Pattinson reflected on his career, being the inspiration for Fifty Shades of Grey and the “Twi-hard” fan base. 

During interviews for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, you said you wanted to be very famous and known for your acting. Is the reality different from the fantasy?

I don’t know what I thought it was going to be. It’s weird. I still feel like I’m doing the same stuff. Up until Twilight, I was really just auditioning for absolutely everything and just trying to get anything so I guess that’s a sort of different career.

But afterwards it’s so rare that I find anything not only that I like, but that I feel like I can add something to or do at all. 

How strange is it for you that the character of Christian Grey from Fifty Shades of Grey (played by Jamie Dornan) is inspired by your performance as Edward Cullen in Twilight?

It’s kind of weird and also I’ve known Jamie for about 10 years. I haven’t actually read the book but I think it must be very, very different. I don’t see how it can work if it’s not different. It’s amazing; it’s that fan base.

There’s some kind of profound connection that a bunch of people have to it and I’ve never figured out quite what it is. 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I know just after last year, (with) two of my movies, one fell apart and the other one got pushed to this year and I ended up waiting for a job for ages and I was like, “I’m never having a year like that again. I’m going to be a lot more prolific in my productivity rate.”

I think it’s suddenly getting up to 30 as well and you’re just like “Argh! I need to do loads of stuff!” So I’m definitely going to be much more productive.