Did the studio have doubts about Robert Pattison’s casting in Twilight? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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Welcome to the early days of Robert Pattinson’s Twilight journey. Director Catherine Hardwicke took a trip down memory lane on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, revealing just how much of a long shot Pattinson seemed at first. Spoiler alert: Hardwicke totally knew what she was doing.
When Pattinson first strolled into her life, he wasn’t exactly rocking that “mysterious vampire” vibe. “When he came over to my house, he had black bangs for hair and was kind of out of shape because he was hanging out at the pub all the time,” Hardwicke shared. Yeah, not exactly the Edward Cullen we now know and love. But here’s where it gets juicy. Summit Entertainment—aka the studio behind Twilight—was less than convinced. They straight-up asked, “Do you think you can make this guy look good?”
Hardwicke wasn’t sweating it. She fired back, “Yeah, I do. Did you see his cheekbones? We’re doing a makeover on the hair and everything and he’s going to start working out and he’s going to be gorgeous.” And bam, just like that, Twilight’s Edward was born. But the studio? They were not buying it at first. “He walked over there with a stained shirt…It was Rob.” Yep, that was how they met the future vampire king of high school.
But it wasn’t all about the looks. Hardwicke was on edge about the real magic—was there chemistry? When Pattinson met Kristen Stewart, sparks flew, but Hardwicke needed to be sure. “I thought, ‘It works not just in person, but it works onscreen,’” she said. “Of course, in person, I just got carried away, but you have to be sure—does it really translate [to the screen]?” Turns out, it totally did. The pair’s sizzling chemistry became the backbone of Twilight, turning them into one of the most iconic on-screen couples of all time.
But here’s a fun tidbit: Pattinson wasn’t the only one vying for the role. Hardwicke revealed that actors like Ben Barnes, Shiloh Fernandez, and even Jackson Rathbone (who ended up playing Jasper) were also in the mix for the coveted role of Edward. Can you imagine anyone else in the role now?
Pattinson was just 21 when he first auditioned, and honestly, the whole vampire-meets-high school romance plotline was… weird. But, of course, Pattinson’s detached energy was exactly what the role needed. And, as he admitted to GQ, he was a little extra that day. “I took a Valium before meeting with Hardwicke,” he confessed, “which must have worked for the character.” Spacey, detached? Yup, exactly what Edward Cullen ordered.
Now, years later, Twilight’s legacy is undeniable.
