Robert Pattinson faced an unexpected challenge on the set of his upcoming dark comedy Die, My Love. Based on the novel of the same name by Ariana Harwicz and directed by Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here), Pattinson stars alongside Jennifer Lawrence in Die, My Love, which is set to explore a woman’s struggles with post-partum depression and a flailing marriage in the French countryside. The star-studded ensemble also features LaKeith Stanfield, Oscar winner Sissy Spacek, and three-time Oscar nominee Nick Nolte.

In an interview with GQ for Bong Joon-Ho’s Mickey 17, Pattinson confessed he nearly had a mental breakdown when it came to an improvisational dance scene in Die, My Love, so he requested that it get choreographed or be cut from the film altogether. Ramsay and Lawrence, who Pattinson notes had no issue with the sequence, told the actor to “stop being a lil’ freak.” Ultimately, he gave in and let it loose until his pants were soaked in sweat. Read what he had to say below:

I did this movie with Lynne Ramsay, and she’s a really good dancer. And Jennifer Lawrence is a really good dancer. They just find it so easy. They’re like, ‘Just dance, it’s just music playing, just dance.

I was like, ‘I’m going to have a mental breakdown when this happens. We need to either choreograph it or cut it.’ And they’re like, ‘No, just dance, stop being a lil’ freak.’ It came to the day, and I was sweating so much, the insides of my trousers, with sweat, were wet.

What This Means For Pattinson In Die, My Love

The Actor Has A Strained Relationship With Dancing

The released first-look images of Die, My Love show Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson synchronously dancing in the middle of their French farmhouse. While Pattinson has taken on a range of demanding roles, such as performing intense psychological character studies in films like Devil All The Time and executing brutal stunts in Matt Reeve’s The Batman, the acclaimed actor has revealed that dancing remains one of his biggest on-screen hurdles.

Though Pattinson vehemently opposed dancing in Die, My Love, it has nonetheless been evident in past projects. In The Lighthouse, he performed a manic, unhinged jig alongside Willem Dafoe. However, this was mostly emblematic of their shared psychological unraveling rather than requiring real dance prowess. Earlier in his career, Pattinson’s Edward went viral as he managed a stiff two-step for Bella’s prom night in Twilight. Compared to his many physical feats and his fearless adoption of bizarre accents and voices, as seen with Mickey 17, dancing appears to be his true Achilles’ heel.

Our Take On Pattinson Dancing In Die, My Love

Pattinson Should Embrace The Awkwardness

It’s ultimately a good thing that Lawrence and Ramsay insisted on keeping the dance scene as it seems to serve a similar purpose to Pattinson’s chaotic jig in The Lighthouse—a moment that subtly signals their shared psychosis. Pattinson’s discomfort could make it feel even more authentic as his character struggles to cope with his wife’s descent into madness. While this dance scene in Die, My Love may not have been something the actor was happy with, it’s another example of his dedication to the story—even when it takes him far outside his comfort zone.

Source: GQ