The Twilight Saga served as Robert Pattinson’s breakout role 17 years ago, but it’s time we ended the ridicule of the actor’s “sparkling vampire.” The five-chapter Twilight movies greatly impacted Pattinson’s career, appointing him to teenage heartthrob status before he broke away from the тιтle after the franchise. Twilight regularly delivered high box-office returns but many viewers and critics called into question the talents of Robert Pattinson and his co-stars in the Twilight movies. While the series might be one of Pattinson’s most famous roles, he has built a substantial filmography since playing the beloved Edward Cullen.

With the sheer number of projects he has undertaken since the Twilight Saga, it’s become quite a challenge to determine which of Robert Pattinson’s roles are his best. The actor’s portfolio expanded greatly following The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, as Pattinson allowed himself more time to engage in new, far smaller, and independent projects. Since then, the actor has collaborated with directors spanning from David Cronenberg to Christopher Nolan and Robert Eggers. These roles have proved successful and act as a reminder that Pattinson truly has become so much more than his breakout role.

Over The Past 17 Years, Robert Pattinson Has Become So Much More Than His Twilight Character

Robert Pattinson Has An Incredibly Diverse Profile

Of course, the Twilight series serves as a milestone in Pattinson’s life, but the actor’s career has continued on an upward trajectory over the years. After the Twilight Saga, Pattinson transformed his career and shifted to smaller, often independent, films. Although these movies were not blockbusters, they flaunted his skillset as an actor. In fact, very few of Pattinson’s projects have a “rotten” rating on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes. After the Twilight Saga ended in 2012 with Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Pattinson took a two-year break before returning in 2014 with The Rover — a drastically different role.

Despite not getting the recognition it warranted, The Rover was a crucial step for Pattinson because it expertly showcases his range. In the immediate aftermath of Twilight, Edward Cullen’s heartthrob status led to studio interest in similar roles for the actor. While he undertook some romance roles like Remember Me, Pattinson largely avoided being typecast, which was a crucial move for his career. Whether driven by a desire to avoid fame or to seek artistic challenges is unclear, but Twilight‘s success undoubtedly afforded him the freedom to pursue any path in his subsequent career.

Pattinson has evolved since the vampire series. The generation that once knew him as the lead in Twilight now recognizes Pattinson as DC’s vigilante in The Batman, or from his work with acclaimed directors like Christopher Nolan in Tenet. While these roles are significant, their foundation lies in the decisions he made after his breakthrough, and his independent work deserves equal recognition. More recently, Pattinson featured in the lead role of Mickey 17, directed by Bong Joon-Ho. This was the culmination of his talent, as it highlights his versatility and ability to portray a wide range of characters.

Twilight’s Sparkling Vampires Were Always An Unfair Magnet For Ridicule

Twilight Has Frequently Subjected Robert Pattinson To Ridicule

The book series provides a valid reason why the vampires sparkle in Twilight, but the adaptation has retroactively made it a moment of ridicule on screen. The mockery of these “sparkling vampires” was persistent, but often felt unfair considering it was consistent with the lore within the fictional world. The culture of internet memes amplified the ridicule, which arguably led to an unfair portrayal of the books and films beyond their original context. By all intents and purposes, the sparkling vampire is an unusual element of the Saga, but the continued mockery came at the expense of misrepresenting the franchise.

Some viewers took issue with the “sparkling vampires,” arguing that this element deviated from traditional vampire lore and sensationalized the genre, ultimately contributing to the backlash against Twilight. It became a trend to hate the series afterward, and the vampire saga had a polarizing impact on pop culture. Although he initially validated the ridicule earlier in his career, Pattinson has since refuted the backlash. Speaking with GQ Spain, he revealed “…people keep telling me, ‘Man, Twilight ruined the vampire genre.’ Are you still stuck on that sh*t? How can you be sad about something that happened almost 20 years ago?”

There Are Many Ways Twilight Has Aged Badly, But Robert Pattinson’s Performance Isn’t One Of Them

Edward Cullen Isn’t Pattinson’s Magnum Opus, Yet It Still Works

Edward Cullen isn’t Robert Pattinson’s greatest role, but it’s effective enough at its core. The actor has undoubtedly taken on more acclaimed roles since, but Pattinson’s portrayal of Edward Cullen isn’t as poor as critics often suggest. For the most part, his chemistry with Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) was the most critical factor in the Twilight series and became much of the reason for the saga’s overwhelming success. Audiences were instantly drawn to the portrayal of Edward and Bella’s forbidden love in the first 2008 film, which was mostly a faithful adaptation of the beloved books.

Unsurprisingly, Twilight has always had its critics, some of whom found his initial portrayal weak, but equally, many appreciate the nuances Pattinson brought to the role. Above all else, he remained faithful to the source material, which is an integral aspect of the adaptation. Twilight perfectly showcases Pattinson’s potential. Although the first movie is excessive and widely mocked, his portrayal of Edward evolves greatly across the series. Even though his original performance was not critically praised, it did lay the foundations for the character’s development in subsequent films, with Pattinson’s portrayal consistently developing throughout the rest of the saga.

Although Pattinson’s portrayal of Edward could have been different, that doesn’t mean it could’ve been better. Twilight‘s lead character was precisely the quality that resonated with the teenage audience the films targeted at the time, frequently described as angsty and morose. Pattinson’s performance even went on to earn him recognition at the 2009 MTV Movie & TV awards, winning the Breakthrough Performance award just one year after his initial portrayal of the vampire. This speaks volumes about his performance in the film, especially considering his age and the fact that The Twilight Saga was his first major role.

Source: GQ Spain