Robert Pattinson

Written by Nikki Baughan Sunday, 14 March 2010 18:15

Interview

Twilight star Robert Pattinson reveals why new movie Remember Me gave him a chance to explore his more physical side...

Set in New York City during the tumultuous summer of 2001, Remember Me sees Pattinson star as rebellious NYU student Tyler, who is finding it hard to bond with his father (Pierce Brosnan) after the suicide of his brother. Finding salvation in a new relationship with the equally as troubled Ally (Lost's Emilie de Raven), Tyler soon finds that happiness is difficult to hold on to...

What attracted you to the role of Tyler in this film?

I read it after the first Twilight film and I always kind of liked it. It was always in the back of my mind and the opportunity came up in between the second and third ones; only a small period of time so you can only do a certain type of movie. I was trying to remember all the little things that I'd read and that was kind of perfect.

It didn't need any real prep time or anything and there was something different about it. It  didn't fit into a typical teen movie type of  thing. I hadn't really read a script like it and it seemed quite realistic and I found the character to be very accessible for me. I'd always really connected to it and I don't really know why

The character has anger issues and is tormented and has issues with his parents. Do you have any of these issues in your own life?

Not really. But, at the same time, I connected especially to who they cast for the family around Tyler. I knew a lot of kids who were troubled teenagers and you meet their families and they're all just saying 'I don't know what his problem is'. All of the families seem really nice and supportive around them and it's this unknown.

You have this energy and you don't know where to place it. I think the reason he has a problem with his father and not his mother is he knows his mother is not strong enough to take it. If he suddenly started attacking her, she'd just break and Charles, his father, is still a fighter so he's always going to fight against him. But, I don't think I have any particular problems myself in that respect.

Was it hard to get in character when you were shooting in New York and there were loads of Twilight fans going crazy around you?

Kind of. At the beginning it was. Then about halfway through, I just suddenly had an epiphany about it. I don't know what happened, but it's just learning to block things out. But at the beginning it was just driving me insane especially for a character who is lost and supposed to be looking for things all the time and you can't look up because suddenly all the (camera) shutters accelerate and you can't smile or behave normally but you've just got to be more disciplined about it.

This character does bear a few similarities to Twilight's Edward Cullen. I wonder are you worried about being typecast as the brooding, wounded hero?

Maybe I just am brooding and wounded. I'm just realizing that. Nah, I'm not. You just take little steps. I'm always aware of how people are going to view things so you've kind of got to go halfway. If I did something playing a 400-pound woman people are probably going to judge it more harshly than other people who have been doing character parts for 20years. Not in a calculated way but all of the projects I'm doing seem like little baby steps toward other things. The thing I'm doing now [Bel Ami] is completely different in some ways but, at the same time, it's got a lot of intensity. It's what I like in characters.

Do people judge your work differently after the Twilight films?

Yeah, I think people do judge things differently after the Twilight films. They view it differently but I mean there's nothing you can really do about that. I do take that into account more now than I used to. Doing the Dali thing [Little Ashes], when I was doing it, I didn't think anyone was ever going to see it. It's a very different place to be at when you think you're making a movie which nobody is going to see; you're not afraid to experiment with things.

Remember Me has moments of violence; were you worried about this and your fanbase?

No. It was more about the reactions after (the random violence).The way he dealt with random events. Little bits were cut out of it but I remember after the first fight with Chris Cooper's character, his mother was saying 'you need to sue the police force' and I was like 'for what?' He doesn't really care. 'Well, at least, get an apology' and I was like 'I don't think you can sue the police force for an apology'.

It was kind of this blasé attitude, even when it's been him who's been the one who is harmed. I always related to that. Looking back into the past and bearing grudges, I don't really do that. The way that his violence comes out as well, it's illogical. It's not against really legitimate targets. I kind of relate to that. When you have a spasm of rage it goes, almost inevitably, to the complete wrong target and it causes you more problems. So, it's better to keep it chained up all the time.

What was it like acting with Pierce Brosnan, who plays your father?

I think my relationship with my dad is the opposite.With Pierce, the part was written as much more controlling. He was incredibly arrogant in the script. And, Pierce seems like a really nice guy and he read the character as 'he's not a horrible man. He's not a monster' and that completely changed what Tyler's relationship is with him. You're looking at a guy where you know the audience is going to be thinking 'he's all right' which is kind of interesting.

This guy Tyler is rebelling against nothing. You're only attacking because you know he can be attacked and he's going to keep standing afterwards but Pierce was great. I had no idea who they weren't going to cast in that part and when [they told me] I was like 'that's a tough act to follow'. But I think he was kind of perfect for it.

And was it daunting working with Chris Cooper as Emilie's character's tough dad?

Yeah, I don't know how I'd feel if I really had any fighting back to do. I was continually beaten up by him! But, yeah, it was quite daunting. It's very hard being strangled. It's really difficult to look like it's actually happening because he was kind of doing it as well. If you're just being strangled nothing really happens. You just kind of stand there. I was experimenting with myself just before we shot it. I don't really know what the face is to represent being strangled.

Were you hurt in that particular fight scene?

Oh no, not at all. The only thing that I hurt myself on was a bit they cut out of the movie where I kind of flipped out afterwards out of my own impotence in this fight. You walk into the big confrontation and end up getting completely destroyed by your competitor. I was hitting myself afterwards in a little spur of the moment thing which they cut out of the movie. I hit myself so hard, I was in so much pain for the rest of the shoot. It was the most stupid thing I've ever done.

Did you have any trouble with the New York Bronx accent?

I grew up watching American movies. I learned how to act, to whatever extent, by watching American movies way more than English ones so I kind of, in a lot of ways, feel more comfortable speaking in an American accent. It feels more real to me in a lot of ways.

In the Twilight franchise you are working with a lot of younger actors. Other than Emilie, the actors in this film are a bit older. Is it different working with older actors?

Yeah. In a lot of ways, it's different because when you're working with young people it's like you're going on the journey together. Everything is fresh to you. Whereas if you're working with experienced people, they're much clearer about what they want to do or bring to the job right from the beginning which is really good in some ways. But, at the same time, they're very willing. Chris and I were rewriting the scene when we fought each other during the lunch break just before. I never worked with anyone who is really tied down to what they want to do and that's that. It's really good either way.

 

Want to see more Robert Pattinson? Check out the new Twilight Saga: Eclipse Trailer!