In the tried and true nature of all movie magic moments, it only took one film to turn Robert Pattinson from featured player to the idol of millions of teenaged girls around the globe. The British actor, who prior to 2008 was best known as the doomed Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005), was cast as Edward Cullen, the romantic vampire hero of “Twilight” (2008).
Full Biography
In the tried and true nature of all movie magic moments, it only took one film to turn Robert Pattinson from featured player to the idol of millions of teenaged girls around the globe. The British actor, who prior to 2008 was best known as the doomed Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005), was cast as Edward Cullen, the romantic vampire hero of “Twilight” (2008). The news of the casting sent shockwaves through the young adult community that worshiped the novels by Stephanie Meyer on which the film was based, and who quickly elevated Pattinson to favored pin-up status. The buzz around Pattinson seemed to solidify what the British press had ordained him in 2005 – a “Star of Tomorrow.”
Born Robert Thomas-Pattinson on May 13, 1986 in London, England, he was raised in the suburb of Barnes by his parents, Clare and Robert Pattinson. Acting captured his fancy at an early age and soon supplanted schoolwork as his sole focus. As a teenager, he joined the prestigious Barnes Theatre Club, which gave him an education in classic drama. A casting agent saw him in a production of “Tess of the D’urbervilles” and encouraged him to pursue performing as a career. He made his screen debut in 2004 in a German TV production of the epic fantasy “Ring of the Nibelungs,” which aired in the United States as “Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King” in 2006. Pattinson also landed a minor role as a younger version of James Purefoy’s character in Mira Nair’s adaptation of “Vanity Fair” (2004), but his scenes were left on the cutting room floor.
Immediately after returning from the South African set of “Nibelungs,” he was awarded the role of Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” for director Mike Newell. Diggory, the hero of rival wizard school Hufflepuff, was Harry’s opponent on both the Quidditch field and in romance, as he trumped Harry’s two wins at the TriWizard Tournament by squiring the young hero’s beloved, Cho Chang, to the Yule Ball. Diggory’s moment in the sun was short-lived, as both he and Harry faced down the sinister Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). The villain’s henchman, Peter Pettigrew, dispatched Diggory, who was mourned by the entire school. The press, in its raves over Newell’s film adaptation, singled out Pattinson for his charismatic performance, and some went as far as to name him a “future Jude Law.” The Times Online also bestowed the “Star of Tomorrow” award upon him.
Pattinson’s sudden popularity afforded him some choice roles post-“Potter.” He was top-billed as a shell-shocked World War II airman in the supernatural thriller “The Haunted Airman” for BBC Four, and later played a nerdy student with a crush on his teacher (Catherine Tate) in the highly rated drama, “The Bad Mother’s Handbook” (2007) for ITV. That same year, he returned briefly to the wizard world with a flashback cameo as Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”
Profession(s):
Actor, model
Sometimes Credited As:
Robert Thomas-Pattinson
Family
sister:Lizzy Pattinson
sister:Victoria Pattinson
Education
Barnes Theatre Company London, England
Full Biography
In the tried and true nature of all movie magic moments, it only took one film to turn Robert Pattinson from featured player to the idol of millions of teenaged girls around the globe. The British actor, who prior to 2008 was best known as the doomed Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005), was cast as Edward Cullen, the romantic vampire hero of “Twilight” (2008). The news of the casting sent shockwaves through the young adult community that worshiped the novels by Stephanie Meyer on which the film was based, and who quickly elevated Pattinson to favored pin-up status. The buzz around Pattinson seemed to solidify what the British press had ordained him in 2005 – a “Star of Tomorrow.”
Born Robert Thomas-Pattinson on May 13, 1986 in London, England, he was raised in the suburb of Barnes by his parents, Clare and Robert Pattinson. Acting captured his fancy at an early age and soon supplanted schoolwork as his sole focus. As a teenager, he joined the prestigious Barnes Theatre Club, which gave him an education in classic drama. A casting agent saw him in a production of “Tess of the D’urbervilles” and encouraged him to pursue performing as a career. He made his screen debut in 2004 in a German TV production of the epic fantasy “Ring of the Nibelungs,” which aired in the United States as “Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King” in 2006. Pattinson also landed a minor role as a younger version of James Purefoy’s character in Mira Nair’s adaptation of “Vanity Fair” (2004), but his scenes were left on the cutting room floor.
Immediately after returning from the South African set of “Nibelungs,” he was awarded the role of Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” for director Mike Newell. Diggory, the hero of rival wizard school Hufflepuff, was Harry’s opponent on both the Quidditch field and in romance, as he trumped Harry’s two wins at the TriWizard Tournament by squiring the young hero’s beloved, Cho Chang, to the Yule Ball. Diggory’s moment in the sun was short-lived, as both he and Harry faced down the sinister Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). The villain’s henchman, Peter Pettigrew, dispatched Diggory, who was mourned by the entire school. The press, in its raves over Newell’s film adaptation, singled out Pattinson for his charismatic performance, and some went as far as to name him a “future Jude Law.” The Times Online also bestowed the “Star of Tomorrow” award upon him.
Pattinson’s sudden popularity afforded him some choice roles post-“Potter.” He was top-billed as a shell-shocked World War II airman in the supernatural thriller “The Haunted Airman” for BBC Four, and later played a nerdy student with a crush on his teacher (Catherine Tate) in the highly rated drama, “The Bad Mother’s Handbook” (2007) for ITV. That same year, he returned briefly to the wizard world with a flashback cameo as Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”
Profession(s):
Actor, model
Sometimes Credited As:
Robert Thomas-Pattinson
Family
sister:Lizzy Pattinson
sister:Victoria Pattinson
Education
Barnes Theatre Company London, England
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