Robert Pattinson has all the traits of a Hollywood heartthrob -- photogenic features, a lovely British accent and a starring role as the brooding but devastatingly handsome good guy vampire Edward Cullen in "Twilight," the big-screen adaptation of the first installment in author Stephenie Meyer's wildly successful young-adult book series due in theaters Nov. 21.
The only thing that doesn't quite fit? Pattinson is one seriously self-deprecating guy.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Sunday, November 09, 2008 Home Edition Sunday Calendar Part E Page 2 Calendar Desk 1 inches; 21 words Type of Material: Correction
"Twilight" credits: Photographer Deanna Newcomb's first name was misspelled last Sunday as Deana in credits for photos from the movie "Twilight."
"I can't watch myself on screen," said the 22-year-old actor, who previously appeared as Cedric Diggory in the "Harry Potter" films. "When my parents say, 'Oh, did you see this photo?' I immediately start going, 'Don't tell me about photos!' I haven't watched anything since the premiere of 'Harry Potter.' And that's because I couldn't find a way out.
"It would have looked a bit bad for me to walk out," he conceded with a laugh.
In the coming months, Pattinson and the rest of the film's ensemble cast are probably going to have to get a lot more comfortable with fame. "Twilight," which details the romance between Edward and 17-year-old Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), has been compared to "Romeo and Juliet," with its themes of forbidden love. But it's also been described as the heir to J.K. Rowling's teen wizard saga -- given its blockbuster literary pedigree and popularity among the under-18 set. For months, interest in the film has been building: There's even a clock counting down the minutes to its premiere at twilighthemovie.com.
It's a strange thing to realize that you're at the heart of a full-blown pop culture phenomenon, but on an unseasonable October afternoon, with the temperature hovering near the 100-degree mark, the pressure didn't seem to be adversely affecting any of the actors. Gathered around a conference table in a Los Angeles office building, Pattinson and costars Kellan Lutz and Nikki Reed, who portray two other members of the Cullen clan, were playing it remarkably cool.
"I think it was toward the end of shooting when it really dawned on me," said Reed, who plays the supremely confident Rosalie, love interest to Lutz's Emmett. "There were fans that were finding out where the locations were, and that's when it really hit me. People saying, 'Oh, it's going to be the next "Harry Potter"!' That's a big mountain in front of you. There's a lot of hype around this."
Close, but not blood relations
