By Charlie Kendellen
Robert Pattinson first graced our screens with his presence in Catherine Hardwicke’s 2008 vampire romance flick Twilight. Since these humble beginnings, he has essentially reinvented himself as an actor by delving into the independent film scene — joining forces with Benny and Josh Safdie in Good Time (2017), diving into a psychedelic odyssey in New York City’s underworld to get his vulnerable brother out of jail. Merely a year later, Pattinson teams up with pioneering French director Claire Denis for the twisted and surreal High Life (2018), playing a young father who struggles to survive in isolated space with his infant daughter.
Following up on these two successful indie films, Pattinson stars alongside Willem Defoe in Robert Eggers’ hypnotic The Lighthouse (2019), which has clearly established him as an it-boy in contemporary Hollywood. Pattinson shows no desire to slow down and enjoy his successes as he teams up with Christopher Nolan in summer blockbuster Tenet (2020), starring alongside John David Washington and Elizabeth Debicki. In 2022, Pattinson stars as the delightfully emo Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, alongside Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell and Paul Dano.
This year, Robert Pattinson joined forces with academy award winner Bong Joon-Ho for the quirky sci-fi adventure Mickey 17 (2025). He starred alongside an ensemble cast of Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collette.
Pattinson’s catalogue of work proves that he is a multifaceted actor who refuses to be type casted as the glistening vampire that he has expressed such disdain for playing back in 2008. It cannot be said about many actors that have such a varied and consistently successful filmography — year after year — both independent and big budget blockbuster films. Robert Pattinson has solidified his place as a diverse actor who is selective in choosing only the greatest projects and films.