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12 INTERVIEW


Friday, June 15, 2012 Followusontwitter @Argus_TheGuide


TWILIGHTfans should avert their eyes as ROBERTPATTINSON’S latest offering is afar moreadult affair.SUSAN GRIFFIN talks to the pin-up about sex, violence and intimate examinations


Sexy vampire relishes role innewmovie


THANKS to his role as ‘vegetarian’ vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga,Robert Pattinson is nowone of the biggest stars on the planet. But forthat very reason he nearly turned down his latest role in David Cronenberg’s


Cosmopolis. “It wasalittle nerve-rack-


ing and it scaredmebecause Iwas shooting the last Twilightmovie when Igot offered it andIwas really self-conscious thinking ‘Ugh, I’m just so over-saturated everywhere’,’’ says the 26- year-old, taking acocktail stickout of his mouth (he recentlygaveupsmoking). “I reallywanted to do ensemble things and then this comes along, whichisso in your face,(and I’m) speak- ing all the time butthere was something about it whichI thought wasamazing. And it wasDavid as well so Icould- n’t reallysay no to it.’’ In themovie,Pattinson


plays 28-year-old billionaire Eric Packer,who’s deter- mined to be chauffeured across NewYork City in his extravagant limousine to get ahaircut even though the city is in turmoil, compound- ed by avisit fromthe President of the United States. As the daygoes by,wild


activity erupts on the streets while Packer watches help- lesslyashis empire collaps- es,and his growing paranoia leads him to piece together clues toamost terrifying secret: his imminent assassi- nation. It’s avisceral trip forcine- ma-goers.Dialogue is almost poetic and the majority of scenes take place in Packer’s limousine.Cocooned within, he conducts business meet- ings,meets lovers,eats, drinks,urinates and even has his dailycheck-up by a doctor. But it wasn’t the sex or vio- lence,oreven acertain prob- ing scene,thatfazed Pattinson. “The toughest part wasjust the first day,’’


he says. “The onlything I didn’t reallyknowhow to do, even when we started shoot- ing, was(say) the first line, whichis‘Iwantahaircut’.’’ Farfromfeeling embar- rassed by the scene in which he undergoes aprostate examination (while seducing his financial advisor), Pattinson says he wasexcited about it. “I mean it’s doing ascene


thatyou knowhas never been done before and is never going to be done again,’’ he says, laughing. Fresh fromCannes Film Festival(where photos of him kissing his Twilight co- star Kristen Stewart seemed to finallyconfirm one of the industry’s worst-kept secrets) andaEuropean tour promoting Cosmopolis, Pattinson looks tired. Wearing agrey t-shirt and


blue jacket, his hair’s charac- teristicallydishevelled and his chin’s covered in stubble. He takes regular sips of cof- fee while joking about the caffeine keeping him “wired’’.


Exhausted hemaybe, but


SCREEN STAR: Robert Pattinson moves away from Twilight for aCosmpolitan role It must seem like along


he’s still polite and downto earth, whichisnomean feat given the adoration he receives all over the world. He’s also passionate about


this film, despite knowing thatcertain film critics could be out to ‘get him’. Rubbing the backofhis head, he says, “(When) there’s someone who makes alot of noise early on when they’re young, it’s irritating to people.Icompletelyget it because Ijudge people the same way. “You have to earn respect.


As long as Ican keepmaking movies like this...’’ he says, trailing off.


time since he ventured to his local theatre club in Barnes, south-west London and took part in aproduction of Tess Of The d’Urbervilles. His performance landed


him an agent and arole as Reese Witherspoon’s son (they’d later playlovers in Water ForElephants)inthe 2004 big screen adaptation of Vanity Fair.His scene ended up on the cutting roomfloor and, according to rumour, the casting agent felt so bad fornot telling him about it thatshe put him forward for the role of the doomed golden boyCedric Diggory in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of


Fire.Three years later,he wascast asEdward Cullen. While Cullen is the archetyp- al brooding lead and his roles in RememberMeand Bel Ami have both seen him work his wide-set eyes to greateffect, he insists “the next fewthings I’m doing are all quite different’’. His latest projects have yet


to be titled buthereveals one is “actionyand funnyaswell, and the next one after thatis pretty strange’’. Anaccomplished musician,


Pattinson still wants to bring out an album“before I’m too old’’,but adds with agrin: “I’ve suddenlygot alittle bit re-invigorated by acting.’’


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