Robert Pattinson has had an amazing turnaround in Hollywood in recent times in a way that few actors get to have. From being dismissed as the pretty, wooden lead for a franchise for teen girls, to disappearing for years from big budget films to star in indie dramas, to now earning rave reviews for his performance in The Lighthouse, and to building excitement for his upcoming lead roles in Christopher Nolan’s next film and The Batman under Matt Reeves, Pattinson’s professional star is shining brighter than ever. And in a recent interview, he credited his role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for kickstarting the whole thing.
Speaking to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, he said:
I remember going to Tokyo for the first time and sitting in my room, looking out over the city and being like ‘How has this happened?’ It was really special and I really like that movie … I wouldn’t be acting if it wasn’t for that.
It was a really nice environment on Harry Potter. Even compared to movies I’ve done since, it was very protected, the way the kids were treated. I’ve watched movies where you see a kid who’s got their tutor and it doesn’t exactly seem like they’re really going to school. I mean, it’s just kind of [like] they are fulfilling a legal requirement. But in Harry Potter, it was like they were at school and they were kind of doing work at the same time.
Pattinson played the role of Cedric Diggory in the fourth Harry Potter film, an older, more handsome and athletic rival for Harry who ends up becoming his ally before tragically getting killed at the hands of Lord Voldemort’s servant Peter Pettigrew. Although the part only lasted for that one film, it was the first introduction the world had to Pattinson and led to other work in Hollywood, culminating the first phase of his journey in big budget films when he landed the male lead role of Edward Cullen in Twilight, a franchise that went on to almost rival Harry Potter in terms of popularity in the U.S.
Now, Robert Pattinson has returned to the blockbuster format an older, wiser actor, who’s for the first time better known for his acting prowess and commitment to his craft rather than his looks. But it’s good to see he still reflects on the start of his journey to stardom fondly. And, that like other cast members, has positive memories of his time on Harry Potter, since he’s famously proven in the past that he won’t shy away from criticizing a franchise, even if it’s one he himself’s spearheading.
