To Robert Pattinson, the Twilight phenomenon feels like a distant memory. "I love that people keep telling me, 'Man, Twilight ruined the vampire genre,'" the actor shared in a recent interview with GQ Spain. "Are you still stuck on that s---? How can you be sad about something that happened almost 20 years ago? It's crazy."
While the first film in the Twilight saga isn’t quite two decades old—it premiered in 2008—the franchise remains culturally relevant, something Pattinson still finds surprising. "I find it hard to believe the cultural relevance these films maintain because they are so old," he said. "The first one was released in 2008, f---!"
At just 19, Pattinson began his journey into the supernatural world of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, with the first book debuting in 2005. By the time the first film hit theaters, he was 22 and skyrocketed to fame as the brooding vampire Edward Cullen. The series, which spanned five films, turned him and his co-star Kristen Stewart into international superstars.
Yet, as Pattinson reflected, his Twilight fame was a double-edged sword. While it propelled him into the spotlight, it also pigeonholed him as a teen heartthrob. "I think this renaissance has emerged in Korea and it's happened a bit like with K-pop," he said, likening Twilight’s newfound resurgence to the global rise of Korean pop culture.
Before Twilight, Pattinson had already played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire—his second-ever film role. But it was Twilight that cemented his status in Hollywood. Once his five-film commitment was complete, he pivoted toward more independent and art-house projects, collaborating with renowned directors such as Claire Denis, Werner Herzog, David Cronenberg, and the Safdie brothers.
While Pattinson's career has since evolved, he’s never shied away from sharing his thoughts on the franchise that made him famous. Over the years, he’s been both critical and reflective about Twilight and its fandom.
During a Q&A in 2008, Pattinson jokingly sided with Team Jacob, Taylor Lautner’s character, over his own, quipping, "Jacob is way more interesting... If you have a girlfriend that’s like Edward... yeah, you’re hot and everything, but just shut up."
In a 2011 profile with Vanity Fair, he struggled to understand the fandom surrounding the series. "It does have an angle which is attached to something quite primal in girls," he remarked. "I think people really just like being part of a crowd." Even in 2018, he told Variety that he felt creatively stunted by the series, saying, "I stopped mentally progressing around the time when I started doing those movies."
However, his perspective has softened over time. By 2019, Pattinson reflected on the experience with a sense of nostalgia, telling PEOPLE, "Now that the intensity has died down, [it’s] just very warm memories."
As Pattinson continues to embrace bold, transformative roles—including his turn as Bruce Wayne in The Batman—he remains reflective yet ready to move beyond Twilight. For him, it’s clear: those vampire days are well in the past.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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