Robert Pattinson has once again expressed his dislike for the character that made him a household name: Edward Cullen from the Twilight series. While Pattinson’s career has since evolved with major roles in films like The Batman and Tenet, his portrayal of the brooding vampire Edward in the Twilight saga remains one of his most famous roles, despite his complicated feelings toward it.
The Twilight series, which began with the release of the first film in 2008, follows Edward Cullen, a 108-year-old vampire attending high school, who falls in love with Bella Swan, a 17-year-old girl. The series quickly became a global phenomenon, resulting in four sequels and a massive fanbase. However, Pattinson has been open about his dissatisfaction with the character and the storylines.
In a 2008 interview with Empire Magazine, Pattinson revealed that reading the Twilight books left him frustrated with his character, calling Edward “the most ridiculous person.” He explained that Edward was portrayed as perfect in every way, a character who was “amazing at everything.” Pattinson found it hard to connect with such an idealized figure and decided to portray him as “a manic-depressive who hates himself,” noting the character’s awkward situation as a “108-year-old virgin.”
Pattinson even joked about the surreal aspects of Edward’s persona, admitting that the over-the-top nature of the books made him feel disconnected from the character. “When you read the book, it’s like, ‘Edward Cullen was so beautiful I creamed myself.’ I mean, every line is like that,” he remarked, expressing his confusion about why fans were so enamored with Edward.
Even as the franchise grew in popularity, Pattinson maintained a critical stance. During the promotion of New Moon in 2009, he shared with OK! Magazine that the “nice guy” characters tend to finish last, while someone like Edward—who he jokingly described as “probably an axe murderer” in real life—was attracting an unusual amount of attention from fans.
Pattinson also voiced his confusion about the Twilight universe itself. He questioned the logic of characters like Edward continuing to attend high school despite being centuries old, admitting that many aspects of the world didn’t make much sense to him.
Despite his discomfort with the role, there’s no denying that Twilight catapulted Pattinson to fame. However, it’s clear that his feelings toward his portrayal of Edward Cullen remain complex and, at times, far from enthusiastic.
