Robert Pattinson, the heartthrob of Hollywood who rose to fame through his role in the Twilight saga, faced skepticism from the studio during the casting process for the iconic role of Edward, according to revelations by the film’s director, Catherine Hardwicke.
In a recent interview on the Watchalong podcast, Hardwicke disclosed that the studio behind the franchise was initially hesitant about casting Pattinson due to concerns about his appearance.
Recounting Pattinson’s audition, she explained, “When he came over to my house, he had black bangs for hair and was kind of out of shape because he was hanging out at the pub all the time. I thought, ‘It works not just in person, but it works on screen.’ I had to be sure. Of course, in person, I just got carried away, but you have to be sure — does it really translate [to the screen]?”
Despite Hardwicke’s confidence in Pattinson’s potential, Summit Entertainment, the studio overseeing the project, was not entirely convinced. After Pattinson’s “fun auditions” with co-star Kristen Stewart, the footage was presented to Summit Entertainment, who expressed doubts.
Hardwicke recalled, “They called me back and said, ‘Do you think you can make this guy look good?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I do. Did you see his cheekbones? We’re doing a makeover on the hair and everything, and he’s going to start working out, and he’s going to be gorgeous.’ But they didn’t believe it at first. He walked over there with a stained shirt… It was Rob.”
Eventually, Pattinson secured the role, and the Twilight saga became a global phenomenon. Hardwicke also disclosed that the final four contenders for the role of Edward were Pattinson, Ben Barnes, Shiloh Fernandez, and Jackson Rathbone. Although Rathbone didn’t land the role of Edward, he went on to portray Jasper in the saga.
