After Robert Pattinson gave his performance as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, he was presented with a host of unconventional roles. He broke the film mold playing a sparkly vampire in the Twilight movies, followed by a self-righteous Reverend with a wild accent in The Devil All the Time and a brooding, reclusive Bruce Wayne in The Batman. After playing the Dark Knight and other weird characters throughout his career, Pattinson is now explaining what it would be like to play a normal guy.
One of Pattinson’s best qualities is that he’s not afraid to get weird for a role. No matter how odd the scenario is, like playing multiple copies of himself in Mickey 17 or navigating chaos as the tortured protector of Gotham City, each role continues to make the British actor a standout. Despite being able to pull off weird roles, it doesn’t mean the talented actor wouldn’t like to set those roles aside for a bit and just play a normal guy. While talking to Icon (which shared quotes to Instagram), Pattinson how he’d feel about playing an average Joe:
At one point, I really wanted to play some normal guys. And it’s actually kind of difficult to play a normal person when you’re used to playing freaks and stuff.
I can understand how challenging it must be to continuously play weird characters. Even if an actor has the talent to portray them flawlessly, as Pattinson does, I’d imagine a star wouldn’t want those roles to define their career.
While there’s no denying that Robert Pattinson has his share of bizarre roles, he’s got a whole bunch of movies that have proven he’s more than Twilight. The bankable actor played a NYC college student grappling with trauma in Remember Me, a small-time criminal in Good Time, and a veterinarian who joins a circus troupe in Water for Elephants, to name a few. None of these parts delved into the fantasy genre or were about kicking ass in a cape. All of those characters were simply relatable figures that called for somewhat more grounded performances from Pattinson.
Of course, The Batman: Part II is entering production in the spring, so Pattinson will don the cape and cowl again. However, his next role may see him playing a normal guy. In the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation Die, My Love, Pattinson portrays a new father who’s forced to deal with his wife developing psychosis as a result of postpartum depression.
While it’s known that Pattinson will partake in freestyle dance scene with Jennifer Lawrence in his latest film, the trailer showed the Tenet actor’s character displaying intense behavior due to his wife’s erraticism. So, even if Pattinson isn’t playing a grandiose role, he could still be channeling all kinds of strangeness with his latest character.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s enjoyable watching Robert Pattinson play quirky characters, but it would be refreshing to see him play somewhat more normal people down the road. But until then, we can still look forward to The Lighthouse actor’s fearless dive into the eccentric, which reminds us why he’s one of the most skillful performers working today. Make sure to see Pattinson in the 2025 movie release Die, My Love, which hits theaters on November 7th.