Robert Pattinson clearly isn't just another flavor of the week. He may be a teen idol, but it's looking increasingly less likely that he's going to fade into obscurity like the many hunky actors before him who just couldn't transition into more serious roles.
Just look at his track record. At 26 years old, he's already appeared in two of the highest-grossing movie franchises of the past decade (Twilight and Harry Potter). He's been named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine, and he's even made the prestigious Forbes Celebrity 100 list. And now this week he has two movies coming out on the same day: David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis and the historical drama Bel Ami, co-starring Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas.
So what makes RPattz different from other heartthrobs? Sure, he has legions of devoted female fans. But so did a lot of hunky actors who are now washed up (cough, cough, Devon Sawa, Luke Perry and Jared Leto, cough, cough).
There's something about Pattinson that's a little bit different. He seems to take his career seriously, and he doesn't appear to be getting sucked up into the fame vacuum. He's not a regular on the young Hollywood party circuit, and at this point it looks as though he's managed to avoid some of the more toxic trappings of fame. We have yet to see mugshots of him splashed across TMZ following a DUI debacle, a la Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes and a number of other young stars.
It probably doesn't hurt that his main squeeze, Kristen Stewart, appears to be equally focused on advancing her career. They can push each other forward instead of serving as mutual distractions.
Still not convinced? Here are five more reasons why P-Patz just might have staying power.
1. He played a sexy vampire, following in the footsteps of some of Hollywood's most enduring stars like Brad Pitt (Interview with the Vampire), Tom Cruise (ditto), Hugh Jackman (Van Helsing) and Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys).
2. Water for Elephants may have tanked at the box office, but he's in good company when it comes to leading men costarring in Reese Witherspoon stinkers: Paul Rudd & Owen Wilson (How Do You Know), Chris Pine & Tom Hardy (This Means War) and Vince Vaughn (Four Christmases).
3. He's starring in a David Cronenberg movie (Cosmopolis), and Cronenberg doesn't work with just anyone. Pattinson is joining an impressive club that includes Viggo Mortensen (A History of Violence), Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method), Jeff Goldblum (The Fly), Ralph Fiennes (Spider), Jeremy Irons (Dead Ringers), James Spader (Crash) and James Woods (Videodrome).
4. He's British, and those Brits take their acting seriously. (Want proof? Check out the cast of The Wire, one of the most critically acclaimed series in recent history. Several of the most prominent cast members hail from across the pond. McNulty? Check. [Dominic West, Sheffield.] Stringer Bell? Check. [Idris Elba, London.] Mayor Carcetti? Check. [Aidan Gillen, Dublin.]) Maybe it's something in the water.
5. He's been described as "a bit of a weirdo" (in a good way!) by New Moon director Chris Weitz. This bodes well for his future career. After all, some of Hollywood's most respected actors are a tad eccentric. Think Johnny Depp, John Malkovich and Daniel Day Lewis, to name a few.
Marshall Fine: Movie Review: Bel Ami
He will go just the way of Devon Sawa, Luke Perry etc...
Why? Because Twi-hards will grow up and some one and some other franchise will dominate.
To me he is not that handsome or an exceptional talent. 90% of the time he looks under some influence(s) to me.
Robert Pattinson is a literate individual who favors movie adaptations of books. He seems to put a great deal of thought into his roles. He is also grateful for the opportunities he has and that is something that Hollywood appreciates. So if he is successful in the long term, I doubt it can be attributed to his nationality or his co-stars. He's intelligent, hard-working and treats people well.