Robert Pattinson Used a ‘Boring Disguise’ to Avoid His ‘Twilight’ Fame

When Robert Pattinson was cast in Twilight he had no idea how much fame and notoriety the role would bring him. Thanks to his role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the actor had already experienced the intensity of a wildly popular film franchise. However, nothing could have prepared him for the mania that the five Twilight films would inspire.

Robert Pattinson didn’t realize how popular ‘Twilight’ was until after he was done filming the first movie

Pattinson’s first indication of how popular Twilight would become occurred when he was promoting the film at Comic-Con. He was confronted by thousands of screaming fans who were hanging on his every word before the film had even come out. Pattinson’s co-star, Nikki Reed, recalled being stunned by the hoards of screaming fans chasing Pattinson down the street at the event.

The ‘Harry Potter’ alum used a disguise when he was filming ‘New Moon’

But Comic-Con was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to Twilight’s popularity. The films, and Pattinson himself, would only grow in popularity as the franchise continued. In fact, The Lighthouse actor could scarcely go anywhere without being recognized and photographed. However, he did manage to successfully avoid recognition a few times with the help of a disguise and some acting skills. In an interview with TIME, Pattinson revealed how he was able to avoid detection from overzealous fans.

“In Vancouver, shooting New Moon, I tried something,” Pattinson recalled. “They have this thought that no one there wears hoods except for problem people. It’s the only city in the world where hoods are not fashionable. It’s like if you’re wearing a hood, you’re going to mug people. So it’s a boring disguise, but it worked when I wore a hood. And then I’d sort of spit on the ground a little bit and do a little bit of shaking around as you’re walking. Everyone moved around to the other side of the street.”

Pattinson felt that being followed restricted his freedom

Of course, Pattinson’s disguise didn’t work much for him when he wasn’t in Vancouver. However, the actor admits that he eventually adjusted to being recognized wherever he went. He shared that he was still able to go out and live his life. But while he adjusted to fans and the paparazzi taking photos of him, there was one part of his fame that negatively impacted his autonomy.

“You can go out,” Pattinson shared about his fame. “The only difficulty is when there are people waiting outside the exits where you are going. You will get followed. It’s the following that’s the worst part. If it’s just getting a photo taken outside the exit, that would be O.K. But it’s the following that takes away your freedom.”