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Robert Pattinson may not have known it at the time, but auditioning for Edward Cullen would completely change the course of his life. Though Pattinson had been a part of a popular film franchise before, having portrayed Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter movies, nothing could have prepared him for the fanfare of Twilight.

Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart, Stephenie Meyer, and Robert Pattinson walk the red carpet of the final Twilight movies
Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart, Stephenie Meyer, and Robert Pattinson | Christopher Polk/Getty Images

The cast of Twilight has been candid about the fact that they weren’t expecting the film to be a huge hit. In fact, Pattinson has stated many times that he felt that there was good chance that nobody would ever see the film. He actually accepted the role because he thought it would be a good opportunity to teach himself how to act.

Robert Pattinson thought his ‘Twilight’ audition was pointless

Even though Pattinson didn’t know how big the film would get, he was still plenty nervous about his audition for Twilight. In fact, he nearly psyched himself out of the role because he felt that his appearance wouldn’t allow him to be seriously considered for the part. Fans of the books will recall that Edward’s physical beauty is a key part of his allure and Pattinson didn’t think that he looked the part.

“I was literally embarrassed walking into the audition,” Pattinson revealed to Vanity Fair back in 2008. “I had no idea how to play Edward at all. I thought that even going into the audition was completely pointless, because they were just going to cast a model or something. I felt it was kind of arrogant of me to even go in. I was almost having a full-on panic attack before I went to the screen test.”

‘The Batman’ star recalls the casting process for the movie

Another thing that contributed to Pattinson’s nerves was Kristen Stewart. Prior to Twilight, Stewart was already making a name for herself in the entertainment industry. She’d starred in films like Panic Room and Speak and Pattinson was a bit intimidated by her because he felt that she was a serious actor. Fortunately, Stewart’s serious demeanor actually helped Pattinson come across better to casting.

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“Casting was really easygoing, and Kristen is also very cool, but at the same time there is something very, very serious about her,” Pattinson revealed about his Twilight co-star. “I really wasn’t expecting the girl who plays Bella to be like her at all. Her professionalism made me keep my mouth shut whenever I wasn’t acting. It further gave the illusion of being serious.”

Pattinson took the first ‘Twilight’ movie very seriously

Obviously, Pattinson eventually landed the part. But he was hesitant to give up on the seriousness with which he approached Twilight. The Batman star has shared that for a long stint of time, he refused to talk to anyone on set about anything other than the film. He also is to thank for how brooding Edward is. The actor may have been embarrassed to audition for Edward Cullen, but clearly, things worked out for him in the long run.

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