Rob Interview

Exclusive: I can't stay in same place for more than 20 minutes because of Twitter girls, reveals Twilight star Robert Pattinson

Aug 15 2009 Rick Fulton

Robert Pattinson

Twilight star Robert Pattinson finds being lusted after such hard work, he never stays in the same place for more than 20 minutes.

The 23-year-old Brit has become a sensation as the cold Edward Cullen in vampire movie Twilight.

This week, he took the Hottie award at the Teen Choice Awards - with Megan Fox winning the female equivalent - and was voted the sexiest man in the world ahead of Brad Pitt, and David Beckham in a Glamour magazine poll.

It means Robert is mobbed wherever he goes by screaming girls, especially since the explosion of social networking site Twitter.

"I can't remember what my normal life is like," he admitted in one of his quieter moments.

"Because of internet stuff and Twitter, there will be a crowd if you are in a place for more than half an hour.

"I've learned never to stay in the same place for more than 20 minutes."

He laughed, seemingly still amazed at the Beatles-like level of fandom he has following him.

While many would love that kind of adulation, anyone watching Robert when doing interviews will see he finds the situation difficult to deal with.

The actor, who become a teen pin-up as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter films The Goblet of Fire and The Order of the Phoenix, hates watching himself on screen and even had a panic attack at the premiere of Twilight.

"The biggest challenge is coping with the crowds," he admitted. "I am a quiet, private person. It's strange.You have to change a little bit.

"Walking down the street comes with screaming. I still can't watch myself either. I have always been like that. Watching myself at the Twilight premiere was a mistake.

"I had never watched anything of myself since Harry Potter.

"But I went to it because my whole family was coming to see it.

"Nothing comes other than this pure discomfort.

"I can't watch myself. I am just feeling everybody else's reaction. I can't handle that at all."

However, Robert claims he's not shy when he's on set - it's only when the film is finished he feels uncomfortable.

But he claims he doesn't care about how he looks, although he seems to be contradicting himself.

Surely if he didn't care, he would be happy to watch himself? He said: "It seems pointless watching it.You get a big ego or you become depressed. So I avoid it altogether."

Away from packed cinemas is also a difficult time for the actor - and not just because of ego. In June, he was hit by a taxi in NewYork while trying to run away from screaming girls.

During filming for Twilight follow-up New Moon, there were claims he was being protected by the NewYork police and Robert admits he prefers it when there are big crowds because there will be security on hand.

"But when you are by yourself, your paranoia runs and runs," he said.

Perhaps not the sentiment of the cool vampire he plays in Twilight and the sequel - which will be released in cinemas in November.

The film, already a huge hit as a book, took 11 gongs at the Teen Choice Awards, with Robert winning Best Hottie and Best Actor.

In the new film, there's a love triangle between vampire Edward, his human love-interest Bella - played by rumoured girlfriend Kirsten Stewart - and werewolf Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner.

In the film, Robert goes topless and again that awkwardness is apparent, despite the actor working as a model for four years.

"I was so uncomfortable doing it," he claimed. "It really is so embarrassing," he added with a laugh.

Since the success of Twilight, Robert has played surrealist painter Salvador Dali in Little Ashes and harrowing romantic drama Remember Me, which also stars former James Bond Pierce Brosnan, a film that is due out early next year.

Fresh from playing Edward again, what does Robert make of the character he's turned into one of the world's most famous vampires? "I like playing him," said Robert, who luckily doesn't like going out in the sun, so doesn't have to worry about spoiling his deathly vampire pallor with a suntan.

"I don't know if I like him as a person. "He is a little straight-laced for my liking. He is not rebellious. I think that should be respected."

Robert comes across as a little straight-laced himself, and it seems he wants to rebel on screen for the time being.

He was born in London and, as his mum worked for a modelling agency, it wasn't too much of a stretch to see him modelling at 12.

However, his modelling career only lasted for four years because he claimed he began to look so much older, rather than the teen he had been.

Robert had also taken up amateur dramatics at the Barnes Theatre Company and, in 2004, made his television debut in Ring of the Nibelungs and in the filmVanity Fair, although his scenes were deleted and only appear in the DVD version. His role in Harry Potter followed which had critics calling him the new Jude Law. Of course, yet again, he admitted he finds quotes such as this hard to take.

"I am not very good at taking complements," he revealed.

"I am one of those annoying people.

If someone tells me I gave a great performance, I say, 'oh, yeah, yeah' in a not very interested way.

"But if someone says I am bad or something, thenI agree with it - although I hate it at the same time."

With the first flush of fame, Robert admitted he did check the internet to read about himself and claims it became addictive.

But now he calls internet gossip "toxic" adding: "You can't let yourself be dictated to by anonymous faces."

Like Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, many people will find it hard to ever disentangle Robert with his character Edward.

And like Daniel, the Twilight star is happy, for the time being, for people to remember him for his vampire role.

He's certainly making sure it's not just in Twilight films we see him.

As well as Remember Me with Pierce Brosnan, Robert will be seen next year alongside Hugh Jackman in drama western Unbound Captives.

Director Brett Ratner also wants him for new comic movie Youngblood, which features a superhero team.

At last, showing a bit of steel, Robert said: "I don't think I have to prove anything to anyone.

"I don't expect anyone to give me any breaks.

"I am not one of those people who wants to scream 'give me a chance. I will show you what I can do.'"

"You know, I really don't care. "If you do this stuff, then the audience will respond. And if you can't actually play any other part, that's all right, too."

Luckily for Robert that doesn't look like being a problem