Robert Pattinson has finally escaped the clutches of his Edward Cullen role from Twilight after he starred in several critically acclaimed films, such as Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse (2019) and his first superhero stint in Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022).
While the actor’s career saw a breakthrough in the famed Stephenie Meyer franchise and even the Harry Potter films, Pattinson wanted to try something different that still commanded global attention. This was when he attempted to audition for Michael Bay’s Transformers sequel, Revenge of the Fallen.
Robert Pattinson Ruined Transformers Audition By Using Fake Accent
In a candid interview with GQ, The Devil All The Time star Robert Pattinson recalled how he botched his tryout for a role in Michael Bay’s 2009 blockbuster film. Because he was conscious of his British accent, Pattinson adapted an American tone. He shared:
“They’d always question it: ‘We’re worried about the accent…’ So I used to always come in as a different person, an American. I’d say, ‘Hi, I’m from Michigan.’ But then I was doing an audition for Transformers 2, right after Twilight had come out, and I went in as some guy from Denver.”
Pattinson ditched his accent to prove that he could deliver roles that required an American sound, but this only led to confusion that ultimately left a negative impression on the casting director. The actor continued:
“And they called my agent and were like, ‘What’s wrong with him? Why was he doing an improv? A really boring improv?’”
This was a learned lesson for the Cosmopolis actor, who started going on auditions as himself for better or worse. Despite his fame and influence, Pattinson still believes it was all just luck that brought him to stardom. He reflected on how “bad” he is at auditions:
“If I hadn’t gotten really lucky, and had instead been forced to audition all these years, I wouldn’t have a career at all. I’m so bad at it.”
Obviously, the Twilight star missed his opportunity to become part of the Transformers franchise, though the turn of events led him to the path where he would become the Caped Crusader.
Robert Pattinson Kept His Batman Audition A Secret
For his Batman tryout, Robert Pattinson shared a funny anecdote about how Christopher Nolan, the director of The Dark Knight trilogy, knew he was vying for the role. Speaking with Irish Times, the 37-year-old English star admitted he would excuse himself while filming for Nolan’s Tenet. Pattinson said:
“It’s funny because Chris is so secretive about everything to do with his movies, and then I had to be really secretive about Batman stuff. So, I had to lie to Chris about having to go for a screen test — I said I had a family emergency. And as soon as I said, ‘It’s a family emergency,’ he said, ‘You’re doing the Batman audition, aren’t you?’”
Even Nolan knows Pattinson is the perfect actor for the new version of Batman, and this time, he did not spoil his audition. Matt Reeves’ The Batman earned over $771 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 2022.
Sources: GQ, Irish Times
