Robert Pattinson, the 40-year-old British actor who rose to fame as Edward Cullen in the Twilight Saga, is now being hailed as a standout in Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. The $250 million blockbuster is considered the most anticipated film of the year and an early frontrunner for the 2027 Best Picture Oscar.
Pattinson plays Antinous, the villainous suitor to Penelope (Anne Hathaway), in the absence of her husband Odysseus (Matt Damon). Critics who have seen the film before the review embargo lifts next Wednesday have lavished praise on his performance. US critic Erik Davis wrote: 'He absolutely stole the show for me. So conniving, manipulative and endlessly entertaining to watch.' Supporting actor Oscar speculation is rampant, with many seeing this as another bold choice in a career defined by artistic risks.
Pattinson compares The Odyssey to Twilight
At the film's world premiere in London on Monday, Pattinson drew comparisons between the 3,000-year-old epic and the Twilight Saga. 'I keep comparing it,' he said. '[Antinous] is kind of like Jacob in Twilight. What The Odyssey is about – Penelope just can't make her mind up between the two guys. And I'm just trying to, like, help her make a decision. It's like, 'It's fine. He's dead, get over it.''
In the four Twilight films, Pattinson played Edward Cullen, a vampire locked in a love triangle with Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). The series grossed $3.36 billion worldwide. Pattinson and Stewart dated for four years after meeting on set.
From teen idol to arthouse darling
After Twilight, Pattinson deliberately chose unconventional roles in films by directors such as David Cronenberg (Cosmopolis), the Safdie brothers (Good Time), Claire Denis (High Life), and Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse). Variety's chief critic Guy Lodge said: 'For a long time, they were the industry's joint poster children for the teen idol turned serious actor arc. When he followed up the last Twilight chapter by lining up films from David Cronenberg, Werner Herzog, the Safdie brothers, James Gray, Claire Denis and so on, he couldn't have stated his artistic aspirations any more emphatically.'
Veteran film journalist Steven Gaydos added: 'He's a real movie star, and that was clear the minute he appears in the first Twilight. Hardwicke did the movie world a big favour when she put Pattinson together with Stewart, as their mutual star power obscured the franchise's loopy werewolves-and-vampires silliness and kept the focus on love and heat between two major new charismatic movie stars.'
Upcoming projects and personal life
Pattinson's upcoming films include Dune 3 (also starring Zendaya), Primetime (a low-budget drama about the TV show To Catch a Predator), and a second outing as Batman in Matt Reeves' DC sequel. He has a young daughter with long-term girlfriend Suki Waterhouse. Lodge noted: 'He's drifted back toward commercial cinema, but he's now a looser, more interesting actor for his arthouse dabblings.'
Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw described Pattinson's performance in The Odyssey as 'saturnine, faintly reptilian and odious … an out-and-out bad guy, to which his haughty aristocratic looks lend themselves.' Gaydos sees Pattinson as inheriting 'the cheekbones and chops of Hollywood golden era leading men like Robert Taylor and Tyrone Power,' while Bradshaw compares him to Alan Rickman for his devilish sense of fun and nice-guy reputation off-screen.
