Robert Pattinson biography

What followed was a shot at the film Twilight. His audition for the role of Edward Cullen, a century-old vampire in love, took place in the bedroom of the movie's director Catherine Hardwicke. Pattinson wowed both Hardwicke and his future co-star, Kristen Stewart, with his performance. "Everybody came in doing something empty and shallow and thoughtless," Stewart told GQ. "But Rob understood that it wasn't a frivolous role."

And yet,

for the legions of Twilight readers??17 million and counting since the book's debut in 2005??who had waited breathlessly for the movie adaptation, Robert Pattinson's casting as the perfectly gorgeous Cullen struck a nerve. There were calls for a boycott of the film and 75,000 fans signed a petition asking he be removed from the cast.

Pattinson, who admits he was anxious about the part, seemed to take the criticism in stride. "They had this picture from a Viking film [I did]," he said. "I looked like somebody beat me in the face. I was wearing this disgusting wig, and they were like, 'This is Edward.'"

To live up to the expectations, Pattinson poured himself into his character. He showed up in Oregon, where the movie was filmed, months in advance of the shooting to work out with a trainer and dissect the script and other work from Twilight's author, Stephenie Meyer. In the end, the hard work and the original choice to go with Pattinson paid off. In the movie's first weekend, box office receipts totaled nearly $70 million and its leading man was catapulted into heartthrob status among the film's most adoring fans.

The film also served as a reminder that Pattinson, a guitar and keyboard player who loves Van Morrison, hasn't quite given up on his music aspirations. The Twilight soundtrack includes two songs by the actor. And there's additional Pattinson music on the soundtrack to another recent film of his, How To Be.

Still, the screen seems to be where Pattinson's true future lies. On the heels of his Twilight success came the film, Little Ashes, which stars the actor in a meaty role as a young Salvador Dali. Pattinson then reunited with his Twilight cast for New Moon (2009), as well as three more films, 2010's The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and parts 1 and 2 of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.

Between filming the Twilight series' later films, Pattinson worked on such notable films as 2010's Remember Me and 2011's Water for Elephants, in which he stars alongside Reese Witherspoon. In 2012, Pattinson landed one of his most challenging roles yet, playing young billionaire Eric Packer in the drama Cosmopolis, which met with early success from audiences and critics alike. The film, directed by David Cronenberg, also stars Juliette Binoche, Paul Giamatti and Samantha Morton.

© 2009 A&E Television Networks. All Rights Reserved.

© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.