We caught up with the star-crossed lover leads Kristen Stewart and Brit actor Robert Pattinson to find out more.
“I’m overwhelmed every single time,” says an incredulous looking Robert Pattinson. The subject this budding heartthrob is discussing is the screaming fans that greet his every premiere appearance – and he’s really not getting used to it. “I don’t know why I’m not getting used to it because it’s happening everywhere we go,” he adds with a laugh, “but I don’t think anyone can.”
Mind you, that’s better than the alternative reaction. “They’d probably kill us,” agrees Robert. “In fact, they’d definitely kill us.”
The fans in question are the devoted followers of Stephanie Meyer’s vampire romance saga, Twilight (and its subsequent sequels). The story focuses on moody, brooding vampire Edward Cullen (Pattinson) and 21st Century, small town outsider Bella (Stewart). It’s a gothic flavoured tale of forbidden love and has developed a passionate following. It’s not, as Kristen is quick to point out, a teen romance. “I mean, one of our characters is 108 years old…”
“I knew it appealed to a group of people, but I had no idea how widespread they were,” explains Kristen. “I thought I was one of them initially but then I realised I wasn’t as crazy as most of them. I thought we were making kind of a cult film, I didn’t realise we’d have to come to London…”
Happily the fans have been appeased by a film that clearly captures the spirit of the novel, due in no small part to the leads’ on-screen chemistry. Was that a natural thing or something you could develop?
“Sometimes I used to go to Kristen’s bedroom, naked,” reveals Robert. He is, as the grin confirms, joking. “I don’t know,” he continues, pondering the chemistry question a little longer. “It’s funny because for all of the romantic scenes we’re both wearing contact lenses. So much of being an actor is eye contact, and we both had these ‘masks’ on our eyeballs, so we worried that there wouldn’t be any (chemistry).”
There clearly is though, which has lead to a box office of approx $200m and counting, plus, by the looks of it, at least one sequel.
“I believe we start at the beginning of next year,” reveals Kristen. A very happy Kristen, as it turns out. With a background in smaller films, Kristen doesn’t usually get to explore a character for such a long time. “I usually only get six weeks, and I have this huge grieving process after!” she confesses. “This time I get to play Bella for an incredibly long time. It’s rather exciting.”
Robert is slightly more daunted though, and aware of the extra pressure that the sequel could bring. He’s already noticed some changes in his life.
“In my head I don’t think I’ve changed that much,” he explains “but it’s just the little weird things, like people following you to your house… but it seems so separate still. At the premieres people scream but I can go on the tube and have nobody know who I am.”
Something tells us that anonymity isn’t going to last much longer…
Twilight is on general release from 19th December.
