Robert Pattinson reveals he almost quit acting due to Hollywood strikes and Covid-19 pandemic
Robert Pattinson is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but in a recent interview, the actor revealed that he almost quit the profession in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the labour strikes that brought the industry to a standstill in 2023.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Tenet star said that the whole period felt like the end for modern cinema and at his lowest moment, he considered moving on with his life.
“It’s strange because the last few years for the film industry, starting with COVID and then the strikes, everyone was constantly saying cinema is dying,” he said. “And quite convincingly. I was literally almost turned off. It actually started to get a little worrying.”
Pattinson’s debut role was as Cedric Diggory in 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and he shot to fame playing a sparkly vampire in the Twilight series.
After spending several years as a teen heartthrob, Pattinson sought roles with experimental auteurs like David Cronenberg and emerging directors like Robert Eggers, the Safdie brothers, and Brady Corbet.
In the last couple of years, however, Pattinson said he felt uninspired by Hollywood. “I mean, every actor for two years was saying, ‘What is happening? Nothing’s cool,'” he said. “Not saying that everything that came out wasn’t cool, but actually it was very studio. I don’t know what was going on really, what happened in the Saturn return or whatever it is, but now there’s really cool parts everywhere.”
One of those cool parts was the one that sees him returning to theatres later this year. Bong Joon Ho’s science fiction comedy Mickey 17 stars Pattinson as an expendable explorer who is designed to die and regenerate on an infinite loop. He also stars opposite Jennifer Lawrence in Lynne Ramsay’s comedy horror film Die, My Love.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.