Meet Robert Pattinson
(Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Robert Pattinson is one of the few newcomers to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with previous acting experience. He plays all-round nice guy Cedric Diggory, one of two Hogwarts students chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Harry Potter fans understand why Cedric won't be returning for future Harry Potter films, but we won't spoil the secret. Pattinson, whose 19th birthday is May 13, spoke with Weekly Reader on the set of the movie.
How did this role come about?
It's not very interesting. Basically I did an audition.
Was it an open-call audition, like some of the others?
No, it wasn't an open call. I basically started acting professionally about two years now. I was doing another film last Christmas [2003], and just before I left for that, I met [director] Mike Newell. I don't know how my agent managed to get that. I was the first person to be seen for any part because I was leaving. The day I came back, I got a call back. I got the part about a week later.
Were you a big Harry Potter fan before getting the part?
I can't say I was. I wasn't not a fan. I hadn't read any of the books or anything. I read The Goblet of Fire when I was doing the other film, and I really liked that. I got through it in about two days. I'd say I'm a pretty big fan now.
How old were you when you knew you wanted to become an actor?
I still haven't really decided to be an actor. I started doing plays, like amateur plays, when I was about 15 or 16.
Are there any other performers in the family?
My sister is in a band. She's a singer. She's a songwriter now.
Would you rather play a bad guy?
It's quite fun being right all the time and having everyone genuinely respecting you because you spend your entire life doing the right thing rather than taking the easy way out.
Are you much different from your character in real life?
Not hugely. When I read the book, I was like, yeah, I could see myself doing this. He's probably more polite than I am most of the time. He has his moments of being annoying, but he's just kind of an average guy but, on the whole, he does the right thing, so I suppose he's quite similar to me.
What scene have you enjoyed the most?
I really liked the maze scene. The entire maze was made with these high–really, really tall–massive hedges, and they're all hydraulically operated. You could actually get squeezed in by these hedges and you could be chased around. That was genuinely scary.
Have you clicked with anyone on the set? Who do you hang out with?
I started on the same day as Stan, who's [Viktor] Krum. I'm pretty close friends with him now. I'm pretty close friends with the twins, Ron's brothers. Everyone's really nice. I get along with everyone because it's such a long time between shooting. You're forced to get to know people.
What are the girls like?
The girls are great.
What is Emma Watson like in real life?
She's really, really cool. She seems so much older than she is.
Are there any actors you really admire?
Jack Nicholson, definitely. I aspire to be Jack Nicholson. I love every single mannerism. I used to try and be him in virtually everything I did, I don't know why. I watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest when I was about 13, and I dressed like him. I tried to do his accent. I did everything like him. I think it's kind of stuck with me.
