Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson is an English actor. Known for starring in both major studio productions and independent films, he often portrays eccentric characters across a diverse range of genres. Pattinson has been ranked among the world's highest-paid actors and his works have grossed over $4.7 billion worldwide. In 2010, Time included him in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and he was also featured in the Forbes Celebrity 100.
Born and raised in London, Pattinson started acting at age thirteen in a London theatre club. He made early screen appearances in supporting roles, including in Vanity Fair (2004), and played Cedric Diggory in the fantasy film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) before making his debut as a leading actor in The Haunted Airman (2006). Pattinson achieved global recognition as Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga film series. Its five films—released yearly between 2008 and 2012—collectively grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide. Pattinson also led the romantic dramas Remember Me (2010) and Water for Elephants (2011).
Pattinson subsequently began working in independent films from auteur directors. He was praised for his performances in David Cronenberg's drama Cosmopolis (2012), James Gray's adventure drama The Lost City of Z (2016), the Safdie brothers' crime drama Good Time (2017), Claire Denis's science fiction drama High Life (2018) and Robert Eggers's psychological horror The Lighthouse (2019). Pattinson then returned to big-budget mainstream cinema, starring as a spy handler in Christopher Nolan's thriller Tenet (2020), the titular superhero in Matt Reeves's superhero film The Batman (2022), and an expendable astronaut in Bong Joon-ho's science fiction film Mickey 17 (2025).
Pattinson has also contributed vocals to several film soundtracks. He is involved in philanthropy, supporting organisations such as the GO Campaign. Pattinson began modelling as a child and has served as the face of Dior Homme fragrance since 2013. Labelled as a sex symbol by the media, he is frequently called one of the most attractive actors; People included Pattinson on its list of the "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2008 and 2009. He has been in a relationship with singer and actress Suki Waterhouse since 2018, with whom he has a child.
