Robert Pattinson Not ‘Interested in Trying to Sell My Personal Life’
ABCNews
Robert Pattinson today adhered to his pact of staying mum on the cheating scandal that resulted in his breakup with his longtime love and “Twilight” co-star Kristen Stewart, preferring instead to take on the culture of stardom and the public’s fascination with celebrities.
“If you get used to it I think you start going crazy,” Pattinson said on “Good Morning America” of the fame that has followed him since he first starred in the “Twilight” franchise. “It’s like being on the craziest theme park ride. It’s totally exciting but, eventually, at some point you have to have a break.”
Watch video of the interview at http://news.yahoo.com/video#video=30284354
Pattinson, 26, has taken a break and kept a low profile, reportedly retreating to the home of former co-star Reese Witherspoon, since learning last month that Stewart, 22, had had an affair with her married “Snow White and the Huntsman” director, Rupert Sanders.
The British actor has emerged this week for the first time only to make a round of media appearances to promote his new film, “Cosmopolis,” but has made no direct mention of Stewart or how he is coping with the breakup.
“I’ve never been interested in trying to sell my personal life and that’s really the only reason people bring it up,” Pattinson said today on “GMA.” “The reason you go on to TV is to promote movies. That’s the only way to do it.”
Pattinson and Stewart were known for keeping their real-life romance low-key for the three years they dated, never publicly confirming that they were a couple and only recently letting themselves be photographed while on dates. After Us Weekly broke the news of the Stewart and Sanders’ affair with a photo of them kissing on its cover, Stewart issued a rare public apology.
“I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I’ve caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected,” she said in a statement to People. “This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I’m so sorry.”
In an appearance on the “Daily Show” earlier this week Pattinson told host Jon Stewart that his biggest problem in life is that, “I’m cheap, and I didn’t hire a publicist,” a sly reference to Stewart’s public appeal.
Today on “GMA,” Pattinson spoke more seriously about the impact of what he calls the “spin culture” in society today.
“If you took away publicists and things and people spoke for themselves, then they’d be responsible for their words,” he said. “I do have a manager who’s a de-facto publicist. He gives great advice so I can disregard it.”
In “Cosmopolis,” Pattinson portrays Eric Packer, a 28-year-old multibillionaire who attempts to cross Manhattan in his white stretch limousine, encountering gridlock traffic and violent protests, all in search of a haircut.
The starring role is a darker turn for the actor than his legion of “Twilight” fans might be used to, but it’s one to which Pattinson said he relates.
“I’ve always found this connection with the idea of finding it difficult to live in the present,” he said. “I always felt I was living in the future and as soon as I was reading that, that’s a lot of what Eric Packer’s problem is, he feels like he’s living in the future. And he’s not being able to totally feel. There’s a lot of similarities to an actor’s life. It’s strange.”
As for those screaming fans, Pattinson said he can’t understand what draws their attention to him, as opposed to people like the fictional Packer who hold real power through their wealth.
“I can’t really tell what is interesting about actors, either,” he said. “People don’t find the personal lives of people with much, much more power than any celebrity would have, they don’t find their personal lives interesting. I think if you put the lives of people who control billions of dollars on the front page of every single paper, I think the world would be a better place.”
