Robert Pattinson may want to pull a Men in Black and forget Twilight ever existed, but Jamie Campbell Bower can’t help but praise the franchise he had a small role in.
Bower played the role of Caius in New Moon and both parts of Breaking Dawn, and he recently revisited that chapter of his life in an interview with Rolling Stone.
Talking about whether his roles in Twilight and Harry Potter prepared him for the hype surrounding Stranger Things, Bower replied, “I would definitely agree with that.” He went on to add,
Something like ‘Twilight’ was culturally massive, but because I was a smaller part, I was on the periphery and sort of able to step in and out and see it all from a really incredible vantage point. You know, that did give me the tools to be, like, ‘This isn’t about me.’ It’s never about any actor. Anybody could have played this part. I’m just fortunate that it was me.
Despite Pattinson’s aversion to the films that made him a worldwide sensation, the franchise did go on to make a whopping $3.3 billion at the box office (via The Numbers), and Bower sure appreciates what playing the ancient leader of Volturi did for his career.
What the Twilight Role Meant to Jamie Campbell Bower
Back when The Twilight Saga: New Moon was first released in 2009, Bower sat down for an interview with The Cinephiliac, talking about the film and what it meant to him. He was joined by his co-star, Edi Gathegi.
When asked what his expectations were going into and coming out of the franchise, he explained the pros of doing a film with “such publicity“. In his words,
You are able to be seen for roles that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to be seen for and for me as a young actor who isn’t developed yet and haven’t completely nailed my own style of acting yet means I have to up my game, big time and really focus on every single audition that I go in to.
Especially working with people who have been longer in the industry than Bower, it pushed the actor to give the character his all and prove himself. Talking about the love people have given the Twilight films, Bower said,
It’s bizarre and it’s amazing that people love the work so much and we can understand that people are not screaming for you as a person their screaming for the film, they’re there because of the movie and because of the work and that’s great. If we can be there and represent the film and they’re happy, I’m happy.
Clearly, the franchise meant, and still means, a lot to Bower, who is now taking the world by storm with his role as Vecna.
Every Time Robert Pattinson Was Twilight‘s Number 1 Hater
Twilight may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and the franchise sure has its fair share of haters. However, we doubt there is anyone out there who is more appalled by the films than the man who once had “the skin of a killer“, Pattinson himself.
Pattinson’s dislike for the films was evident from the get-go. After the first instalment came out, he got backlash for suggesting that Stephanie Meyer’s books shouldn’t have been published in the first place.
He even stated that the book was “uncomfortable” to read, before adding, “When I read it, I was convinced Stephenie was convinced she was Bella and it was like it was a book that wasn’t supposed to be published. It was like reading her s*xual fantasy, especially when she said it was based on a dream” (via ComingSoon).
Pattinson even called Meyer “mad“, stating,
Like some things about Edward are so specific, I was just convinced, like, ‘This woman is mad. She’s completely mad and she’s in love with her own fictional creation’. And sometimes you would feel uncomfortable reading this thing.
Later, he called his character an “axe murderer“, stating that in reality, he would be “one of those guys who would probably be an axe murderer” (via MTV).
From questioning the story’s plot holes to claiming that he has never seen the films except for bits and pieces (via InStyle), Pattinson’s distaste for the franchise has become a running joke in the fandom.
Of course, there’s a lot more where this comes from. Make sure to leave your favorite Pattinson quote about the films in the comments section below!
Stream Twilight on Hulu.
