Despite his sometimes shy personality, Robert Pattinson wanted to be a performer from an early age; first as a musician like his older sister Lizzy Pattinson. It was his father who strongly encouraged him to try out acting. During one memorable night out for dinner with his dad, the two found themselves sitting next to a group of young girls who told Pattinson they'd just returned from the
Barnes Theater Club, a renowned theater program at the Harrodian School, a private school in Barnes, England, just outside of London.
Still, the screen seems to be where Pattinson's true future lies. On the heels of his Twilight success came the film, Little Ashes, which stars the actor in a meaty role as a young Salvador Dali. Pattinson then reunited with his Twilight cast for New Moon (2009), as well as three more films, 2010's The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and parts 1 and 2 of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.
Between filming the Twilight series' later films, Pattinson worked on such notable films as 2010's Remember Me and 2011's Water for Elephants, in which he stars alongside Reese Witherspoon. In 2012, Pattinson landed one of his most challenging roles yet, playing young billionaire Eric Packer in the drama Cosmopolis, which met with early success from audiences and critics alike. The film, directed by David Cronenberg, also stars Juliette Binoche, Paul Giamatti and Samantha Morton.