Twilight Saga movies, the actor went on to star in romantic dramas like Me and Water for Elephants before shifting focus to indie films from auteur directors, such as the Safdie brothers' Good Time and Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse, later returning to blockbuster films for Christopher Nolan's Tenet and Matt Reeves' The Batman. While promoting many of these movies, Pattinson has itted to fabricating or exaggerating stories during interviews.

In a profile by The New York Times for his new movie Mickey 17, Robert Pattinson recalled an interview when he told a fabricated story about seeing a clown die in a little car explosion as a child. The actor rewatched the 2011 interview recently, asking his former self, "Are you possessed?" Pattinson went on to discuss how his fabricating stories was a defense mechanism for his discomfort with fame. Read his full comments below:

There was absolutely no hesitation at all [in my voice], I’m like, "What on earth? Are you possessed?" ... The only thing people would ever ask me about was being famous. You go into, like, a fugue state.

What Robert Pattinson's Reaction Means For His Personal Growth

The Actor No Longer Fabricates Outrageous Stories

Since Twilight, Robert Pattinson has reinvented himself as one of the best actors working today. However, especially earlier in his career, Pattinson hasn't always been comfortable with the public attention and scrutiny that comes with fame. One of the ways he coped with this discomfort was by fabricating outrageous or humorous stories for his own enjoyment, or to deflect attention from his personal life. Other lies that Pattinson has told interviewers over the years include a deleted Twilight scene involving coprophilia and that he was a women's hand model.

The lie in question, Pattinson seeing a clown die in a small-car explosion, occurred during a 2011 interview for Water for Elephants with Matt Lauer on the Today show. Reflecting on the interview years later, asking his former self, "Are you possessed?", Pattinson reacts with surprise and almost disbelief at the audacity and ease with which his younger self fabricated such an outrageous story. His reaction highlights his personal growth – he no longer needs to rely on such tactics to navigate interviews or the pressures of celebrity life.

Our Take On Robert Pattinson Lying During Interviews

It's Become Part Of His Charm

Aside from his performances on screen, Pattinson has an eccentric personality and self-deprecating sense of humor, and he's become known for his unconventional approach to fame and discomfort with the traditional celebrity lifestyle. Unlike many actors who carefully manage their public image, Pattinson's lying during interviews, and later itting to it, comes across as unfiltered and authentic, which has only endeared him to fans and made him a fascinating figure in Hollywood. Though he may not feel the need to do it anymore, Robert Pattinson's storytelling has become a clear part of his charm.

Robert Pattinson's new movie Mickey 17 releases in theaters on April 18, 2025.

Source: The New York Times