Robert Pattinson isn’t just an actor; he’s a transformer. From brooding vampires to eccentric billionaires and unhinged lighthouse keepers, Pattinson has built a career on unpredictable, deeply committed performances. But his method? Well, let’s just say it’s anything but traditional. With Mickey 17 set to push his acting boundaries even further, let’s look back at the most bizarre, shocking, and downright strange things he’s done for a role.
1. Living in Isolation for The Lighthouse (2019)
Before stepping onto the set of The Lighthouse, Pattinson chose to fully immerse himself in loneliness and deprivation. To prepare for his role as a mentally unraveling lighthouse keeper, he:
- Lived in extreme isolation during filming in Nova Scotia.
- Drank rainwater and slept in his clothes to capture the character’s discomfort.
- Threw up before scenes to get into a state of distress.
His co-star Willem Dafoe recalled that Pattinson refused to interact between takes, fully embodying the character’s descent into madness.
2. Eating Mud for The Rover (2014)
For The Rover, Pattinson played a desperate drifter in a post-apocalyptic world. And to make the desperation feel real, he took things to an extreme level of authenticity:
- Ate mud while filming scenes where his character was meant to be starving.
- Refused to shower for extended periods to capture the grit of survival.
- Stayed silent on set to maintain the character’s haunted, desperate energy.
David Michôd later admitted that Pattinson’s complete physical transformation was equal parts impressive and unsettling.
3. Sleeping in Abandoned Warehouses for Good Time (2017)
To prepare for his role as a low-life criminal on the run in Good Time, Pattinson committed to a rough, nocturnal lifestyle:
- Lived in a dingy basement apartment in New York without telling anyone where he was staying.
- Wandered the streets in character, speaking to people as if he really were a fugitive.
- Refused to break character, even during casual interactions with crew members.
His performance was so raw that when he went to a local jail for research, the guards thought he was an actual criminal.
4. Wearing a Stinky, Unwashed Bat-Suit for The Batman (2022)
Pattinson’s take on The Dark Knight was gritty, grounded, and very, very sweaty. In an effort to stay connected to the character’s tormented psyche, he:
- Refused to wash his Bat-suit for weeks to maintain its grimy realism.
- Locked himself in a dark room for days, emerging only to shoot his brooding scenes.
- Avoided eye contact with co-stars on set, adding to Bruce Wayne’s reclusive energy.
He later admitted that the suit smelled awful, but helped him feel fully immersed in Gotham’s grime.
5. Making Himself Gag for Cosmopolis (2012)
In David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, Pattinson plays a detached billionaire slowly losing his grip on reality. To emphasize his character’s disconnection, Pattinson took some drastic measures:
- Forced himself to gag before takes to create a sense of unease.
- Sat completely still for hours on end to capture the film’s eerie, claustrophobic tone.
- Spoke in monotone for weeks, even off-set, to match his character’s robotic speech pattern.
His unsettling performance left audiences and critics stunned.
6. Nearly Losing His Mind on High Life (2018)
For Claire Denis’ High Life, Pattinson played a convict stranded in deep space. And to make the loneliness feel real, he:
- Spent hours locked in a tiny room alone, mimicking his character’s space confinement.
- Talked to himself in mirrors to simulate deep psychological distress.
- Refused to look at his phone for weeks, forcing himself into total isolation.
The result? One of his most haunting and immersive performances to date.
7. Mickey 17: The Role That Might Top Them All
Now, Pattinson is stepping into his strangest challenge yet: playing a disposable clone in Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17. And his preparation? Absolutely wild:
- Experimented with bizarre, mismatched accents, leading friends to ask why he sounded like a German taxi driver.
- Wandered around in public acting out different behaviors, confusing strangers.
- Studied slapstick animation to create unnatural movement patterns.
Early reactions to Mickey 17 have been mixed. The San Francisco Chronicle lauds it as “an idiosyncratic sci-fi dark comedy” with Pattinson delivering “one of his best performances” (Datebook). In contrast, Vanity Fair critiques the film as “disjointed and lacking focus,” suggesting it feels more like “a disorganized collection of ideas than a coherent narrative” (Vanity Fair).
Box office projections are cautiously optimistic, with forecasts predicting a global opening of approximately $45 million. In South Korea, the film saw a 40% increase from its opening day, dominating with 68.8% of the market share.
Will Mickey 17 Be His Most Unhinged Role Yet?
From eating mud to sleeping in basements, Robert Pattinson has never taken a role lightly. But Mickey 17 might just be his wildest performance yet. With Bong Joon Ho’s visionary direction and Pattinson’s willingness to fully commit, this film could redefine his sci-fi career. Haven’t you watched the trailer? Click below
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