Robert Pattinson may be a world-renowned actor, but he’s not immune to the pressure of looking good for Hollywood. The 36-year old has spent years tweaking his image to fit a variety of roles, from Twilight, to Tenet, to his latest project, The Batman—but he says the body standards that men face are “insidious.”
In a new interview with ES, Pattinson opened up about his struggle to achieve an unrealistic body image. “It’s crazy,” he said, reflecting on how actors are expected to train intensely for roles, “And it’s very, very easy to fall into that pattern as well, even if you’re just watching your calorie intake, it’s extraordinarily addictive—and you don’t quite realise how insidious it is until it’s too late.”
During the interview, Pattinson also reflected on comments he's made in the past about resisting the temptation to workout for a role. Last year, he told GQ that he was “barely doing anything” to prepare for Batman. “I think if you’re working out all the time, you’re part of the problem," he said. "You set a precedent. No one was doing this in the ‘70s. Even James Dean—he wasn’t exactly ripped.” Now, Pattinson admits his statement wasn’t entirely true. He told ES, “I got in so much trouble for saying that I don’t work out, even from my trainer, who was like, ‘Why would you say that?”
Pattinson clarified that he felt uncomfortable talking about his fitness regime back then, saying that it’s “quite embarrassing when you get into a pattern of answering questions about your workout because there’ll always be a guy who’s in better shape than you.” In reality, the actor admits he’s “basically tried every fad you can think of.”
“I once ate nothing but potatoes for two weeks, as a detox. Just boiled potatoes and Himalayan pink salt. Apparently it’s a cleanse... you definitely lose weight,” he said. “And I tried to do keto once. I was like, 'Oh there’s a diet where you just eat charcuterie boards and cheese all the time?' But I didn’t realise that you can’t have beer as it completely defeats the purpose."
Bria McNeal is a Manhattan based journalist who is patiently awaiting B5's revival. When she's not writing about all things entertainment, she can be found watching TV or trying to DIY something (likely, at the same time). Her work has appeared in NYLON, Refinery29, InStyle, and her personal newsletter, StirCrazy.
