Top 12 Robert Pattinson Roles

“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005)
While he only appeared in one out of the eight “Harry Potter” films, Robert Pattinson made his mark in the movie business as Cedric Diggory, member of Hufflepuff and Hogwarts champion. Though he’s Harry’s rival in the Triwizard Tournament, Cedric is kind and heroic to the end, and his death is one that stays with you. The young actor rose to the challenge of embodying a lovable character with very little screen time, and still managed to do the role complete justice. The fact that his death leaves the film audience utterly devastated is a testament to Pattinson’s abilities. It’s quite the role to kick off an acting career, and Pattinson knocked it out of the park.

“The King” (2019)
While he may not appear until halfway through the film, this is a part that showcases Robert Pattinson’s impressive scene-stealing power. Before he appears on screen, the Dauphin of France, has a foreboding omnipresence. And the film itself, based on William Shakespeare’s “Henriad”, is very bleak. So, when we finally see him in all his deranged glory, it’s a welcome, if bizarre, surprise. Dauphin is delightfully absurd, doling out harsh burns to Timothée Chalamet’s Prince Hal from the start. Pattinson probably isn’t the first actor you think of when it comes to comedy relief, but the blonde tresses, the accent, and the downright strange personality all prove that he needs more opportunities to flex those comedic skills.

“The Boy and the Heron” (2023)
When the trailer for the English dub of this Studio Ghibli film dropped, we all thought the same thing: That’s Willem Dafoe voicing the bird, right? While Dafoe does lend his voice to the character, it’s not the titular heron. It’s his “Lighthouse” co-star, Mr. Pattinson! Just as the heron comes in more than one form, Pattinson shapeshifts behind the microphone. As a trickster guide who keeps the protagonist on his guard, there are zero traces of Pattinson’s natural accent. His transformation goes beyond a voice change. He completely escapes into this role, becoming one with Ghibli’s stunning animation. After a while, we forget somebody was even in the recording booth. We just see the character, which is a testament to Pattinson’s chameleon-like abilities.

“The Rover” (2014)
After his time playing Edward Cullen in the “Twilight” saga, Robert Pattinson sought out smaller parts in daring indie films. Set a decade after a worldwide economic collapse, “The Rover” follows two men on a revenge quest in the Australian outback. Pattinson plays Reynolds (aka Rey[b]), a young southern American man left for dead by his brother and fellow thieves after a robbery doesn’t go as planned. He joins Eric, played by Guy Pearce, after the gang steals his car. Rey has some nervous tics and a co-dependent nature, and Pattinson makes the character sympathetic despite his violent behavior. In one of his first roles after his blockbuster success, the actor was able to demonstrate raw talent and passion for acting, defying expectations and preconceived notions.

“The Twilight Saga” (2008-12)
Ask almost anyone what they know Robert Pattinson from, and it’s likely “Twilight.” It’s the role that skyrocketed him to global stardom and changed his life practically overnight. He played the brooding, stalkerish, Edward Cullen, a vampire who becomes enamored with one of his classmates. In the years since the mega-hit franchise came to an end (and while it was still going), Pattinson has publicly voiced his love/hate relationship with the role. However, he’s come to appreciate it for its significance, because without this bonkers five-part movie saga, who knows where’d he be in his career. It may not be the most nuanced acting, but Pattinson did what he could with the YA material, and it’ll forever be iconic.

“High Life” (2018)
In this haunting, sci-fi horror directed by French visionary Claire Denis, Pattinson plays Monte, a convicted prisoner alone on a spaceship with his infant daughter Willow (played by his real-life goddaughter). He’s the only remaining member of a death row space mission assembled to participate in human experiments while heading towards a black hole. Yeah, it’s quite the concept, and we may not fully understand what’s going on. But neither did Pattinson – or Denis for that matter. Regardless, we were too transfixed with the actor’s emotionally nuanced performance as a man in isolation struggling with fatherhood to get too caught up in the film’s confounding non-linear structure. Plus, the chemistry between him and his adorable costar was out of this world.

“Tenet” (2020)
Pattinson put his indie streak on pause when Christopher Nolan came calling with a new sci-fi epic about “time inversion.” John David Washington plays a character literally named The Protagonist, a CIA agent on a grand quest to save the world. Pattinson portrayed his handler, Neil, a dashing and mysterious Englishman, who joins him on the mind-bending mission. Though Pattinson is known for taking on different accents (usually American), “Tenet” had him play into his own accent, which he posh-ed up a bit. It’s a sophisticated, action-packed, Bond-esque role for the actor, showing undeniable range.

“The Devil All the Time” (2020)
With a star-studded cast and rich source material, Antonio Campos’ adaptation of Donald Ray Pollock’s novel of the same name was sure to be a hit. And while some elements of the film were lacking, it was the ensemble of stellar actors that kept us watching. Pattinson is a standout as Preston Teagardin, an overzealous small-town preacher who delivers epic fire and brimstone sermons. And it’s soon revealed that he’s been grooming and gaslighting young girls in his congregation. The high-pitched Southern accent was…a choice, but that just added to Pattinson’s chilling performance. Teagardin is a despicable character who audiences collectively despise, and that’s how we know Pattinson absolutely nailed it.

“Mickey 17” (2025)
Pattinson doesn’t just give one of his best performances in “Mickey 17.” He turns in two of them. Mickey is your average loser outside of the fact he’s among the few people alive who knows what it feels like to die. Unwittingly signing up as an “expendable,” Mickey has died so many times that death is more like a routine inconvenience than… well, death. That doesn’t mean Mickey gets used to the constant cycle of self-destruction. Due to an error, multiple Mickeys wind up existing at the same time. Despite being identical, you can always tell the meek Mickey 17 apart from the hotheaded Mickey 18. Their personalities aren’t the only things that clash, but both Mickeys complement each other in a battle for individuality.

[e]“The Lighthouse” (2019)
Robert Eggers’ black-and-white psychological horror film is eerie and claustrophobic from the start. Set in the 1890s, it follows Pattinson’s character, Ephraim Winslow, who takes a job as a lighthouse keeper on a small coastal island. A violent storm leaves him stranded along with his demanding supervisor Thomas Wake, played by the incredible Willem Dafoe. The isolation sends both men in a downward spiral, drinking heavily, fighting, and suffering from hallucinations. Winslow is a role that requires strong physicality, a dark sense of humor, and the ability to be downright strange, all of which are well within Pattinson’s wheelhouse. “The Lighthouse” is an intense and beautifully filmed character study. In other words, it was made for the actor.

“The Batman” (2022)
2022 marked Robert Pattinson’s return to blockbuster movies and his arrival into the DC Extended Universe as the Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves’ “The Batman.” The actor ditched the “Playboy” persona and instead went for a more grounded, tragic interpretation of Bruce Wayne. Taking on the role of Batman is a challenge, to say the least, especially since the character has been previously brought to life by some major Hollywood heavyweights. Fans were initially skeptical about the casting, and even his agents were reportedly surprised he was interested in putting on the cape and cowl. But Pattinson’s gripping performance as the iconic hero proved he was more than worthy of the part.

“Good Time” (2017)
This widely praised, indie crime thriller from the Safdie brothers owes much of its acclaim to Robert Pattinson’s powerful performance as low life criminal Connie Nikas. In New York, Connie and his developmentally disabled brother Nick get caught after fleeing a bank robbery. Nick lands in jail, but his brother manages to get away. Connie then spends the rest of the film doing everything he can to get him out, including lying, stealing, and hurting anyone who gets in his way. The film’s pace is frenetic, anxiety-inducing, and relentlessly violent. The actor brought a recklessness and desperation to the character, and many agree that “Good Time” is Robert Pattinson’s career best. Still, we know he’ll continue to wow us in the years to come.


What do you think is Robert Pattinson’s best role? Let us know in the comments.