Robert Pattinson artistically photographs himself for the cover of GQ

All photos came from GQ Magazine

Due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we had to experience lockdowns and closures. This caused businesses’ operations to halt and people pinwheeling towards loss and anxiety. However, magazines like GQ and people like Robert Pattinson will not let COVID-19 stop them from slaying. For the magazine’s June/July issue, he photographed himself for the cover, making it 100% more impressive.

Robert Pattinson artistically photographs himself for the cover of GQ

Thriving during the lockdown

Although he struggles with days and dates, the new Batman thrives during the lockdown. If you think you’re perfect for this experience, you have never been able to get to know the 34-year-old actor. Spending most of his adult life separating himself from the rest of the world, Robert Pattinson went missing-in-action after his success as Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise.

Yes, he starred in several movies after that but we never saw him out and about. No paparazzi shots, no fans screaming his name down the street, no public appearances… Nothing, nada, zilch. To say that he was hiding would be slightly true. He spends too much time with no one but himself and could barely remember a time that he did not venture out of that lifestyle.

Now, he talks to friends and families that have to do the same thing. This made him realize how vulnerable people are to isolation. Of course, it shocked him. Going back into the world makes him scared and also, well, nervous. The Lighthouse director Robert Eggers even said that Pattinson’s character was supposed to have a paranoid quality. However, it seemed that the said quality came out of Pattinson himself.

A lovely chaotic being

If you’re a fan of Pattinson, you know how chaotic he actually is. He practically needs adrenaline to function like a normal human. Otherwise, he will just sit in silence and stay there. Aside from that, he also said that he has to hype himself up just to get out of a nervous state before doing anything.

He also experiences this every time he receives and accepts a role. It would be like a cycle he couldn’t get out of.

“I had the same process with every single job. I would be super excited, had a ton of ideas about stuff, and the closer you get to the job, it’s the same cycle where your confidence would completely fall out, you hate yourself, and then you’re looking for any excuse. You’re looking for the exit strategy before you’ve even started.”

Becoming Batman

People think of Pattinson as a specific type of person… or actor. Becoming Batman isn’t usually the archetype that we see him in. However, he doesn’t have a reason not to do it. There may be downsides to becoming the Dark Knight but most of it has its own upsides.

“There are multiple definitive playings of the character. I was watching the making of Batman & Robin the other day. Even then, George Clooney was saying that he was worried about the fact that it’s sort of been done, that a lot of the ground you should cover with the character has been already covered…”

“And then there’s Christian Bale and Ben Affleck’s one. And then I was thinking, it’s fun when more and more ground has been covered. Like, where is the gap? You’ve seen this sort of lighter version, you’ve seen a kind of jaded version, a kind of more animalistic version.”

Pattinson may feel fear. However, he gears up to say something that he feels excited about. There may be terror but he feels ready to live up to the legacy. Pushing back the anticipation energizes him even just for a little bit. He acknowledges that multiple actors have played Batman but he knows he can make it his own.

“The puzzle of it becomes quite satisfying, to think: Where’s my opening? And also, do I have anything inside me which would work if I could do it? And then also, it’s a legacy part, right? I like that. There are so few things in life where people passionately care about it before it’s even happened.”

“You can almost feel that pushback of anticipation, and so it kind of energizes you a little bit. It’s different from when you’re doing apart and there’s a possibility that no one will even see it. Right? In some ways it’s, I don’t know… It makes you a little kind of spicy. “