Eddie Redmayne has revealed the unusual audition technique employed by The Batman star Robert Pattinson. Pattinson has been very much in the public eye recently for his portrayal of the Caped Crusader himself in The Batman, helmed by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves. The film follows Bruce Wayne/Batman in his second year of crime fighting as he tracks down a mysterious new serial killer known as The Riddler (Paul Dano). Pattinson's interpretation of Batman is the first to exist outside of the DCEU since Christian Bale took on the role in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy. While some were skeptical about Pattinson's casting when it was first announced, he has since proven himself to many as one of the top tier on-screen Batmen.
What some may not know about the actor is that back when his career was starting, Pattinson shared a home with several other British actors, including Redmayne, Jamie Dornan, Charlie Cox, Andrew Garfield and Tom Sturridge. The group lived together during "pilot season" in L.A., when creators of new TV series attempt to have their shows made and aired. While Pattinson was the first of the bunch to find success with his casting as Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga, the rest of the group eventually also found their footing in the acting world, going on to become major stars.
In a recent interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Redmayne recalled what their house was like during "pilot season." According to Redmayne, each actor had their own audition technique, with Pattinson and Sturridge in particular going in a unique direction. As Redmayne puts it, the two actors would always "do the complete opposite" of whatever the scene they were reading appeared to be asking for tonally. Redmayne has recalled hearing shrieks coming from Pattinson's room while filming a scene that was meant to be quiet and intimate. See his full quote below:
“Each of us had our own kind of audition technique. And Rob and Tom’s was always like, whatever the scene appears to be on the page – do the complete opposite."
This is not a complete surprise, of course, as Pattinson is known for using unique acting techniques to go in strange directions with his characters. In fact, Pattinson admitted in an interview in 2020 that he made himself become physically sick while performing a masturbation scene for Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse to prove his dedication to the role. Given this, ultimately, it is not overly surprising to hear from Redmayne that Pattinson could often be heard trying out peculiar approaches to standard auditions.
With that said, Pattinson's technique clearly works for him. The actor has brought many memorable performances to the big screen, and he continues to be hired by directors working on unique and interesting projects. While his performance in The Batman has been critically hailed and many viewers enjoyed his dark, Kurt Cobain-inspired take on the iconic DC character, it is ultimately a somewhat tame performance considering Pattinson's background. What's more, Redmayne's comments certainly make one wonder what Pattinson's The Batman audition tape looked like.
Source: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
