When it is announced the cast for a TV series or a movie based on a book or comic book, the fans always give their opinions on the actors. In some cases, the vast majority agree with the selection and at other times criticism begins, which may even include collecting signatures to prevent a character from being played by a specific actor.
Robert Pattinson has gone through similar situations with his roles in Batman. In both cases, there was criticism and the fans wanted to impose themselves and their views on casting directors. Even though Pattinson has proved himself an incredibly talented actor, the work on Batman and the audience's acceptance remain to be seen, but with Twilight, Pattinson proved to be a good choice for the role.
The Perfect Edward: The Acceptance
When Robert Pattinson was selected for the role of Edward Cullen, he had already begun his career in the acting world but was not very well-known among fans of the books of the saga, who expected other actors to play the popular fictional character.
Although some fans of the vampire story seemed unhappy during production, when the film was released, they were all thrilled. Not only came the acceptance of the audience that once rejected him, but Pattinson became a world-renowned person and a household name, with fans following him everywhere.
Fans Wanted: Tom Sturridge
Before Robert Pattinson was announced for the role of Edward Cullen, fans ventured to offer choices they thought were right. One of the most-mentioned was British actor Tom Sturridge.
Besides the book fanatics, the writer Stephenie Meyer was also in favor of the possibility. By the way, Sturridge and Pattinson are friends and actually have a lot in common.
The Perfect Edward: The Character Description
The physical description in the books helps to select the figures involved in a film. Readers of Stephenie Meyer's books got an Edward quite close to the description of the character, so, this helped them identify more of Pattinson within the role.
One of the main characteristics to represent a vampire is the paleness of the skin; Pattinson also has a height very similar to Edward's, as well as the color of his hair and the type of strong jaw.
Fans Wanted: Hayden Christensen
The fan-made videos, with their favorite actors playing Edward Cullen, ran online for quite some time before the official casting came out. Hayden Christensen was present in many of the videos and fans were betting on him to be cast.
Christensen is one of the most famous actors that the audience proposed for the role. This Canadian actor is most known for playing Anakin Skywalker in two of the Star Wars prequels, so he was already known worldwide.
The Perfect Edward: Acting Ability
The Twilight story has generated much debate among audiences, including fans who love books and films and, on the other hand, those who reject the material because they think the plot is not good. With the preconceived idea of Pattison's acting abilities in mind, many people have wanted to put him in a box, but the British actor has not allowed this.
Since his participation in Twilight, Robert Pattinson has participated in high-quality film productions, where he has demonstrated that he is a great actor, as previously mentioned, getting excellent reviews for his work in films such as Me and The Lighthouse, where he has shown a wide acting range.
Fans Wanted: Drew Fuller
Photos of Drew Fuller's face as Edward were very popular when the movie was announced. The writer of the books included him in the list of preferences of the fans, so many thought that he would be an excellent choice.
Fuller was considered by many fans to be the perfect Edward, but it should be noted that the idea and the person imagined by each reader has in the mind is very different, and there are other factors that influence the selection.
The Perfect Edward: Owned The Role
In the Twilight saga, Pattinson handled quite well a role that could have been diverted by another actor. In addition, he managed to charm an audience who may or may not have been familiar with the books. In other words, Pattinson took over the role and made it transcend the screen.
The audience should keep in mind that the work of actors is: acting. So, they don't necessarily have to play characters that they like personally. On many occasions, it can be just a job or the opportunity to play a different character, but they are always trying to offer their best version of the role.
Fans Wanted: Jackson Rathbone
Jackson Rathbone wasn't just a fan choice. He actually came pretty close to getting the lead role as Edward Cullen. In spite of not getting the part, the actor remained in the Twilight saga, and he ended up in the main casting as Jasper Cullen.
Stephanie Meyer placed the name of the actor in her previously-mentioned blog, among the possible choices for the time. Jackson Rathbone pointed out that he was one option among several actors, but he thinks Pattinson was the ideal choice to play Edward in the end.
The Perfect Edward: Not Another Edward
When a film is released and potential role candidates are forgotten, it means that the actor was the right choice for the role. After fans saw Pattinson as Edward Cullen, it's very difficult for them to imagine another actor playing the famous vampire.
In all productions, several possibilities for the different characters are tested. Meanwhile, when it's a movie that fans are waiting for, they also make their lists and demand a particular actor. But it is thought that the choice was right when the audience recognizes the character through the actor.
Fans Wanted: Henry Cavill
One of the main choices of the fans was Henry Cavill known for playing Geralt of Rivia in recent years. Not only was it an alternative that the public wanted, but Stephanie Meyer also hoped that Cavill would be Edward Cullen.
Meyer believed that the actor capable of approaching Edward's character was Cavill, but delays in the production made the author change her mind, thinking that Henry Cavill was already past the age to take the role of the famous vampire.
