Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson (born 13 May 1986) is an English actor and producer. He is known for starring in both major studio productions and independent films, in which he often portrays eccentric characters across a diverse range of genres. Pattinson has been included on yearly lists of the world's highest-paid actors. In 2010, Time included him in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and he was also featured in the Forbes Celebrity 100. Born and raised in London, Pattinson started acting at the age of 13 in a London theatre club. He made early screen appearances in supporting roles, including in Vanity Fair (2004) and as Cedric Diggory in the fantasy film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), before achieving global recognition as Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga film series. Pattinson also led the romantic dramas Remember Me (2010) and Water for Elephants (2011). Pattinson subsequently began working in independent films from auteur directors. He received praise for his performances in David Cronenberg's drama Cosmopolis (2012), James Gray's adventure drama The Lost City of Z (2016), the Safdie brothers' crime drama Good Time (2017), Claire Denis' science fiction drama High Life (2018), Robert Eggers' psychological horror The Lighthouse (2019) and Lance Oppenheim's crime thriller Primetime (2026). In the 2020s, Pattinson returned to big-budget mainstream cinema with starring roles in Christopher Nolan's action films Tenet (2020) and The Odyssey (2026), Matt Reeves's superhero film The Batman (2022), and Bong Joon Ho's dark comedy Mickey 17 (2025). Pattinson is the founder of the production company Icki Eneo Arlo, through which he forayed into different film and stage productions. He has also contributed vocals to several film soundtracks. He is involved in philanthropy, supporting organisations such as the GO Campaign. Pattinson began modelling as a child and has served as the face of Dior Homme fragrance since 2013. Labelled as a sex symbol by the media, he is frequently named one of the most attractive actors; People included Pattinson on its list of the "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2008 and 2009. He has been in a relationship with singer and actress Suki Waterhouse since 2018, with whom he has a child.