Robert Pattinson Talks About David Cronenberg’s ‘Cosmopolis’ “It Was Like A Gift To Get The Job”

With ‘Cosmopolis’ landing in US cinemas today, Robert Pattinson caught up with MTV News to talk about being cast in David Cronenberg’s psychologically complex thriller. The actor revealed that his casting in ‘Cosmopolis’ was “one of the first times I considered myself an actor,” Robert Pattinson continues, “I had to come to terms with that. That was one of my first questions. ‘What do you see in me? Why? Why? Why are you hiring me?’ Cronenberg is one of those people when you’re asked who you want to work with, he doesn’t even come into my head. Because that’s like saying, “Want to work with Orson Welles?” It was total luck. It was like a gift to get the job. I sort of fell into acting. It’s not like I’ve been striving since I was a kid to get this. But I like movies more than acting, I think. I like the idea of being in movies that I like, contributing something.”

With his acclaimed performance as Eric Packer in ‘Cosmopolis’ under his belt, Robert Pattinson said that he’s trying not to get too far ahead of himself, saying that he’s cautious about feeling validated by the role, “I think as soon as you feel validated, you’re a bad actor. You have to constantly feel that there’s a 99% chance of failure. Total failure. Devastating failure. You should feel like every single job is the potential where you’re never going to get another job again. Not in a bad way — you should feel good about it, because then you’re in it. It’s all about living in the present.” None of which is to say that Robert Pattinson isn’t enjoying the positive ‘Cosmopolis’ reviews. “It’s a relief not to get sh*t on. I’ve had a lot of sh*t on my end,” he laughed. “You get those first few reviews and it’s [a sigh of relief]. And then you start desperately seeking out the bad ones.”

In ‘Cosmopolis,’ Robert Pattinson’s Eric Packer is joined by Paul Giamatti’s Benno, Kevin Durand’s Torval, Sarah Gadon’s Elise, Emily Hampshire’s Jane, Mathieu Amalric’s Andre Petrescu, Philip Nozuka’s Michael, Juliette Binoche’s Didi, and Jay Baruchel’s Shiner. As a massive Cronenberg fan, I’d been keeping a keen eye on this film. The story is set in the “not-too-distant-future,” the age of capitalism is drawing to a close and Eric Packer, a high finance golden boy is chauffeured across the city in his extravagant limousine to get a haircut. A visit from the President of the United States paralyses Manhattan and as the day goes by, an eruption of wild activity unfolds on the city’s streets. Eric watches helplessly as his empire collapses and as his paranoia intensifies during the 24-hour period, he starts to piece together clues that lead him to a most terrifying secret: his imminent assassination. Based on Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name, ’Cosmopolis’ was released in the UK back in June. You can out my own interview with Robert Pattinson for the film here. The full synopsis for ‘Cosmopolis’ can be read below.

New York City, not-too-distant-future: Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson), a 28 year-old finance golden boy dreaming of living in a civilization ahead of this one, watches a dark shadow cast over the firmament of the Wall Street galaxy, of which he is the uncontested king. As he is chauffeured across midtown Manhattan to get a haircut at his father’s old barber, his anxious eyes are glued to the yuan’s exchange rate: it is mounting against all expectations, destroying Eric’s bet against it. Eric Packer is losing his empire with every tick of the clock. Meanwhile, an eruption of wild activity unfolds in the city’s streets. Petrified as the threats of the real world infringe upon his cloud of virtual convictions, his paranoia intensifies during the course of his 24-hour cross-town odyssey.

Packer starts to piece together clues that lead him to a most terrifying secret: his imminent assassination.
Cronenberg revisits subjects that fascinate him: how the organic and the psychological are inextricably intertwined, society’s anxieties and phobias, and letting repressed impulses and paranoia run wild. COSMOPOLIS is a culmination of his masterpieces that addresses the alarming global financial crisis of today’s world. COSMOPOLIS stars Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon, Mathieu Amalric, Jay Baruchel, Kevin Durand, K’naan, Emily Hampshire, Samantha Morton, and Paul Giamatti.