Robert Pattinson confesses to ‘going mad’ from isolation

Robert Pattinson confesses to ‘going mad’ from isolation
Robert Pattinson stars in critically-acclaimed indie The Lighthouse - a dark and strange film which follows two lighthouse keepers as they descend into madness.

The former teen heartthrob speaks with MiNDFOOD about the potential for madness in his own life, the difficulties of playing drunk on film, and his admission to such un-movie-star-like behaviour as wearing the same clothes for months.

The English actor will next take on the much-coveted role of Batman in a new film adaptation directed by Matt Reeves.

This film is very dark but you had a great partner in Willem Dafoe – what was that like?

I think doing something pretty dark is one thing, but then doing it with someone like Willem, there’s something anarchic about it. He’s like a friendly demon and so it’s quite fun to go dark with him.  We filmed in Nova Scotia where the weather can change five times in 20 minutes. So, it’s boiling hot and sunny, and literally 10 seconds later it’s hailing. We were embracing that craziness as well.

What would you be like if you were on your own like you are in The Lighthouse? Would you go mad?

I’m pretty good at being alone but I think it’s quite addictive. Once you spend a lot of time by yourself, it’s quite difficult to have people around. And also, I’ve definitely gone pretty mad from isolation before.

Do elaborate!

Well, it happens quite gradually and then you stop caring about yourself. There were definitely times when I didn’t change my clothes for months at a time. I think my isolation also combines with OCD behaviour as well. The smaller you make your world, the weirder it gets. For example, you think, now that I only live in my bedroom, I need to put a sheet over my television set, so the demons don’t come out (laughs). That’s not true! That’s a joke.

In this movie you were doing a lot of cleaning and you’re a decent fixer upper. How good are you at that kind of thing?

Well, I was going to lie but no, I’ll tell you. I’m absolutely useless. I’m an actor! (Laughs) I can’t do any of those skills. I think every job you do as an actor, and you realise when you finish the job going, I could never do that in real life! I can’t build anything, can’t do anything at all. All I can do is go crazy and cry (laughs).

Are you very messy at home?

I don’t even notice if something is filthy and that’s just quite wonderful (laughs). I don’t judge other people on being messy either. For me, it needs to be extremely messy to an extreme point before I realise that something needs to be done.

What about the drunk scene? I read that you actually did get drunk to play that scene?

(Laughs) No way! I tried to get drunk once on a movie years ago to play a drunk scene. It was on Water for Elephants. But as soon as you do it, and I didn’t even have any dialogue in that scene, but immediately you are so paranoid about everyone judging you that it makes it impossible. You think it will help, but it definitely doesn’t.

You’re playing Batman next – what can you tell me about it?

Nothing! I’m sorry (laughs). Literally, I get a call from Warner Brothers just before this interview and they said, “Say nothing!”

You can probably talk a little about having to work out?

Yeah the working out is definitely a big part of it. I am going to torture myself for a few months. I can’t even bear to look at the plan yet, (laughs) I immediately called my trainer and said, “You know what I said about steroids? I take that back!”

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