At Any Price : How America betrayed my kidnapped daughters for Saudi oil (ISBN 9780785263654) is a 2003 memoir by Patricia Roush depicting her two daughters' abduction to Saudi Arabia by their father.

Controversy[link]

The book At Any Price is banned by the Iranian government.

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2008)

This article about a biographical or autobiographical book whose subject was born in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Lee Greenwood
Lee Greenwood performing in his trademark Stars and Stripes jacket.
Background information
Birth name	Lee Melvin Greenwood[1]
Born	(1942-10-27) October 27, 1942 (age 69) Los Angeles, California, United States
Origin	Sacramento, California
Genres	Country, Pop
Occupations	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano, saxophone
Years active	1981–present
Labels	MCA, Capitol, Liberty, Curb, Country Crossing
Website	www.leegreenwood.com

Lee Melvin Greenwood (born October 27, 1942) is an American country music artist. Active since the early 1980s, he has released more than twenty major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard country music charts.

Greenwood is best known for his single "God Bless the USA", which was popular when it was originally released in 1984, and became popular again after the 9/11 attacks (becoming his highest charting pop hit, reaching No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100). He also has charted seven No. 1 hits in his career: "Somebody's Gonna Love You", "Going, Going, Gone", "Dixie Road", "I Don't Mind the Thorns (If You're the Rose)", "Don't Underestimate My Love For You", "Hearts Aren't Made to Break (They're Made to Love)", and "Mornin' Ride". His 1983 single "I.O.U." was also a top five hit on the adult contemporary charts, and a No. 53 on the Hot 100.

Early life[link]

Greenwood was born in Los Angeles, California. After the separation of his parents, he grew up near Sacramento^[2] on the poultry farm of his maternal grandparents. At the age of seven, he began playing the piano and the saxophone, and at the age of nine became a member of a dance ensemble. In 1969, he joined the Chester Smith Band and had his first television appearance. A short time later, he worked with the country musician Del Reeves.

He founded his first band, The Apollos, in 1962. The band, which changed its name later to Lee Greenwood Affair, played mostly pop music and appeared mostly in casinos in Las Vegas. A few records were recorded in Los Angeles with the Paramount label. After the band broke up in the 1970s, Greenwood moved back to Las Vegas, where he worked as a blackjack dealer during the day, and as a singer at night.

Career[link]

In 1979, he was discovered in Reno, Nevada by Larry McFaden, the bandleader and bassist of Mel Tillis. After making some demo tapes, Greenwood was signed in 1981 by the Nashville division of the MCA label (who had recently absorbed the Paramount label), and McFaden became his manager.

The first single, "It Turns Me Inside Out", made it to a spot in the top 20 of the country charts. The song had been written for Kenny Rogers, but Rogers turned it down due to the sheer volume of songs he had been offered at the time. "Ring On Her Finger, Time on Her Hands" landed him in the country top 10. Each song was marketed heavily, particularly in the South Florida market by MCA Account Service Rep, Brad Fitzgerald, among others. Lee Greenwood did not write Inside Out. It was written by Jan Crutchfield.

He is best known for writing and recording the patriotic song "God Bless the USA" in the early 1980s. In 1995, he was featured with the song in the Warren Chaney docudrama, America: A Call to Greatness.^[3] "God Bless the USA" gained renewed popularity following the launch of Operation: Desert Storm in 1991, and again, ten years later, following the September 11, 2001 attacks; in fact, the song even re-entered the Top 20 of the country charts in late 2001. Since then, Greenwood has played at many public events and commemorations of the attacks.

Political views and advocacy[link]

He supports the Republican Party.^{[citation needed]}

In November 2008, President George W. Bush appointed Greenwood to a six-year term to the National Council on the Arts.^[4]

Theater[link]

In 1995, Greenwood took a break from his touring schedule to spend time with his wife and newborn son. In his time off, he elected to build a theater in Sevierville, Tennessee, and in April 1996, the "Lee Greenwood Theater" opened its doors.^[2] This gave Greenwood the opportunity to still perform daily shows, in addition to being with his family. The theater operated for five seasons, and closed for Greenwood to continue touring. The theater was not located in the heavily entertainment and tourist oriented areas of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Gatlinburg, Tennessee which contributed to the theater closing.^{[citation needed]} The former theater building is now host to a church.

Family[link]

Greenwood has been married four times and is the father of six children. He is currently married to former Miss Tennessee USA, Kimberly Payne.^[2][5]

Discography[link]

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Wood, Gerry (1998). "Lee Greenwood". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 212–3.

External links[link]

• Official website

Justine Bateman
Justine Bateman in NYC, 2011
Born	Justine Tanya Bateman (1966-02-19) February 19, 1966 (age 46) Rye, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, writer, producer, singer
Years active	1982–present
Spouse	Mark Fluent (m. 2001) «start: (2001)»"Marriage: Mark Fluent to Justine Bateman" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Justine_Bateman)

Justine Tanya Bateman (born February 19, 1966) is an American actress, writer, and producer. She is best known for her regular role as Mallory Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties (from 1982 until 1989). Until recently, Justine ran a production and consulting company, SECTION 5. She will attend UCLA as a freshman in fall 2012 studying Computer Science.

Early life[link]

Bateman was born in Rye, New York, to Victoria Elizabeth, a former flight attendant for Pan Am who was originally from the United Kingdom, and Kent Bateman, an American acting coach, film and television writer/director, and founder of a repertory stage in Hollywood.^[1][2] Her younger brother is actor Jason Bateman. She attended Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California, and graduated in 1984.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Bateman played the role of superficial Mallory Keaton on the television sitcom Family Ties from 1982 to 1989, for which she was nominated for two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Mallory was sister to Alex (Michael J. Fox). In 1984, Bateman starred on the Tales from the Darkside television series in the episode "Mookie and Pookie". Bateman hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live during its 13th season in 1988. That same year, she starred in the lead role in the motion picture Satisfaction. The film, about an all-girl musical band, also featured Julia Roberts and Liam Neeson. Bateman starred as the lead vocalist and also performed the vocals on the soundtrack.

In the 1996–97 NBC sitcom version of the British TV comedy Men Behaving Badly with Rob Schneider and Ron Eldard, she starred as the "Sarah", Eldard's girlfriend. She has appeared in several made-for-TV movies and independent films. Her theater experience includes Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" (Roundabout Theater, Mamet's "Speed the Plow" (WIlliamstown Theater Fest), and Wedekin's "Lulu" (Berkley Rep), among others.

Taking a break from the entertainment business, Bateman established a clothing design company, Justine Bateman Designs, and ran it from 2000 until 2003. She was known for her one-of-a-kind hand knits and sold to BendelsNY, Saks, and Fred Segal.^[3]

Justine returned to TV with the Showtime series, "Out of Order" alongside Eric Stoltz, Felicity Huffman, and Bill Macy. In the third season Arrested Development episode, "Family Ties", her character is initially believed to be Michael Bluth's sister, but she turns out to be a prostitute taken advantage of by his father and pimped by his brother. Michael Bluth was played by Justine Bateman's real-life brother, Jason Bateman.

In 2006, she guest starred in the tenth episode of Men in Trees as Lynn Barstow; this turned into a recurring role for the following eight episodes. She also starred as Terry in Still Standing. Additionally, in 2006 she starred in a made-for-television movie To Have and to Hold with Sebastian Spence. In 2008, she portrayed a drug dealer who rents a room from Carlos and Gabrielle Solis, in a guest role on Desperate Housewives. That same year, Bateman appeared on an episode of Showtime's Californication. In 2009, she took on the role of Lassiter's ex-wife in USA Network's Psych. Also she was in the third episode of Criminal Minds Suspect Behavior.

The actress made her first script sale to Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place^[4] and adapted "The Clique" book series for Warner Bros.

Digital career[link]

In fall 2007, Justine helped produce the very successful Speechless campaign in support of the Writers Guild of America strike. Justine began a digital production company, FM78.tv, at this time and her digital future was secured. To accommodate demand, she soon after replaced FM78 with the production and consulting company SECTION 5.

Since then she has been sought after as an authority in the space for various panels including The Cannes Lion Int’l Ad Festival, Digital Hollywood, NATPE, and The Branded Content Summit and has been involved creatively in a multitude of digital projects. She acted in John August’s (Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) web-series Remnants, Illeana Douglas’ (Cape Fear, Good Fellas) IKEA-sponsored web-series Easy to Assemble^[5] (for which she won the 2010 Streamy Award for "Best Ensemble Cast" and was nominated for a 2010 Streamy Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Web-Series) ^[6], and Anthony Zuiker’s (CSI creator) digi-novel series Level 26: Dark Prophecy.

Bateman served as a producer on Easy to Assemble, created Digital Components for Level 26, is currently writing an adaptation of The Clique for a Warner Bros web-series, producing a film short, and is in talks with various brands to produce a selection of her scripts. Justine also co-produces and co-stars with fashion maven, Kelly Cutrone, in their internet talk show, Wake Up and Get Real.^[7]

Personal life[link]

Bateman married Mark Fluent in 2001. The couple have a son, Duke, and a daughter, Olivia.

She served on the National Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild,^[8] until July 2009, when she resigned just prior to the end of her initial 3-year term.^[9]

Bateman is an outspoken supporter of net neutrality.^[10] In 2008, Bateman testified before the United States Senate Commerce Committee in support of net neutrality.^[11]

Justine is a licensed pilot of single-engine planes and a certified scuba diver.^[12]

On March 24, 2012, Bateman announced on her Twitter account that she had been accepted to UCLA and will begin taking classes in the fall of 2012.^[13]

Filmography[link]

• It's Your Move as Debbie (1 episode, 1984)
• Tales from the Darkside as Susan 'Pookie' Anderson (1 episode, 1984)
• ABC Afterschool Special as Sara White (1 episode, 1985)
• Right to Kill? (1985) (TV) as Deborah Jahnke
• Family Ties Vacation (1985) (TV) as Mallory Keaton
• Can You Feel Me Dancing? (1986) (TV) as Karin Nichols
• Satisfaction (1988) as Jennie Lee
• Mickey's 60th Birthday (1988) (TV) as Mallory Keaton
• Family Ties as Mallory Keaton (176 episodes, 1982–1989)
• The Fatal Image (1990) (TV) as Megan Brennan
• The Closer (1990) as Jessica Grant
• Deadbolt (1992) (TV) as Marty Hiller
• In the Eyes of a Stranger (1992) (TV) as Lynn Carlson
• Primary Motive (1992) as Darcy Link
• Beware of Dog (1993) as Linda Irving
• The Night We Never Met (1993) as Janet Beehan
• Terror in the Night (1994) (TV) as Robin
• Another Woman (1994) (TV) as Lisa Temple
• A Bucket of Blood (1995) (TV) as Carla
• The Acting Thing (1996)
• God's Lonely Man (1996) as Meradith
• Kiss & Tell (1996) as Molly McMannis
• Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as Sarah/Zara (4 episodes, 1996)
• Highball (1997) as Sandy
• Men Behaving Badly as Sarah Mitchell / (6 episodes, 1996–1997)
• Rugrats as Art Patron (1 episode, 1999)
• Say You'll Be Mine (1999) as Chelsea
• Out of Order (2003) TV mini-series as Annie
• Humor Me (2004) (TV) as Paula
• The Hollywood Mom's Mystery (2004) (TV) as Lucy Freers
• Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula (2005) as Attia, Imperial Courtesan
• Still Standing as Terry (3 episodes, 2004–2005)
• Untitled Patricia Heaton Project (2006) (TV) as Cindy
• Arrested Development as Nellie Bluth (1 episode, 2006)
• The TV Set (2006) as Natalie Klein
• To Have and to Hold (2006/I) (TV) as Meg
• Hybrid (2007) (TV) as Andrea
• Men in Trees as Lynn Barstow (10 episodes, 2006–2007)
• Desperate Housewives as Ellie Leonard (4 episodes, 2008)
• Californication as Mrs. Patterson (2008)
• Psych as Victoria in Tuesday the 17th (2009)
• Celebrity Ghost Stories (2009)
• Private Practice (Sept. 2010)
• Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour (TV) as Margaret (Episode 3 See No Evil, March 2, 2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Justine Bateman

• Justine Bateman at the Internet Movie Database
• Justine Bateman at AllRovi
• Justine Bateman on Twitter

Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart at the 2012 Wondercon on March 17, 2012
Born	Kristen Jaymes Stewart (1990-04-09) April 9, 1990 (age 22) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1999–present
Signature
Website
kristenstewart.com

Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bella Swan in The Twilight Saga. She has starred in other films, including Panic Room (2002), Zathura (2005), In the Land of Women (2007), The Messengers (2007), Adventureland (2009), The Runaways (2010), and Snow White and the Huntsman. She will star in upcoming films in 2012: On the Road and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

Early life[link]

Stewart was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.^[1][2][3] Her father, John Stewart, is a stage manager and television producer who has worked for Fox.^[4] Her mother, Jules Mann-Stewart, is a script supervisor originally from Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia.^[3][5][6][7] She has an older brother, Cameron Stewart, and an adopted brother, Taylor.^[8][9] Stewart attended school until the seventh grade and then continued her education by correspondence.^[3] She has since completed high school.^[10]

Career[link]

Early work[link]

Her whole family all worked behind the camera and Stewart thought she would become a writer/director, but never considered being an actor. "I never wanted to be the center of attention – I wasn't that 'I want to be famous, I want to be an actor' kid. I never sought out acting, but I always practiced my autograph because I love pens. I'd write my name on everything."^[11] Stewart's acting career began at the age of eight, after an agent saw her perform in her elementary school's Christmas play.^[12] After a year of auditioning, Stewart's first role was a small nonspeaking part in the Disney Channel original film The Thirteenth Year.^[4] Then, she had another part in the film The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas as the "ring toss girl".^[4] She subsequently appeared in the independent film The Safety of Objects, in which she played the tomboy daughter of a troubled single mother (Patricia Clarkson). Stewart also played a tomboy in the film Panic Room, playing the diabetic daughter of a divorced mother (Jodie Foster). She was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her performance.^[13]

After Panic Room's success, Stewart was cast in another thriller, Cold Creek Manor, playing the daughter of Dennis Quaid's and Sharon Stone's characters. She was again nominated for a Young Artist Award for her performance.^[13] It was revealed that at about this time in her career, she had to be homeschooled due to her irregular schedule, which was affecting her grades. She said, "I started homeschooling because my teachers were failing me. I think it was just resentment – I made more work for them. But homeschooling is great; you can study what you want, which allows you to get more excited about what you're doing".^[13]

2004–07[link]

Her first starring role followed, in the children's action-comedy Catch That Kid, opposite Max Thieriot and Corbin Bleu. Stewart also played the role of Lila in the thriller Undertow. Stewart starred in the Lifetime/Showtime television film Speak (2004), based on the novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. Stewart, 13 at the time of filming, played high school freshman Melinda Sordino, who stops almost all verbal contact after being raped.

In 2005, Stewart appeared in the fantasy-adventure film Zathura, playing the role of Lisa, the irresponsible older sister of two little boys, who turn their house into a spacecraft hurtling uncontrollably in outer space by playing a board game. The film received praise by critics, but Stewart's performance did not garner much media attention, as it was noted that her character is immobilized during most of the film.^[14] The following year, she played the character Maya in Fierce People, directed by Griffin Dunne. After that film, she received the lead role of Jess Solomon in the supernatural thriller film The Messengers.

In 2007, Stewart appeared as teenager Lucy Hardwicke in In the Land of Women, a romantic drama starring Meg Ryan and Adam Brody. The film, as well as Stewart's performance, received mixed reviews. That same year, Stewart appeared in the Sean Penn-directed adaptation film Into the Wild. For her portrayal of Tracy – a teenage singer who has a crush on young adventurer Christopher McCandless (played by Emile Hirsch) – Stewart received mixed reviews. While Salon.com considered her work a "sturdy, sensitive performance",^[15] and the Chicago Tribune noted that she did "vividly well with a sketch of a role",^[16] Variety's critic Dennis Harvey said, "It's unclear whether Stewart means to be playing hippie-chick Tracy as vapid, or whether it just comes off that way."^[17] After Into the Wild, Stewart had a cameo appearance in Jumper and also appeared in What Just Happened, which was released in October 2008.^[18] She also co-starred in The Cake Eaters an independent film that has only been screened at film festivals.

2008–present[link]

On November 16, 2007, Summit Entertainment announced that Stewart would play Isabella "Bella" Swan in the film Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling vampire romance novel of the same name.^[19] Stewart was on the set of Adventureland when director Catherine Hardwicke visited her for an informal screen test which "captivated" the director.^[20] She starred alongside Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, her character's vampire boyfriend. The film began production in February 2008 and finished filming in May 2008. Twilight was released domestically on November 21, 2008.^[21] Her performance garnered mixed reviews with some critcs calling her "the ideal casting choice" and praising her for conveying "Bella's detachment, as well as her need to bust through it"^[22] while others criticized her acting for being "wooden" and lacking variety in her facial expressions which they described as "blank".^[23]

Stewart reappeared as Bella in the sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, once again receiving mixed reviews for her performance. Jordan Mintzer from Variety called Stewart "the heart and soul of the film" and praised her for giving "both weight and depth to dialogue...she makes Bella's psychological wounds seem like the real deal"^[24] Manohla Dargis from The New York Times said Stewart's "lonely-girl blues soon grow wearisome" throughout the film^[25] and Billy Goodykoontz from The Arizona Republic stated "Stewart is a huge disapointment... She sucks the energy right out of the film".^[26] She reprised this role in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Kristen Stewart at the 2010 Academy Awards.

At the 2010 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Stewart and Twilight co-star Taylor Lautner presented a tribute in honour of the horror movie genre.^[27]

In 2009, Stewart starred in The Yellow Handkerchief, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was released into theaters in 2010 by Samuel Goldwyn Films. She also starred alongside James Gandolfini in Welcome to the Rileys, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010.

In 2010, Stewart portrayed rock star Joan Jett in The Runaways, a biographical film of the titular band of the same name from writer-director Floria Sigismondi.^[28] Stewart met with Jett over the 2008–2009 New Year to prepare for the role and ended up prerecording songs in a studio for the film.^[29] She received praise for her performance as the Metro Times wrote, "It turns out that Stewart is actually really good at capturing Jett's icy, tough-but-cool girl swagger, adding the needed touches of vulnerability that transform it into a pretty terrific performance... Stewart is a genuine rock star here."^[30] Also, A. O. Scott of The New York Times noted "Ms. Stewart, watchful and unassuming, gives the movie its spine and soul."^[31]

She was cast in the role of Mary Lou in an upcoming film adaptation of Jack Kerouac's cult classic novel On the Road. Shooting began in August 2010.^[32]

Stewart was listed as the highest earning female actress in Hollywood in the "2010's Top Hollywood Top Earners List" compiled by Vanity Fair. Throughout 2010, Stewart earned an estimated $28.5 million for all her movie appearances.^[33]

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 was released on November 18, 2011. The film was successful in the box office making $283.5 million its opening weekend. Though the film received negative reviews, Stewart's performance was praised. Gabriel Chong called Stewart's performance "mesmerising" and said that she "makes [Bella's] every emotion keenly felt that runs the gamut from joy, trepidation, anxiety, distress and above all quiet and resolute determination"^[34] and the Village Voice's Dan Konis saying Stewart "beautifully underplays"^[35] the role. However, some critics found Pattinson and Stewart's chemistry lacking and said that the relationship came off like a "charade" onscreen^[36] or that none of the three leads were convincing in their roles.^[37]

In March 2011, it was confirmed that Stewart would be playing Snow White in the film Snow White and the Huntsman.^[38] Filming began on August 15 and the film was released on June 1, 2012.^[39]

On December 6, 2011, Stewart was named number one on Forbes magazine's list of Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck.^[40]

She was named the new face of an unnamed Balenciaga perfume on January 13, 2012.^[41]

In May 2012, Stewart was cast in the thiller titled Cali, directed by Nick Cassavetes. She will begin shooting the film at the end of this summer.^[42] Stewart plays one half of a troublesome pair of San Fernando Valley lovebirds who decide to sell a fake snuff film and permanently ditch with the cash. Years later, Stewart's character runs into a dilemma when she's compelled to return to Los Angeles to help out the little sister she left behind. After faking her own death, she must explain her dramatic decision to not only her closest family members but to the angry former business partners she left behind.

Personal life[link]

Stewart currently lives in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. She has expressed a desire to live and work in Australia, saying, "I want to go to Sydney University in Australia. My mom's from there."^[43] Apart from acting, she is also interested in attending college in the near future, saying, "I want to go to college for literature. I want to be a writer. I mean, I love what I do, but it's not all I want to do – be a professional liar for the rest of my life."^[44] In 2008, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Stewart acknowledged that she was in a relationship with Michael Angarano, her co-star from Speak.^[45]

Since meeting on the set of Twilight, Stewart has been romantically linked to co-star Robert Pattinson.^[46] Though they have never explicitly confirmed a relationship, paparazzi photographs and eyewitness accounts have driven intense media and fan speculation and attention, making "Robsten" the subject of wide media coverage.^[47] In an interview with GQ, when asked why she remained reluctant to talk about the relationship despite evidence of it being accessible online, Stewart replied, "Yeah, I know it is...So much of my life is so easily googled. I mean, it's like, come on guys, it's so obvious!"^[47] When asked why she refuses to talk about her life, Stewart replied "I'm selfish. I'm like, 'That's mine!' And I like to keep whatever is mine remaining that way. It's a funny little game to play and it's a slippery slope. I always say to myself I'm never going to give anything away because there's never any point or benefit for me. I guarantee whenever I get married or have a baby, everyone is going to want to know my kid's name and I'm not going to say it for ages."^[47]

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kristen Stewart

• Official website
• Kristen Stewart at the Internet Movie Database

Robert Pattinson
Pattinson at the premiere of Water for Elephants in 2011.
Born	Robert Thomas Pattinson (1986-05-13) 13 May 1986 (age 26) London, England , UK
Other names	Rob, R-Pattz,[1] Spunk Ransom[2] (nicknames)
Occupation	Actor, model, musician, producer
Years active	2004–present
Relatives	Lizzy Pattinson (sister)
Signature

Robert Thomas Pattinson^[3] (born 13 May 1986)^[4] is an English actor, model, musician, and producer.^[5] Born and raised in London, Pattinson started out his career by playing the role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.^[6] Later, he landed the leading role of Edward Cullen in the film adaptations of the Twilight novels by Stephenie Meyer, and came to worldwide fame,^[7][8] thus establishing himself among the highest paid and most bankable actors in Hollywood.^[9][10][11] In 2010, Pattinson was named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in The World, and also in the same year Forbes ranked him as one of the most powerful celebrities in the world in the Forbes Celebrity 100.^[12][13]

Early life[link]

Pattinson was born in London, England. His mother, Clare, worked for a modelling agency, and his father, Richard, imported vintage cars from the U.S.^[14] Pattinson has two elder sisters, singer Lizzy Pattinson, and Victoria Pattinson.^[15][16] Growing up in the Barnes suburb of London,^[17] he attended Tower House School until he was 12, and then The Harrodian School.^[18][19] He became involved in amateur theatre at the Barnes Theatre Company. He auditioned and was cast in a small role in Guys and Dolls. He next auditioned for Thornton Wilder's Our Town and was cast as George Gibbs. He also played in Anything Goes and Macbeth.^[20] He caught the attention of an acting agent in a production of Tess of the d'Urbervilles and began looking for professional roles.

Career[link]

Modelling[link]

Pattinson began modelling when he was twelve years old, but the number of jobs began to decrease only four years later. In December 2008 he blamed the lack of work as a model on his masculine appearance: "When I first started I was quite tall and looked like a girl, so I got lots of jobs, because it was during that period where the androgynous look was cool. Then, I guess, I became too much of a guy, so I never got any more jobs. I had the most unsuccessful modelling career."^[21] Pattinson appeared in the advertising campaign for Hackett's autumn 2007 collection.^[22]

Acting[link]

Early career[link]

Pattinson had supporting roles in the made for television film Ring of the Nibelungs in 2004 and in director Mira Nair’s Vanity Fair, although his scenes in the latter were deleted and only appear on the DVD version.^[23] In May 2005, he was slated to appear in the UK premiere of The Woman Before at the Royal Court Theatre, but was fired shortly before the opening night and was replaced by Tom Riley.^[24] Later that year he played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. For this role he was named that year's British Star of Tomorrow by The Times^[25] and had more than once been touted as the next Jude Law.^[19][26][27]

2008-present[link]

In 2008 Pattinson landed the coveted role of Edward Cullen in the film Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer's best-selling novel of the same name. According to TV Guide, Pattinson was initially apprehensive about auditioning for the role of Edward Cullen, fearful that he would not be able to live up to the "perfection" expected from the character.^[28] The film was released on November 21, 2008 and turned Pattinson into an instant overnight moviestar.^[29] Though the film received mixed reviews, critics praised his and co-star Kristen Stewart's chemisty in the film.^[30] The New York Times called Pattinson a "capable and exotically beautiful" actor^[31] and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said he was "well-chosen" for the role.^[32]

After Twilight Pattinson starred in the independent films Little Ashes (in which he plays Salvador Dalí), How to Be (a British comedy), andThe Summer House.

He reprised his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight sequel The Twilight Saga: New Moon which was released on November 20, 2009. The film earned a record-breaking $142,839,137 opening weekend and an overall run of $709,827,462 worldwide.^[33] Though the film received negative reviews, film critic Michael Phillips from the Chicago Tribune said Pattinson was still "interesting to watch" despite the bad makeup.^[34] Bill GoodyKoontz from the Arizona Republic said, "Pattinson's actually not in the film that much, but he does his best when he's around"^[35] and Michael O'Sullivan of the Washington Post noted that his acting was "uniformly strong".^[36]

Pattinson at the 2009 Academy Awards

In 2009 Pattinson presented at the 81st Academy Awards.^[37] On November 10, Revolver Entertainment released the DVD Robsessed, a documentary which details Pattinson's life and popularity.^[38]

On May 13, 2010, Pattinson appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and on May 18, The Ellen DeGeneres Show for his film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.^[39] He attended the official worldwide red carpet premiere for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on June 24, 2010, at the Los Angeles Nokia Theatre^[40] and the film was released on June 30, 2010, earning $698,491,347 worldwide.^[41][42]

In 2010, Pattinson executively produced and starred in the film Remember Me, which was released on March 12, 2010.^[43]

In 2011, he starred as Jacob Jankowski in Water for Elephants, a film adaptation of the Sara Gruen novel of the same name, with Christoph Waltz and Reese Witherspoon.^[44] The film received mixed reviews but Pattinson's performance was praised. Film critic Richard Corliss from Time praised Pattinson for being "shy and watchful" and said he "radiates a slow magnetism that locks the viewer’s eyes on him", ultimately calling him "star quality".^[45] Mick LaSalle from the San Francisco Chronicle stated that Pattinson succeeded at holding his own at the center of a major feature and was "endlessly watchable".^[46] Peter Travers of the Rolling Stone said he "smolders" in the film^[47] and Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter said, "Pattinson is entirely convincing as Jacob".^[48]

Pattinson reappeared as Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, which was released on November 18, 2011, and earned $705,058,657 at the box office.^[49]

He played Georges Duroy in a film adaptation of the 1885 novel Bel Ami, with Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, and Kristin Scott Thomas. The film had a world premiere at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival^[50] and was released on February 12, 2012.^[51]

Pattinson will be starring in the upcoming film adaptation of Don Delillo's Cosmopolis, directed by David Cronenberg in 2012.^[52] The film has been selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.^[53][54]

In May 2012, Pattinson was cast alongside Guy Pierce to star in David Michod's The Rover.^[55] He was also cast to star in the psychological thriller, Mission: Blacklist (film), based on the novel of the same name by military interrogator, Eric Maddox.^[56]

Music[link]

Pattinson plays guitar and piano, and composes his own music.^[57] He also appears as the singer of two songs on the Twilight soundtrack: "Never Think", which he co-wrote with Sam Bradley,^[58] and "Let Me Sign", which was written by Marcus Foster and Bobby Long.^[59] The songs were included in the film after director Catherine Hardwicke added Pattinson's recordings into an early cut without his knowledge, and he agreed that "one of them specifically, it really made the scene better. It was like it was supposed to be there."^[5] The soundtrack for the film How to Be features three original songs performed by Pattinson^[60] and written by composer Joe Hastings.^[61]

Aside from recording for the soundtracks, Pattinson has said, "I've never really recorded anything – I just played in pubs and stuff", and when asked about a professional music career, he said, "Music is my back-up plan if acting fails."^[5] In 2010, Pattinson was awarded the 'Hollywood's Most Influential Top Unexpected Musicians' award.

In the media[link]

Pattinson after The Twilight Saga: New Moon photo call at Crillon Hotel in 2009

Pattinson was named one of the "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2008 and 2009 by People magazine.^[62][63] In 2009, he was also named the "Sexiest Man Alive" by Glamour.^[64] Ask Men named Pattinson as one of the top 49 most influential men of 2009.^[65] In 2009, Vanity Fair named Pattinson "the most handsome man in the world" along with Angelina Jolie as the most beautiful woman in the world.^[66]

He was named one of Vanity Fair's "Top Hollywood Earners of 2009" with estimated earnings of $18 million in 2009.^[9][67]

In December 2009, Pattinson autographed a guitar to be auctioned off for charity.^[68] He also volunteered for the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief in January 2010.^[69]

GQ and Glamour both named him the "Best Dressed Man" of 2010, with GQ stating, "Extremely elegant and inspiring, the true essence of a contemporary man."^[70][71] In 2010, People also listed Pattinson in their "World's Most Beautiful" issue.^[72]

In 2010, Pattinson politely turned down a $2 million fashion campaign with Burberry.^[73]

Britain's The Sunday Times "Rich List" put him on its "list of young millionaires" in the UK, worth £13 million.^[74] Time magazine named him as one of 2010's 100 Most Influential People in The World.^[12] In June 2010, Pattinson was named by Forbes magazine the No.50 most powerful celebrity in the world with earnings $17 million.^[13] Due to Pattinson's rising fame, a wax statue of him was added to the Madame Tussauds collection in London and New York City.^[75] On 14 November 2010, Pattinson received two BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards, Best Dressed and Best Actor.^[76]

In 2011, Pattinson was No. 15 on Vanity Fair's "Hollywood Top 40" with earnings of $27.5 million in 2010.^[77] GQ once again named Pattinson the "Best Dressed Man" of 2012.^[78]

Personal life[link]

Since meeting on the set of Twilight, Pattinson has been romantically linked to co-star Kristen Stewart.^[79] Though they have never explicitly confirmed a relationship, paparazzi photographs and eyewitness accounts have driven intense media and fan speculation and attention making "Robsten" the subject of wide media coverage.^[80]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Robert Pattinson

• Media related to Robert Pattinson at Wikimedia Commons
• Robert Pattinson at the Internet Movie Database