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Us Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine, founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986. The publication covers topics ranging from celebrity relationships to the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and entertainment. Along with Jann Wenner, the individuals currently in charge of Us Weekly are Editor in Chief Michael Steele and Publisher Victoria Lasdon Rose. As of 2007, its circulation averaged over 1.85 million.

The magazine currently features a sharply different style from its original 1977–2000 format. Originally a monthly industry news and review magazine along the lines of Premiere or Entertainment Weekly, it switched format in 2000 to its current themes of celebrity news and style.

The web site Usmagazine.com was launched in fall 2006 and gets approximately two million visitors per month. In addition to features from the magazine, the site has a breaking celebrity news blog, exclusive photos, red carpet galleries from premieres and events, plus games, videos, quizzes and polls.

Us Weekly has several signature issues each year including the Hot Hollywood special issues, in the spring and the fall celebrating young Hollywood; the Best Bodies issue and the Best Makeovers issue.

History[link]

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Launched as a bi-monthly publication in 1977, Us Magazine was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986 and is a part of Wenner Media LLC, which also publishes Rolling Stone and Men’s Journal.

In 1999, the company announced plans to shift the Us publication schedule from monthly to weekly. The shift coincided with a change in style from industry news and reviews to a celebrity- focused news magazine. The move was a response to several market forces, including the success of Time, Inc.’s Entertainment Weekly and People magazines. Wenner expressed his intention to keep Us "celebrity-friendly" in contrast with the more gossipy character of its competitors. He told the New York Times: "We will be nice to celebrities. A lot of my friends are in the entertainment business." The publication focuses on celebrity fashion as well as Hollywood gossip; Kelli Delaney, current New York designer for Members Only, formerly served as Fashion Director of the publication (1992–95).

The magazine changed from a monthly to a weekly format in March 2000. In February 2001, Wenner partnered with The Walt Disney Company. But, in August 2006, Wenner Media re-acquired Disney's 50 percent stake, making the publication once again fully owned and operated by Wenner Media. In July 2003, Janice Min took over as Editor in Chief with Victoria Lasdon Rose as Publisher, and Michael Steele as Executive Editor. Steele took over for Min in 2009. London-born Melanie Bromley became West Coast Bureau Chief in 2007 and is based in Los Angeles. Lara Cohen is the magazine's News Director.

Us Weekly Important Dates:

• 1977: Us founded by The New York Times Company
• 1980: Us acquired by Macfadden Media
• 1986: Us acquired by Wenner Media
• 1991: Us changes its bi-weekly frequency to become monthly
• March 2000: Us changes from a monthly format and goes weekly, changing its title
• February 2001: Us Weekly partners with The Walt Disney Company
• January 2006: Us Weekly increases rate base to 1.75 Million
• July 2006: Us Weekly launches Usmagazine.com
• August 2006: Wenner Media re-acquires Disney’s 50 percent stake in Us Weekly

Sections of the magazine[link]

• Just Like Us: photos of celebrities doing things everyday people do. Inspired by a regular Sesame Street feature about animals.
• Who Wore It Best? : reader polls of which celebrity wore an outfit better
• Hot Stuff: the latest gossip from inside Hollywood
• The Red Carpet: the looks and styles from Hollywood’s hottest parties and premieres
• Hot Pics: celebrity sightings of stars around the globe
• Fashion Police: famous comedians cite the fashion disasters of the stars, and the best “look of the week”
• The Record: a roster of changes in the lives of stars — births, marriages, divorces, etc.
• Loose Talk: quotes from the stars
• Us Musts: according to Us Weekly, the must-see films, TV shows and DVDs

[edit] Us Weekly in the news

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In a July 2006 Variety article, Janice Min, Us Weekly editor-in-chief, cited People for the increase in cost to publishers of celebrity photos:

They are among the biggest spenders of celebrity photos in the industry. ... One of the first things they ever did, that led to the jacking up of photo prices, was to pay $75,000 to buy pictures of Jennifer Lopez reading Us magazine, so Us Weekly couldn't buy them. That was the watershed moment that kicked off high photo prices in my mind. I had never seen anything like it. But they saw a competitor come along, and responded. It was a business move, and probably a smart one.^[2]

In a June 2007 New York Magazine article, Tina Brown was asked, "Do you actually read the tabloids?"

Of course. I read everything. I adore Us Weekly. I think it's a genius magazine. I'm a big fan of magazines that fulfill the goal of what they're trying to be.^[3]

From a May 2007 New York Post article profiling New York's 50 Most Powerful Women,

Janice Min, 37, editor, Us magazine. With her mag's profits placed as high as $90 million a year and readership up 191 percent in the last five years, Janice is not just like us. Nonetheless, the success of Us is attributed partly to the mother of two's reputation as perky and well liked – as well as its addictive features like the new "Faux Biz", which makes fun of off-base gossip.^[4]

The magazine was criticized for allegedly biased coverage of the 2008 Republican National Convention. The September 5, 2008, issue featured Alaska Governor Sarah Palin on the cover with the headline "Babies, Lies & Scandal", while the June 19, 2008, issue featured U.S. Senator from Illinois Barack Obama and wife Michelle Obama with the headline "Why Barack Loves Her".^[5] Senior Editor Bradley Jacobs claimed that the "lies" on the cover referred to unspecified "liberal bloggers" who had speculated on the parentage of Governor Palin's child, not to the governor herself. However, nothing on the cover indicated "liberal bloggers" were the alleged liars. It was reported that the magazine had lost over 10,000 subscribers. Since then Michelle Malkin's blog reported that Us Weekly sent e-mails to each of those subscribers, apologizing for the cover, and promised to send them five free copies of the magazine.^[6]

Recognition[link]

Awards and Recognition by industry observers:

• Adweek's "The Hot List: Top 10 Magazines" 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
• Advertising Age's Magazine of the Year, 2004^[7]
• Adweek Magazine's Editor of the Year, Editor in Chief Janice Min^[8]
• Advertising Age A-List, #3 in 2005, #1 in 2004
• Capell's Circulation Report "Top 10 Best Performers in Circulation" in 2005

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• The Official Jann S. Wenner Website

Look up us in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

US or U.S. usually refers to the United States of America, a country in North America.

US, U.S. or us may also refer to:

Language[link]

• we, us is the objective case of we in English

Geography[link]

• Us, Val-d'Oise, France

Education[link]

• University of Salford, a university in the UK
• University of Salzburg, a university in Austria
• University of Seville, a university in Spain
• Université de Sherbrooke, a university in Canada
• University School, a private all-boys day school in Hunting Valley, Ohio, United States
• University of Sussex, a university in the UK

Music[link]

• Us (Peter Gabriel album)
• Us (Mull Historical Society album)
• Us (Brother Ali album)
• "Us" (Regina Spektor song)
• Us, a 1974 album by Maceo Parker
• "Us", a song by Ice Cube from Death Certificate
• "Us", a song by Céline Dion from Let's Talk About Love
• "US", a song by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks from Pig Lib
• Urban Symphony, an Estonian music group

Other uses[link]

• U.S., used in legal citations to refer to the United States Reports
• Union of Russia and Belarus
• US Airways' IATA designator
• Us Weekly, an American celebrity magazine
• Us (TV movie)
• .us, Internet TLD of the United States of America
• US, Ultrasonic, Ultrasound
• Urgences-Santé, an ambulance company in Montréal, Qc, Canada

See also[link]

• µs, microsecond
• United Services Club or US Club, a golf club in Mumbai
• United States (disambiguation)
• Uz (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Kourtney Kardashian
Kardashian at Maxim's 10th Annual Hot 100 Celebration, Santa Monica, CA on May 13, 2009
Born	Kourtney Mary Kardashian (1979-04-18) April 18, 1979 (age 33) Mill Valley, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Socialite, model, actress, television personality, businesswoman
Years active	2005–present
Height	5 ft 0 in (1.52 m)
Television	Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive Keeping Up with the Kardashians Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami Kourtney and Kim Take New York
Partner	Scott Disick (2007–present)
Children	Mason Disick (b. 2009)
Parents	Robert Kardashian (father) Kris Jenner (mother) Bruce Jenner (stepfather)
Relatives	Kim Kardashian (sister) Khloé Kardashian (sister) Rob Kardashian (brother) Kendall Jenner (half-sister) Kylie Jenner (half-sister) Burt Jenner (stepbrother) Casey Jenner (stepsister) Brandon Jenner (stepbrother) Brody Jenner (stepbrother)

Kourtney Mary^{[citation needed]} Kardashian (born April 18, 1979)^[1] is an American businesswoman, socialite, model, actress and reality television personality who gained fame as a cast member of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, and Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami.

She is the oldest child of Kris Jenner and defense attorney Robert Kardashian and the sister of socialites Khloé Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, and Rob Kardashian.

Early life[link]

Kourtney Kardashian was born in Mill Valley, California.^[1] She is the oldest child of attorney Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner (née Houghton) and the sister of Kim, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian. She is also half sister of Kendall and Kylie Jenner. She grew up in Los Angeles, and is of Armenian descent on her father's side and Scottish and Dutch on her mother's.^[2][3] Her father, who was on O. J. Simpson’s legal team during his murder trial, died on September 30, 2003.^[4] Her mother, Kris, divorced Robert Kardashian in 1989 and married former Olympian Bruce Jenner in 1991.^[5]

Kardashian attended the Roman Catholic all-girls school Marymount High School. Following graduation, she left California, moving to Dallas, Texas, where she attended Southern Methodist University for two years. She then moved to Tucson, Arizona, and attended the University of Arizona, graduating with a degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Spanish. Her classmates included Nicole Richie and Luke Walton.^[6] After her mother, Kris, married Bruce Jenner, Kardashian became stepsister to three stepbrothers, (from eldest to youngest) Burton "Burt" Jenner, Brandon Jenner and Brody Jenner, and stepsister Cassandra Lyn "Casey" Jenner. She also has two half-sisters, Kendall Nicole and Kylie Kristen Jenner.

Career[link]

Television career[link]

Kardashian first became known to reality television audiences on the 2005 series, Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive, on which she earned money for charity. She then became a cast member on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which depicts the lives of her extended family. She and her sister Khloé starred in their own spinoff reality show, Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami, the first season of which documented their opening of the Miami D-A-S-H location in 2009. In January 2011, Kourtney and Kim Take New York premiered, which documents her and sister Kim opening their third D-A-S-H store in New York.

Kardashian made her acting debut with a guest appearance on the ABC soap One Life to Live on March 28, 2011, appearing as attorney Kassandra Kavanaugh.^[7]

Business ventures[link]

Kourtney and her mother opened children's clothing boutiques called Smooch in the Los Angeles area and New York City; the boutiques carry the brand Crib Rock Couture. With sisters Kim and Khloe, Kardashian co-owns and operates D-A-S-H, a clothing boutique in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City.^[6]

Kardashian has a number of endorsement contracts with her sisters Khloe and Kim. They are spokeswomen for the diet supplement Quick Trim.^[8][9] She also represents the skincare line "PerfectSkin" with her sisters, which was developed by Dr. Ron DiSalvo for Perfect Science Labs.^[10] The three sisters also released a jewelry line for Virgins, Saints, and Angels. The 20 piece collection debuted in March 2010. The jewelry is reflective of the Kardashians' Armenian heritage.^[11]

In the spring of 2010, she and her sisters released a clothing line for Bebe.^[12][13][14] In August 2010, Kardashian announced that she and her sisters were working on another clothing line called K-Dash, sold on QVC.^[15]

Kardashian and her sisters created a sunless tanner called Kardashian Glamour Tan in 2010.^[16][17] Kardashian wrote the book "Kardashian Konfidential" with her sisters Kim and Khloe; it was released in November 2010.^[18]

Personal life[link]

Kardashian and her boyfriend Scott Disick have a son, Mason Dash Disick, born December 14, 2009.^[19][20] On November 30, 2011, Kardashian announced she and Disick were expecting their second child.^[21]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Kourtney Kardashian at the Internet Movie Database

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]