Robert Pattinson Says Staying Silent Makes People Think He’s “Intimidating”

Robert Pattinson is getting honest about a difficult moment from his past — including an awkward experience in therapy.

In a new conversation with Zendaya for Interview Magazine, the actor revealed that counseling didn’t go as expected when he tried it.

“I went to therapy once, and the therapist asked me if I was on drugs because they couldn’t understand what I was talking about,” Pattinson shared. “I was like, ‘I’m trying my best.’”

The two actors, who star together in the upcoming film The Drama, spoke openly about feeling misunderstood — something Pattinson says he experienced often during his early fame.

Life After Twilight

Pattinson became a global star playing Edward Cullen in the blockbuster Twilight film series. As the brooding vampire caught in a love triangle with Jacob (played by Taylor Lautner) and Bella (played by Kristen Stewart), Pattinson quickly became a teen idol.

While he says he enjoyed making the movies, the intense marketing and sudden fame were overwhelming.

“There was such a huge marketing push behind it,” he explained. “I didn’t want to get my personal identity caught up in that, so I tried to push forward my individuality a little.”

He added that many fans confused him with his character. “It was interesting getting famous off of playing a part — people thought I was that character in the beginning.”

Over time, Pattinson says he learned to use public perception to his advantage when taking on new roles. Rather than fighting expectations, he sometimes plays with them in his performances.

From Mystery to Laughter

Zendaya admitted that when they first met through mutual friends — including her partner, Tom Holland — she found Pattinson quiet and mysterious.

“You didn’t say much, and I was like, ‘Ooh, mysterious!’” she told him.

But Holland had a different take. According to Zendaya, he described Pattinson as fun and always joking.

Pattinson laughed at the contrast.

“I wish I could stay in the mysterious,” he said. “I’ve learned again and again that if you just don’t speak, people are like, ‘Wow. You’re really intimidating,’ but I just can’t maintain it.”

One awkward moment came when Pattinson missed a screening of Zendaya’s HBO series Euphoria. Embarrassed, he stayed quiet while others discussed the episode — even though he hadn’t seen it.

“I was still giving my opinion without having seen it,” he admitted.

A New Chapter With The Drama

In their upcoming film The Drama, Zendaya and Pattinson play an engaged couple — bookstore clerk Emma Harwood and British museum director Charlie Thompson — whose wedding week takes an unexpected turn.

The film hits theaters on April 3 and marks another big step for Pattinson, who has continued to take on diverse roles in films like The Batman, Mickey 17, and Die My Love.

Through it all, Pattinson says he’s learned to embrace both the public image and the private person — even if the “mysterious” act doesn’t always last long.