Shiloh Fernandez was among the actors considered for the role of Edward Cullen. According to Catherine Hardwicke, we wanted someone who had just a little bit of the bad boy in him,
and Fernandez seemed to fit that description. However, he eventually conceded that he wasn’t right for the part
and that audition nerves affected his chemistry with Kristen Stewart.
Meanwhile, Ben Barnes, known for his roles in The Chronicles of Narnia series, was also on the shortlist for Edward. His scheduling conflicts with Narnia were a primary reason audiences never saw him as the brooding vampire. Barnes once admitted, I think it’s dangerous to mix characters from franchises while you’re doing one.
Catherine Hardwicke revealed that Robert Pattinson wasn’t an obvious choice initially. When he arrived at her house with black bangs — hair dyed black — kinda out of shape because he’s hanging out at the pub all the time,
it took some convincing for the studio to see his potential. Nevertheless, after viewing his chemistry read with Kristen Stewart, Hardwicke felt there was pretty much no contest
.
Pattinson’s co-star, Kristen Stewart, was already cast as Bella Swan when the final casting decisions were being made. Their on-screen chemistry played a crucial role in securing Pattinson’s place in the franchise.
Catherine Hardwicke relied heavily on these chemistry reads and relationship tests to determine the best fit for Edward Cullen. She noted that even though there were doubts from Summit Entertainment, she firmly believed in Pattinson’s ability to embody Edward after witnessing his interactions with Stewart.
The process of casting Edward Cullen was both extensive and exhaustive, narrowing down to a few notable names before finally settling on Robert Pattinson. His tenure as Edward solidified his place in pop culture history, cementing Twilight’s success for years to come.
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