Pattinson began his acting career in the early 2000s with roles in a number of films and television series, including the German television film *Ring of the Nibelungs* (2004) and the BBC adaptation of the J. R. R. Tolkien novel *The Hobbit* (2003). His breakthrough role came in 2005 when he was cast as Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's novel *Twilight*. The film was a critical and commercial success, spawning four sequels and making Pattinson a household name.
Since the *Twilight* series ended, Pattinson has starred in a number of independent films, including *Remember Me* (2010), *Water for Elephants* (2011), *Cosmopolis* (2012), *Maps to the Stars* (2014), and *Good Time* (2017). He has also appeared in several big-budget films, such as *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* (2005), *New Moon* (2009), *Eclipse* (2010), *Breaking Dawn - Part 1* (2011), and *Breaking Dawn - Part 2* (2012).
In addition to his acting career, Pattinson is also a musician and producer. He has released two albums, *Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack* (2008) and *Life and Times* (2011), and has produced several short films and music videos.
Pattinson has been named one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" by *Time* magazine and one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by *People* magazine. He has also won numerous awards for his acting, including the MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance and the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Romance.