It's hard to imagine The Twilight Saga's Robert Pattinson not portraying the coveted role of Edward Cullen—the not-so-young vampire who falls in love with a mere human. With Kristen Stewart, they created an epic romance that still owns the hearts of Twihards today, even after nearly two decades since the premiere of the first movie in 2008.
Pattinson wasn't the initial choice for Edward, but another cast member, Kellen Lutz, was. He portrayed the big, but soft-hearted, Emmett Cullen, Rosalie Hale's (Nikki Reed) onscreen husband for all five movies. There was a reason, though, why Lutz turned down the lead, and it has a lot to do with Edward's mentality and overall psyche, along with his own.
Kellen Lutz reveals the secrets of Twilight
During the Twilight panel at Fan Expo Chicago 2025 on Sunday, Aug. 17, Lutz revealed why he rejected Edward. As a head start, the actor wrapped up filming the HBO miniseries, Generation Kill, which covered a significant part of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The seven-episode series projected death and trauma, unescapable elements of being in a warzone.
"I had been doing Generation Kill in Africa for seven months, so it was something that was very timely and sensitive and a lot of death, a lot of destruction, and away from my family. I wasn't in the best of peace of mind. I just wanted peace and joy in my life again. So, when that audition [for Edward Cullen] came and I read it, I just wasn't in that sort of mindset. I know that's not for me, so I passed on it."
And he's right, seeing how Edward was in a state of doom and gloom when we were first introduced to him. After he met Bella, he and his family's life took a dramatic shift, but it additionally utilized tht vampire and mortal beings can coexist without endangering conflicts.
Yet, Summit Entertainment and Twilight's director, Catherine Hardwicke, didn't dismiss Lutz following his rejection. They had a different role, Emmett, for him, despite the character having already been cast. Needless to say, Lutz had nothing to lose and immediately took to Emmett.
"Emmett was already cast, and then they opened that up again because the actor just didn't work out. When they sent me the lines for Emmett, I read them. There's like four lines, right? They're all funny, or in my head, they're funny. I was like, 'Oh, this is cool; this guy is cool.' And I read him in the books, and I was like, 'Yeah, he's great.' At least he's, in my head, the comedic relief. A man of a few words, but they're funny. And so, I got to eat those up on set whenever I could."
But wait! Another Twilight actor was also up for Edward
Lutz's co-star, Jackson Rathbone, shared his experience with Edward, as he was also one of the contenders for the role. He went on to play the mysterious Jasper in the franchise, which, in my opinion, suited him better. However, it's interesting to hear his side of the story and how he felt about Pattinson playing Edward.
"I was Catherine Hardwicke's favorite, and when they [casting directors] trotted me out, [Twilight's author] Stephanie Meyer was like, 'No, that's not Edward.' They wanted one of the Harry Potter guys, so they brought in Cedric Diggory, and now we have Robert [for Edward]!"
The choice didn't leave Rathbone with a bitter taste, as he felt Pattinson was meant for the vampire that would change the course of how people felt about the supernatural undead monsters. He also noted that he and the Batman actor have a friendly relationship.
"I think that Robert Pattinson was the correct choice, 100%," Rathbone says during the panel. "I really love his performance as Edward, I make fun of him; I tease him because he's my brother, and I think it's what we do, you know, we tease each other. We have fun, but I had a lot of fun doing the audition."
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first Twilight book, and to celebrate, there's going to be a theatrical re-release of all five Twilight movies. In addition, a special edition book will also be dropped, and new merchandise for old and new fans alike to sink their teeth into.
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