The Weird Era of Robert Pattinson: From "Good Time" to "Mickey 17" A Player of Oddballs Robert Pattinson has been in his weird era
The Weird Era of Robert Pattinson: From "Good Time" to "Mickey 17"
A Player of Oddballs
Robert Pattinson has been in his weird era for a while now. He’s long relished playing eccentric characters on the big screen, from "Good Time" to "High Life", to "The Lighthouse" and beyond. Even in "The Batman", he went full-emo. And now, in Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17****, he gets to take that instinct for eccentricity even further.
Playing Multiple Roles
In Mickey 17, Pattinson plays multiple "reprints" of sad sack Mickey, an "expendable" who has a new body created every time the previous one dies. He gets to dial up the unpredictability, sharing the screen with… himself. Because, in a mishap, Mickey 18 is created before Mickey 17 is actually dead – and their co-existence proves to be a dangerous thing.
A Unique Accent
Switching between portraying Mickeys 17 and 18, Pattinson had to find a way to differentiate them – including giving them unique accents, inspired by an unlikely source. "It’s a little like Stimpy," he tells Empire of Mickey 17’s vocal tones, nodding to the cult ’90s cartoon Ren & Stimpy. "When 18 comes in, it’s a little bit more like Ren." With every new reprinted Mickey, Pattinson imagines the character as losing a little something. "I just had this idea that he’s kind of like a dog with a complete lack of self-worth," he explains. "He just keeps turning up, reporting for duty. But then I hope the reveal is that it’s a combination of deep, misguided guilt, and also survival. It’s him just saying, ‘I’ll just keep lowering my expectations the whole time.’"
Not the Original Plan
As it happens, channelling Ren & Stimpy wasn’t Pattinson’s first choice for his Mickey voices. "My initial idea was to do impressions of Steve-O and Johnny Knoxville from Jackass," he chuckles. "I love Steve-O’s voice. We did it on the first read-through. And Bong was like, ‘That voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard.’ I was like, ‘Is that a good thing?’ He was like, ‘No.’" Don’t try this at home.
Conclusion
Mickey 17 is a satirical sci-fi odyssey that showcases Pattinson’s versatility as an actor. You can read Empire’s full feature on Mickey 17, speaking to Bong Joon Ho, Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, and Naomi Ackie, in the December 2024 issue, on sale Thursday 24 October. Pre-order a copy online here. Mickey 17 comes to UK cinemas from 31 January.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When does Mickey 17 come to UK cinemas?
- Mickey 17 comes to UK cinemas from 31 January.
- Where can I pre-order a copy of the December 2024 issue of Empire?
- You can pre-order a copy online here.
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