Robert Pattinson explains 'one of the best things about being a sellout'

After becoming one of young Hollywood's biggest heartthrobs with his role in the Twilight franchise, Robert Pattinson decided to take the less flashy path and signed on to work in films that held more critical weightage than fan following.

While in Cannes to promote his latest project Good Time the 31-year-old spoke to The New York Times about this shift post Edward Cullen, and the impact Twilight has on his career.

"I think one of the best things, basically, about being a bit of a sellout," Pattinson said, is "if you've done five movies in a series, you've had to accept some responsibility for playing the same character". He was referring to the critics' dismissal of him as an actor during his vampire days.

Despite the unkind reviews, the actor seems unfazed. Instead he recognises the Twilight movies as "an amazing luxury" and describes his time with Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and Anna Kendrick as "amazing luck, as well, to just have fallen into it with the group of people I worked with on it".

Pattinson was 22 years old when he started filming the movies, prior to which he played Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter franchise. He confesses to being rebellious at the time and causing trouble on set, almost coming close to getting kicked off the project. His agents were forced to come down to smooth things over and put him in his place.

"I didn't have to kiss anybody's [rear end] the entire time," he said. "I don't think I did, anyway."