Robert Pattinson’s Remember Me co-star Tate Ellington on working with a heartthrob

BEING mobbed every time you leave the house is all in a day’s work for Robert Pattinson.

But for Tate Ellington, who played Robert Pattinson’s on-screen best friend in Remember Me, thousands of screaming fans following you down the street is one helluva terrifying experience.

OK.co.uk’s Nicola McCafferty spent an evening chatting with Tate, the self-effacing actor who starred as Aidan Hall, about what life is like for the Twilight hunk; how tricky it is working with him and how they escaped the hysteria…

What was it like working with Rob on Remember Me, did you guys strike up an instant rapport?

“Yeah I think so [I hope so]! I met Rob at the screen test and luckily I wasn’t too nervous that day as I was like I probably won’t get the job so…

“But when I got the job and I met him again, he was automatically as nice as can be and I had to make a point to be more talkative as I can be really shy, and Rob had a bit of shyness too.

“I was happy he wasn’t like this big jerk coming into the room and he was utterly always so humble and nice about everything.”

You played Rob’s best friend in the movie, did you guys spend time getting to know each other in preparation?

“After I got the job we had a couple of times where we would go to the hotel where he was staying and get to know each other.

“We sat around and had a beer and just chatted – it was good.

“I felt very comfortable with him from the get go. And I met Emilie de Ravin not long after, and automatically we were all jerking around!”

You had just finished a stint on Broadway with actor Matthew Broderick when you got the Remember Me job. Were you used to working with big Hollywood stars by the time you met the cast?

“Oh yeah! I was pretty terrified! Initially I was really excited when I found out who was gonna be in it but everybody was so nice…there was never any reason to be intimidated.”

Were you a Twilight fan before you started working on this movie?

“I was not… I actually made a point not to watch Twilight [when I got the role], but a girl I was dating at the time was an insane fan about it.

“She explained to me all four books, I was like that sounds great I might read that at some point! She was also a Harry Potter fan and got me hooked on it and when I heard Rob was in it, I was like Oh Cedric Diggory! Oh no wait, Twilight… [laughs]

“I watched Twilight not too long after we finished shooting and I kinda expected it to be a bit girly but it was good – I was like, way to go Rob!”

“At some point I have to watch New Moon – I still haven’t seen it. But it feels weird now – you’re like watching a friend.

Rob quite famously got mobbed by dozens of fans on the New York set… What was that like?

“It was like a running joke [when Rob got mobbed on-set.]

“The producers sort of prepped me, they were like this sort of thing might be happening and I got there the first day and exactly that happened and I was like woah, you weren’t kidding!

“We had to figure out how we were gonna get round it. It was tricky.”

How did Rob cope with all the attention?

“He was so great, I dunno if i could do that everyday, the guy can’t even walk down the street – that would probably throw me.

“But it was hilarious ‘cos everyday you knew exactly when Rob was gonna show up on set, you’d just hear the screams and you’d be like – oh Rob’s coming!

“We always got a kick of that. The crew handled it really amazingly.

“You just kinda got used to it and it was nice – everyday there was just a lot of people there to say hello!”

Did he get a bit freaked out the time?

“Rob was initially a bit… New York is quite an enclosed space but he figured it out.

“[But] he was always so nice to all the fans.

“It was always overnight for him. I think he’s really settling into it now. I think he’s done a great job with it.

“i dunno if I could cope with it… It would freak me out.”

How would you describe your character, Aidan, in the film?

“He’s a complete jerk and anyone would punch this guy in the face, but regardless of all the things he says and does he has the best intentions.

What drew you to the role?

“When I read the script I was like, I want this guy to show through in the moments where he can.

“He has a big heart and he feels things for this people. Tyler is like his adopted family and he’s always trying to look out for his friend.

“He’s the kinda guy you can call whenever you’re in any sort of trouble and he’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

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