Rob aspires to be like Johnny Depp: 'It's his acting that counts'

Robert Pattinson might have rocketed to international stardom in the uber-commercial "Twilight" juggernaut, but the soft-spoken actor seems to have his eye on a more enduring prize.

Pattinson wants to be judged by his work, not his fame, which he made clear in a recent interview with Jeanne Wolf:

"You keep trying to make your name stand for something other than just like meaningless celebrity," says Pattinson. "It's a difficult battle, but I think people like Johnny Depp have done that. He's not judged by his public image, it's just his acting that counts. To get to that place takes a lot of discipline and a lot of hiding."

And Pattinson is getting better at the hiding game. In a recent interview on "The Daily Show," the "Twilight" star told Jon Stewart that no one found out which hotel he was staying at the entire time he was in New York promoting his upcoming film, "Remember Me." That's quite the feat for the man who is currently towards the top of the paparazzi's "most wanted" list.

As for the "discipline" Pattinson mentions, the 23-year-old star is selectively choosing more artistic parts in hopes of building a long-term career in Hollywood. In his next role, he plays rebellious New Yorker and troubled college student Tyler who finds love in the wake of a family tragedy in the indie drama, "Remember Me."

Pattinson has also signed on to star in "Water for Elephants," based on a novel by Sara Gruen and co-starring Academy Award winners Christoph Waltz and Reese Witherspoon. Incidentally, his character is named Jacob.

Speaking of Jacob, one can't help but compare Pattinson and his equally famous "Twilight" co-star's recent career choices. Taylor Lautner, who is currently slated to star in "Stretch Armstrong" and "Abducted," seems to be sticking with the big boxoffice draw movies.

"Robert is much more about the artistic parts than the big commercial parts," says an executive that works with them both. "Taylor was a child actor and worked in the commerce of our business."

Lautner has been acting since the tender age of seven and scored his first big role in "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl" in 2005.

Pattinson broke into the biz at 15, when he landed the role of Cedric Diggory in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." But with the "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" blockbusters under his belt, it sounds like at least for the meantime, he's sticking with the indie film world in hopes that he can stretch his career out, Johnny Depp-style.

"The spin his people are putting on it is that he wants to do this for 40 years," says a talent representative.

Here's hoping we see Pattinson's flawless face - er, acting - around for many years to come.source
~Robstenfan