The Casting Frontier Discusses Robert Pattinson in The Devil All the Time
From Casting Frontier:
Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of the duplicitous southern preacher Preston Teagardin in Antonio Campos’ The Devil All the Time is clearly a watershed moment for the young actor..it could be credibly argued that the wicked Reverend Preston of The Devil All the Time is next-level stuff. So convincing is Pattinson’s performance as a born and bred southern-fried evangelist, it’s hard to believe he is actually a genuine posh English chap. The accent he conjures for the violent gothic thriller is something out of a very rich, intriguing, mysterious, and beguiling place—and it was all forged by Pattinson himself!
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As any actor knows, acting isn’t merely learning the lines and reciting them with an appropriation of verisimilitude and feeling. It’s about discovering the soul lurking within the character at hand and exploring the possibilities. Exploring the idiosyncrasies of that unique and particular creation. Then performing it all with creativity, passion, and imagination.
Normally, it takes a lot of preparation, time, and hard work alongside a vocal coach for actors to master their character’s accents. Granted, some performers must really struggle at the methodical task. Others seem to pick up the many subtleties of speech with relative ease. But in this case, Pattinson tried a new approach—a playful approach.
It serves as a reminder to think outside the carton, take a few risks, dare to look foolish. Perhaps something extraordinary will be the result—just look at Robert Pattinson in The Devil All The Time.
