Robert Pattinson: `Elephants are like method actors`

The 24-year-old star got to grips with the giant animals on the set of his latest movie, Water For Elephants, and said that it was always best to expect the unexpected.

He told Contact Music, 'The best thing is that it takes away from the mundane [parts] of the day.

'If you're doing 20 takes or something, and there's a character who's going to be doing something totally different every time, it's always exciting. It's like working with a full-on method actor who's just improvising.

'If there's like, an actual moment you have to get emotion across and suddenly there's like a trunk in your face.'

He added that he had no idea how big his part was in the romantic drama until he got on set.

'When I first read the script - because I didn't have that many lines - I just thought, 'Oh OK I get it. I'm like the eyes of the audience. It's going to be a big spectacle movie that isn't solely resting on my shoulders',' he explained.

'I only realised about halfway through. I was working every single day. Reese [Witherspoon] was hardly ever in.'