Robert Pattinson happy to branch out

The British hunk is best known for playing brooding vampire Edward Cullen in the popular teen films. Robert is determined not to be typecast and has appeared in other movies including Remember Me. His latest big screen outing sees him star alongside Reese Witherspoon in Water for Elephants. In the movie, Robert plays a student vet who joins the circus after his parents are killed and he has revealed the character was a real challenge.

"I think so," he told MTV when asked if he feels his new movie is a big stepping stone for him. "It definitely felt like I was doing a big movie when I was doing it and it felt totally different from doing something within the Twilight world because now it just seems so familiar, the Twilight stuff. It's just like going to a normal job, doing that."

Robert and Reese have filmed several romantic scenes for the movie and the pair formed a close friendship on the movie set. Reese recently praised the 24-year-old heartthrob for his admirable work ethic, adding she was impressed by how he transformed for the role.

"Robert is such a great guy from a great family,” she said. “That's the thing that's so funny. He's not really this bad boy; he's just a great guy and really worked hard on Water for Elephants. He really worked long hours, long days. He looks totally different in the movie."