If you were a teenager in 2008, you probably remember the chaos. Midnight premieres. Team Edward shirts. The general feeling that the world was divided into two camps. But looking back at the films now, there’s something weirdly specific that sticks out more than the blue tint or the baseball scene: Edward Cullen barely ever grins.
Honestly, edward from twilight smiling is such a rare event in the movies that when it happens, it feels like a glitch in the Matrix.
Robert Pattinson played the immortal Edward with a level of intensity that some called brooding and others called "constantly smelling something bad." It turns out, that wasn't just a creative choice he made on a whim. It was a hill he was willing to die on. Literally.
The High-Stakes Battle Over a Vampire’s Face
Most people don't know that the producers of Twilight were actually terrified of Pattinson’s performance at first. They wanted a heartthrob. They wanted a guy who was "happy and having fun" while falling in love with a human girl. They basically wanted a rom-com lead who just happened to drink blood.
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Rob wasn't having it.
He had a completely different vision. In his mind, Edward was a creature of absolute self-loathing. He’s a guy who thinks he’s a monster. If you’re a 100-year-old virgin who wants to eat your girlfriend, you probably aren't going to be walking around with a huge, toothy grin. It makes sense, right?
But the producers were so annoyed by his refusal to lighten up that they actually gave him a copy of Stephenie Meyer’s book with every single mention of edward from twilight smiling highlighted in one color. They were trying to prove that "Book Edward" was actually quite charming and cheerful.
Pattinson, being the chaotic legend he is, took a different color highlighter and marked every time Edward frowned, scowled, or looked miserable.
Things got so tense that his agents had to fly to the set in Vancouver. They told him point-blank: "You have to smile, or you're getting fired today."
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He smiled. But he didn't make it easy for them.
That Iconic Crooked Smile
In the books, Bella Swan is obsessed with Edward’s "crooked smile." She mentions it constantly. It’s her kryptonite.
When you see edward from twilight smiling in the first movie—specifically in the "crooked" way during the biology scene or while they’re sitting in his silver Volvo—it’s a massive tonal shift. Because Pattinson played the rest of the movie so dead-serious, those tiny cracks in the mask feel earned.
It wasn't just about being "pretty." It was about the contrast.
- Book Edward: Sarcastic, funny, and actually laughs a lot.
- Movie Edward: A Victorian ghost who has forgotten how to be human.
The movie version of the character is way more intense. In the books, they spend a lot of time bantering. Edward is actually kind of a nerd. He teases Bella. He makes jokes. In the movies, that was largely stripped away to lean into the "forbidden, dangerous love" vibe.
Why the Fans Went Wild (and Why It Still Works)
There’s a specific scene in New Moon where Edward walks toward Bella in slow motion after she sees him in the cafeteria. He’s got this tiny, barely-there smirk.
When that hit theaters, the screaming was deafening.
It’s a masterclass in "less is more." If Edward had been smiling the whole time, the audience wouldn't have cared. But because he was so stoic, seeing him actually look happy for a split second felt like a reward for the fans. It was a signal that Bella was the only person who could break through his icy exterior.
There's also the "uncanny valley" aspect. Some fans have pointed out that a vampire’s smile is supposed to be predatory. It’s beautiful, sure, but it’s also dangerous. It’s meant to lure prey in. Catherine Hardwicke, the director of the first film, leaned into this. She wanted the Cullens to look slightly "off."
The Reality of the "Genuine" Laugh
If you look closely at the scene in the first Twilight movie where Bella says she doesn't like snow because it's "cold and wet," Edward gives a genuine, full-on laugh.
A lot of fans suspect that wasn't even Edward. That was just Robert Pattinson breaking character because the line was so ridiculous. It’s one of the few times his eyes actually crinkle. Most of the time, his "vampire smile" is very controlled. It’s more of a muscular movement than an emotional one.
The fact that we are still talking about edward from twilight smiling nearly two decades later says a lot. It wasn't just about a handsome guy in glittery makeup. It was about a very specific acting choice that defined an entire era of pop culture. Pattinson’s refusal to be the "happy boyfriend" is exactly why the character felt so different from every other teen lead at the time.
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How to Spot a "Classic Edward" Moment
If you're doing a rewatch and want to find these rare gems, keep an eye out for these specific beats:
- The Biology Lab: The "prophase" scene where he finally relaxes enough to joke with Bella.
- The Volvo Conversations: This is where the "crooked smile" makes its most frequent appearances.
- The Meadow Scene: Despite the "killer" monologue, there are moments of genuine softness here.
- The Wedding: By Breaking Dawn, he’s actually allowed to look happy for more than five seconds at a time.
Next time you watch, pay attention to the jawline. You can almost see the moment where the producers told him to "lighten up" and he begrudgingly decided to show some teeth. It’s a fascinating bit of film history hidden in a teen romance.
If you want to dive deeper into the lore, your best bet is to pick up Midnight Sun. It's the first book told from Edward's perspective. It confirms exactly what Rob suspected: the guy is a nervous wreck. Seeing the world through his eyes makes those rare smiles feel even more significant because you realize how much he's actually struggling just to stay in the room.
Check out the original Twilight commentary tracks if you can find them. Watching Rob and Kristen Stewart make fun of their own performances provides the best context for why the characters ended up as brooding as they did.