Twilight’s Robert Pattinson found peace in the Outback

A stint in the Australian wilderness provided the perfect escape from the limelight for Twilight’s Robert Pattinson.

Heading to the Outback to make his new film, The Rover, last year was a welcome change of scene after he’d faced months of speculation over his relationship with Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart.

That followed photos of the actress embracing a married director being splashed in newspapers around the world in 2012.

“It was incredibly peaceful,” says London-born Pattinson. “You really realise the value of your anonymity again and how priceless it is.”

Since his eventual split from Stewart, Pattinson’s love life has still been generating headlines, with reports linking him to everyone from singer Katy Perry to Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough.

And while he proved his acting chops post-Twilight in David Cronenberg’s 2012 drama Cosmopolis and the period romp Bel Ami, he looks set to shed his teen idol image for good with his role in the rather bleak The Rover.

Set in a decade after a global economic collapse, he plays Rey, a petty criminal who is wounded in a botched heist as his fellow gang members make off in a stolen car.

Unlike some of the expensive blockbusters he’s been in, The Rover was a stripped-back affair.

“When you have a big budget, it creates expectations of how you’re supposed to be treated as an actor,” he adds.

“And when you’re out there, there’s literally no other option than staying in the shipping container. It’s kind of nice. Everyone’s on a totally equal footing and it doesn’t give your vanity a chance to take hold.”

The Rover is out now.