Gearing up for “New Moon,” the second installment in the “Twilight” series of movies adapted from the bestselling vampire novels by Stephenie Meyer, Robert Pattinson has made the talk show rounds, including “The Late Show with David Letterman.” David Letterman, who has come under fire for his use of the phrase “bite me” (CBS execs have told him to stop using it), had a perfect excuse to use it with Robert Pattinson in the guest seat. And anyone who has watched David Letterman’s show with any regularity over the years knows that he is not one who wastes a good opportunity to get in one of his catchphrases.
The 23-year-old actor, fresh off of walking out on Ryan Seacrest interview (apparently talking about his relationship with “New Moon” co-star Kristen Stewart is verboten), had gotten comfortable in the guest’s seat when David Letterman asked him about the “biting” phenomenon occurring wherever he goes. Robert Pattinson allowed as how it started with teen girls asking him to bite them and now it has grown to include some of the girls’ mothers. He said that there were a “couple more guys” at the “New Moon” premiere, including a 230-pound Hispanic guy. Pattinson said he obliged. He then joked he liked it so much he went out to dinner with the guy…
So Letterman jokes back that the “biting” phenomenon cannot be too healthy, considering that the swine flu has been rampant. He asked about technique: “Do you actually… you don’t really…,” Letterman led.
Pattinson deadpanned, “It depends on your mood, actually.” Funny guy when he wants to be, our dear Robert Pattinson, far from the overly serious vampire Edward Cullen he plays in the “Twilight” movies. Sullen, dark, brooding, depressive, overly pensive his character might be, but his latest movie, “New Moon,” is expected to gross at least $100 million in its first weekend.
Letterman brought up a story about a woman who had offered her baby for Pattinson to bite. Robert Pattinson said that the story was true and had actually happened before the “Twilight” biting craze began. A lady had simply handed over her baby and requested that he bite the child. “Somehow I ended up biting the baby on the head… and there’s a photo of it.”
“That’s illegal,” David Letterman pounced in mock outrage and indignation. “That whole thing. That whole entire transaction. That’s illegal. All of it. You can’t just be giving away babies… and then you can’t bite ’em.”
David Letterman showed the audience the cover of Bazaar magazine. Featured on the cover was Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. So David Letterman asked him the one burning question on every teenage girl’s mind: “You’re dating her. Am I right about that?”
Robert Pattinson looked down and said, “I’ve been so kind-of cryptically avoiding this question throughout the entire…”
Letterman cut him off. “Oh, bite me! What do I care?”
Robert Pattinson, for those of you who may be put off by the entire “Twilight”/”New Moon” spectacle, has shown himself to be quite the interviewee. He seems to be quite charming, with an understated sense of humor. And it must be stated that Robert Pattinson didn’t just walk out of the Ryan Seacrest interview so much as he was ushered out by an irate handler. Pattinson, it has been reported, was gracious the entire time (even if he did not answer the question).
Perhaps all would have been remedied if Ryan Seacrest had quipped, “Oh, bite me!”
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Sources:
“The Late Show with David Letterman,” CBS Television
“On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” KIIS FM
YouTube.com
TMZ.com
