When film fans think of "Lawrence of Arabia," they automatically think of star Peter O'Toole, who earned an Oscar nomination in 1962 for his instantly iconic portrayal of British hero T.E. Lawrence. O'Toole is and forever will be Lawrence of Arabia. So with that in mind, well, it would take a pretty darn ballsy actor to step into those shoes, right?
Well, no matter what else you might be able to say about Robert Pattinson, never let it be said that he's afraid to take on a challenge, as according to Variety, the "Twilight" star has signed on to play Lawrence in the upcoming Werner Herzog film "Queen of the Desert."
It's just the latest high profile role Pattinson has taken in a low-budget film, as he continues to seek out top notch directors to work with. This week, of course, "Cosmopolis" comes out, featuring his collaboration with David Cronenberg. And if there's any director who can match and even exceed Cronenberg for ingenuity and all around craziness, it's Herzog, who has become a staple of the international film scene with movies like "Rescue Dawn" and "Grizzly Man."
So just what is "Queen of the Desert" about, exactly? Well, as you might have guessed, the queen in question isn't Lawrence but his real life pal Gertrude Bell (set to be played by Naomi Watts), a renaissance woman whose work in the decidedly gender segregated Middle East of the 1920s helped create the nation of Iraq.
Lawrence was known for his bold choices. And one film at a time, Pattinson is slowly becoming known for his bold career choices as well. Way to go, Rob.
