Week’s Birthdays | Happy Birthday, Robert Pattinson!

 

Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson stated that they barely spoke a word to each other on set of "The Lighthouse" (2019), and were too exhausted to hang out together after a day of shooting because filming was so physically demanding due to the miserable weather conditions. While Pattinson stayed at a normal hotel with the rest of the film crew during the shoot, Dafoe lived in a little fisherman's cottage in solitude. On set, on the other hand, Pattinson would tend to eat and stay by himself during filming breaks, while Dafoe stayed with the crew. Both stated that they liked each other very much as soon as they had their first real conversation a few months later.

Pattinson's accent is based on a very specific area of Maine farming dialect, while Dafoe's is the jargon of Atlantic fishermen and sailors of the time. Director/writer Robert Eggers was very precise about the actor's accents and line delivery. He would, for example, give instructions to "say the second sentence of your third line 75% faster." 

The cast and crew filmed under extreme weather conditions: freezing temperatures, cold Atlantic water, intense winds, snow, rain and no protective flora on the Forchu terrain kept them exposed to the elements throughout the shoot. Three Nor'easters blew across Cape Forchu during various stages of the production. Much of the film was shot in real weather elements, so rain and wind machines weren't needed most of the time, with director Robert Eggers stating that "the most crazy and dramatic stuff was shot for real." The crew had to film the scene where Pattinson's character goes into the sea at night when the weather settled down, because they were afraid they might lose him to a riptide. 

Pattinson had an unusual approach to psych himself up before emotionally extreme scenes. Eggers states, "Sometimes he'd beat himself in the face so bad. Or when it was raining through the cottage roof, Rob was drinking the rainwater in-between takes. He also spun around in circles a lot, that was helpful for him. Or he'd stick his fingers down his throat to make himself gag, stuff like that." Particular the scene where both characters are drunk and Dafoe lies on Pattinson's chest, he "was sticking his fingers down his throat (before the take). Willem gave me a look as if to say, 'If Rob f*****g pukes on me...'"  

 Pattinson's and Dafoe's facial hair was all real. However, Pattinson had to dye his mustache dark because he's naturally dark blonde. (IMDb)