Rob and Kristen Interview on "Close Up" (New Zealand)

Not that long ago the names Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were just that, names.

But in 2008 came Twilight, the blockbuster movie series based on Stephenie Meyer's books which launched a phenomenon and rocketed the two previous unknowns to stardom.

Two films and two billion dollars later, the hype around the box office hit is stronger than ever, the power of which Stewart admits can be overwhelming.

"It's undeniable energy and that's what I'm responding to usually and that's why I get sort of so crazy," she says.

For Pattinson, the hype is signalled by the appeal of the Twilight brand.

"You look at like every kind of gossipy website or anything and it's always got polls about Twilight, anything, you put Twilight in the headline and people are going to go to it," he says.

With Pattinson 24 and Stewart just 20, life has changed for these two stars, hounded by media and facing persistent rumours that link the pair romantically.

Pattinson has also been the target of some dubious contact.

"I've had a bunch of people say yeah man I met you at this thing... all the time. And you get a bunch of people that found your phone number somehow, it's so obvious that they have somehow found it through nefarious sources." He says.

Before Twilight became a world-wide sensation, Pattinson was known only for a small part in the Harry Potter film series.

Stewart was recognised only for her role as the young daughter of Jodie Foster in Panic Room.

Now, however, they are household names, with series' the third movie, Twilight: Eclipse, about to hit cinemas around the world.

But when it comes to how fame has affected those closest to him, Pattinson says things are fairly normal on the home front.

"The only thing they (Pattinson's family) are concerned about is if you're happy with it. And my friends have just never really cared, I don't think they even saw Twilight until like two years after it was made," he says.

The pair have certainly generated plenty of gossip for outsiders though, and Stewart admits to looking online to see how she is perceived.

"You need to know what people are saying, self-awareness is a pretty important thing. I'm just young and crazy I think. I just can't not know," she says.

She also believes the biggest reward is for her acting to be appreciated by the book-lovers and movie-lovers alike.

"It is sort of the ultimate compliment to be typecast. If you're a huge fan of the book and I'm always Bella to you, then I've obviously done a good job."

Pattinson, meanwhile, is thinking about how long the fame may last.

"I don't really care what I get remembered for, I mean you have no control over that...If I'm dying at 80 and people can still remember it that would be absolutely incredible," he says.

Twilight:Eclipse opens in New Zealand cinemas on July 1.

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