Stewart, left, and Pattinson in 2008's first 'Twilight' installment (Photo: Summit Entertainment)Hindsight is 20/20. And the story of Robert Pattinson's first meeting with Kristen Stewart is no exception.
In late 2007, Stewart had already been selected to play the part of Bella by first "Twilight" director Catherine Hardwicke -- who had also helmed '70s-set beach-skateboard flick "Lords of Dogtown" (2005). Hardwicke had been tipped off by one of her "Dogtown" actors, Emile Hirsch, to Stewart's talent. "Her mixture of innocence and longing just knocked me out," the director told Entertainment Weekly in 2008. But Hardwicke was having a tougher time finding her Edward and is said to have even enlisted the help of Stewart in her vampire hunt.
[Related: 'Twilight' cast and creators hint at spinoff]
The search for Edward involved 5,000 hopefuls, almost 100 of whom met with Hardwicke directly. Eventually it came down to to a final four -- Ben Barnes, Shiloh Fernandez, Jackson Rathbone (who was later cast as Jasper) and, of course, Pattinson.
But Hardwicke wasn't too keen on Pattinson at first -- who may have been lucky to have made the cut at all. "I looked at a couple pictures and was like, 'I'm not sure,'?" Hardwicke recalled last year, adding, "He had been fired from his last job, he was unemployed, he was in debt." Pattinson actually paid for his own flight from London to Los Angeles for the opportunity. The audition was held at Hardwicke's house in Venice, CA, where Pattinson first met Stewart. "I have footage of their first meeting at my dining-room table," Hardwicke said.
Hardwicke, far right, and her leading 'Twilight' stars in 2008 (Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Yahoo! Movies)The director recalled prompting the pair to do a romantic scene in her bedroom [via MTV]:"I said, 'I know you just met, but I need you to do this scene. We're gonna do it in my bedroom, on the bed — and you're really gonna kiss.'" By the way, Stewart had already done the kissing scene with three other guys that day!
Hardwicke remembers Pattinson's first take as being "wild" -- so much so that she had to remind him the movie is PG-13. But he and Stewart proved themselves in later takes. Hardwicke has often noted their instant chemistry -- "that electricity." And Stewart felt it too, demanding immediately that Pattinson get the part.
Pattinson won the role, but not before promising to keep a safe distance from a then 17-year-old Stewart. "She's underage. You've got to focus, dude, or you're going to be arrested. I made him swear on a stack of Bibles," Hardwicke recalls telling the of-age actor.
In 2009 Hardwicke did an interview with MTV on the very bed the famous on-screen/off-screen "Twilight" couple first met and auditioned. "This is the bed. That's where we had the first kiss between Rob and Kristen," Hardwicke said.
And when it comes to that audition footage, Hardwicke says it will never see the light of day. "Oh, it's much too dangerous. It would start riots -- honestly -- if we let it out there. I could not let anyone see it... It's pretty steamy."
[Related: Take the 'Twilight' Ultimate Fan Poll]
"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2" opens in theaters November 16. Yahoo! Movies is live-streaming the red carpet premiere on Monday November 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT. The online event will incorporate fan participation through Yahoo! Movies' various social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter.
Watch Stewart, Pattinson and the rest of the 'Twilight' gang talk to Yahoo! Movies about 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2':
Insider Access: 'Twilight' Cast Talk 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2'