Donna Kaufman of iVillage had noticed some interesting patterns as to divergent film choices of Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. What she suggests is that Taylor is going for showing off his physicality, while Rob Pattinson is going for the more cerebral roles. These decisions could lead to bigger financial rewards for Lautner while perhaps Pattinson is more interested in the craft and ultimately, the Oscar. What do you think?

Here is her reasoning:

Lautner, 18, has just signed on for an action thriller called Abduction, about a man who discovers his own baby picture on a missing persons website. Lautner will also be playing a super-powered secret agent fighting terrorists in the film Max Steel, a martial arts fighter who has to save his kidnapped friends on vacation in Cancun, and the titular body-stretching superhero in Stretch Armstrong. Notice a pattern here? Lautner is definitely gunning to be the next big action hero, following a path similar to the one Will Smith took in the mid-90s.

Pattinson, on the other hand, is steering away from adrenaline-fueled hero roles and choosing small, intense character pieces. Next up is March’s Remember Me, in which the 23-year-old actor plays a tortured college student who finds romance after a family tragedy. Then, post-Eclipse, he’ll be making three period pieces: Bel Ami, about a lothario who sleeps his way to the top in 19th-century Paris (co-starring Uma Thurman); Unbound Captives, about a frontiersman whose children are kidnapped (also starring Hugh Jackman); and Circus, about a Depression-era circus (with Reese Witherspoon as the love interest). These choices are reminiscent of the films made by Johnny Depp earlier in his career.

So while Lautner’s new films will show off his abs, Pattinson’s movies will flex his acting muscles. Both are good strategies for staying in the spotlight – and while Lautner may emerge the richer man, we see Oscar buzz in Pattinson’s future.

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2. Rob Pattinson in Period Costume on Bel Ami Set
3. Most Memorable Oscar Moments Include Rob Pattinson
4. Robert Pattinson CONFIRMED As An Oscar Presenter!
5. Pattinson Will Not be at the People’s Choice Awards Show