Additional comment from Dr Shelley Galpin, a lecturer in Media, Culture, and Creative Industries at King’s College London.

Adapting a book for a TV show or movie means some readers are sure to be disappointed (take, for instance, Emerald Fennell’s controversial Wuthering Heights).

The BBC’s The Other Bennet Sister is no exception. Focused on Mary, the largely forgotten sibling in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the series takes significant enough liberties with the author’s original work for some readers to dub it “fanfic”.

Personally, I’ve never seen that as much of an insult (what are Clueless or Bridget Jones if not very well-done Austen fan fictions?).

If anything, though it has its flaws, I think The Other Bennet Sister is a fun, highly watchable series that fits as neatly into the book’s premise as a mid-2020s TV show can.

It’s not the best screenwriting, I grant you. But the 1940 Pride and Prejudice film adaptation, which included the lines “At this moment, it’s difficult to believe that you’re so proud.” “At this moment, it’s difficult to believe that you are so prejudiced”, made a (clunky) point.

The book is all about how we see and unfairly judge one another, including as a reader. And speaking to HuffPost UK, media, culture, and creative industries lecturer Dr Shelley Galpin said, “The [BBC] series works well as a development of those ideas”.

Of course, Lizzie misunderstands Mr Darcy and Wickham in turns, and Mr Darcy is unkindly snobbish about the Bennets.

But we know that because Austen explicitly paints the picture for us. Her real art is in making us question the characters the book itself portrays negatively: if Mrs Bennet is so irrational and silly, how come the far better-off Mr Bennet married her – and why do some of her schemes, like sending a rain-sodden Jane off to sneeze over the nearest herd of poshies, kind of work out?

Why didn’t Lizzie, or most readers, trust Charlotte Lucas when she (rightly) said Mr Collins was perfect for many of her needs?

Not to pummel the remains of a long-dead horse further into the ground here, but the book makes us ask: were we proud, or prejudiced, when we read it?

I was pleased to see that the Richared E. Grant Mr Bennet’s head-in-the-sand approach to raising children is a lot more explicit than in, say, the 2005 film (even if Mrs Bennet, played by Ruth Jones, is more flatly harsh – both Dr Galpin and I felt the speech she gives at the end of the show was not quite enough to redeem her being “such a nightmare” the rest of the time).

Other characters were reframed, too.

“I definitely felt that some of the more irritating or comic character elements were softened a little [in The Other Bennet Sister] – Mary and Mr Collins were both a little less ‘preachy’ and lacking in social awareness than in their original iterations, so I felt that some artistic license was taken with the characterisation, but this is perhaps consistent with the show centring on Mary’s view of the world more,” said Dr Galpin.

“I… liked the slight rehabilitation of Mr Collins, who is, at the end of the day, trying to do the right thing, even if he is far from the ideal romantic hero.”

Mary, whom I always saw as quite similar to the shy, bookish, devout Fanny Price protagonist in Mansfield Park, was well overdue for a similar reinterpetation, though Dr Galpin pointed out that her TV self might be closer to the original novel than I realised.

“It struck me as I watched it that Mary is essentially playing the ‘Lizzie’ role from P&P. In Austen’s novel, Lizzie is supposed to be a little awkward and lacking in social niceties (in comparison to perfect Jane!) and less attractive than her sister.

“She also continually irritates her mother by making supposedly imprudent marriage choices. Mary essentially steps into this persona in the series. The rivalry with Caroline Bingley also echoes Lizzie’s role in the original novel,” she said.

So, when the BBC show depicts Mary as strong-willed, ambitious, self-aware, and bloomingly confident once she reaches London, it’s not a correction of Jane Austen’s book but a natural extension of it.

It makes as much sense as a spin-off TV series as Mr Collins’ (relatively) successful marriage, or Caroline Bingley’s genuinely well-meaning Wickham warning, do in the novel; not what we were led to expect initially, but hey, what sucker doesn’t question their first impression?

That’s Austen, baby – and in my opinion, the witty, touching, and fun BBC adaptation has bottled it perfectly.

If protein is a building block of hair, it can only be a good thing to load up on lots of products that contain protein, right?

Popular hair repair options these days include keratin, collagen, peptides and bond-building complexes that claim to improve the health of your hair. But don’t load up on them too fast…

While protein helps maintain strong, healthy hair, strands can actually become stiff and brittle when topically applied protein builds up faster than hair can handle it, leading to breakage, frizz and tangling.

Here, experts explain what protein overload is, how to spot it in your hair and how to rebalance your routine.

Protein is made primarily of keratin, which gives each strand of hair strength and structure. Bonds, also known as crosslinks, between keratin chains within the hair allow it to stretch.

“Healthy hair is the state where this protein matrix and its crosslinks are intact enough that fibres resist traction, yet still show good elastic return and cosmetic shine,” explained Caroline Ruggiero, a certified trichologist and CEO at Truly You Hair & Scalp Clinic in Mississauga, Ontario.

But when protein-based shampoos, conditioners, masks and styling products – which are often marketed as strengthening or repairing – are layered too frequently, the result can be protein overload.

“Like anything, more isn’t always better,” said Emmanuel Mroczka, a trichologist and co-owner at The Hair & Scalp Specialists in Fairview Park, Ohio. “Hair impacted by protein overload typically feels stiff or straw-like, rough even after conditioning, prone to tangling and static and brittle – snapping easily instead of stretching.”

He adds that breakage also often appears in areas that typically remain intact, such as closer to the scalp or around the crown, because the hair has lost elasticity from root to tip.

Protein overload can closely resemble simple dryness, but the key difference is elasticity. “Dry hair often softens with moisture and still has some stretch. Hair affected by excess protein tends to feel rigid and snaps easily, even after conditioning,” Mroczka said, noting that an easy at-home test is to gently stretch a damp strand.

Healthy hair should have a little give and bounce back, and knowing the difference can help you choose the right treatment and avoid overcorrecting.

Chemical treatments, like bleach, relaxers, perms and repeated colouring, along with heat styling and UV or pollution exposure, can damage the hair cuticle, which is the protective outer layer, and increase shaft porosity.

“When the cuticle is disrupted, hair loses internal proteins and lipids, the cortex becomes more exposed, which causes more hair porosity,” explained board-certified dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon Dr. Divya Shokeen, noting that this is why hair absorbs products more aggressively, making protein buildup more likely.

When hair feels damaged, reaching for protein-repair products is a common instinct. While the ingredients in protein-forward products, such as hydrolysed keratin, collagen, amino acids, keratin peptides and bond-building complexes, aren’t inherently harmful, Shokeen notes that the real risk lies in overcorrecting.

“Damaged hair needs a balance of protein, moisture and lipids, not just high-protein products alone,” Shokeen said. Repeated use of protein-heavy treatments, especially layered in the same routine and paired with infrequent washing, can leave already fragile strands feeling even more brittle.

“Clinical rule of thumb: the more styling layers used, the more important periodic clarifying washes become,” Shokeen said.

Protein overload doesn’t typically stop hair growth at the follicle, but it can affect how long and full your hair looks by increasing brittleness and breakage. “If protein-based products are applied directly to the scalp, which, like conditioner, generally isn’t recommended, they can contribute to buildup and irritation around the follicle,” Mroczka said. “Over time, chronic scalp irritation or inflammation can interfere with a healthy growth environment.”

It can also blur the line between shedding and breakage. “Many people think they’re shedding excessively, when in reality they’re experiencing mid-shaft breakage that appears as shorter hairs,” Mroczka said, noting that the typical daily hair shedding is around 80 to 100 strands as part of the natural growth cycle.

“When protein overload is present, breakage often layers on top of this normal shedding, making hair loss feel more dramatic than it actually is.” The good news is that this is often fixable once the routine is rebalanced.

Fine, chemically treated and low-density hair are especially prone to protein overload. Shokeen said fine strands have less inherent strength and a smaller shaft diameter, which limits flexibility, so protein-heavy products can quickly cause stiffness and breakage.

Porosity also matters. High-porosity hair absorbs protein quickly, due to gaps or damage in the cuticle, making overload likely. This hair type benefits from occasional protein paired with consistent moisture and lipid support. Low-porosity hair, with a tightly closed cuticle, resists absorption. Protein often sits on the surface, causing coating, stiffness and dryness. “Low-porosity hair usually does better with lighter hydrolysed proteins or minimal protein use,” Shokeen said.

Because the ideal frequency of protein treatments depends on both your hair type and the specific formula, experts recommend following label directions closely for best results. “In general, I recommend intervals. For instance, one month on and three months off,” Ruggiero said. “More is not more.”

“First, pause all protein-based products, including conditioners, masks, leave-ins and styling treatments labelled ‘repair,’ ‘strengthening’ or ‘bond-building,’” Mroczka said, noting that in some cases, this may also include protein-heavy shampoos.

Next, switch to a hydrating shampoo. Gently cleanse the scalp, letting the lather rinse through the lengths without aggressive scrubbing, and follow with a moisturising conditioner to improve slip and flexibility. “A lightweight hydrating or conditioning spray throughout the day can help support moisture, especially on dry ends,” he added.

If buildup is present, a clarifying shampoo can help, but no more than once every other week. “These formulas use stronger cleansers, and overuse can strip natural oils and worsen dryness or irritation,” Mroczka noted. During this reset, limit heat styling and chemical treatments for a few weeks to allow elasticity to recover.

“Once hair begins to feel softer and more flexible again, protein can be slowly reintroduced,” Mroczka advised. “Balance is the goal, not eliminating protein entirely.”

Having standards when dating is important. But sometimes we get so caught up in the pursuit of the perfect partner that we let those standards get in the way of meeting quality people.

When you’re swiping through a dating app and find yourself rejecting person after person, it’s worth asking: Are your standards too high?

“With dating apps, it is easy to dismiss someone in seconds with a swipe,” Bonnie Winston, celebrity matchmaker and relationship expert, told HuffPost. “You are looking at a human being, but we get used to not realising it is an actual soul, a living and breathing person.”

It happens to the best of us; no one wants to risk another failed relationship. And with the right mindset, standards can actually help you weed out the wrong potential partners.

But what kind of high standards are actually self-sabotaging, and which ones are worth keeping? Here’s what dating experts want you to know.

From physical traits to lifestyle preferences, dating experts have heard just about every standard one could set.

Winston has had clients arrive at her sessions with exhaustive checklists resembling a child’s Christmas list. Once, she had a male client who refused to go on a second date with a beautiful, highly educated woman who shared his values and hobbies. His reason? She was 5-foot-1, and he wanted his future children to have a shot at playing basketball.

For Emma Hathorn, dating expert at Seeking.com, the standards themselves aren’t the problem. It’s when people associate their specific standards with perfection and refuse to engage with people who are otherwise really compatible that it becomes an issue.

“I actually push back on the idea of having standards that are ‘too high’ entirely,” she told HuffPost. “Most of the standards people criticise, such as wanting emotional maturity, ambition, or financial stability, are not unrealistic. They are signals of compatibility and shared values.”

“Standards are healthiest when they reflect self-respect,” Hathorn said. For example, ask yourself whether a person shares your values or wants similar things in life. Those core values are key to a long-lasting relationship.

Lifestyle standards, such as being “outdoorsy,” an adventurous eater or preferring city life over the suburbs, can also be healthy because they often reflect how someone wants to live day to day, Hathorn adds. Relationships are built around everyday habits, and these factors usually point to compatibility in routines.

Then there’s emotional effort, which includes communication, maturity, and how one can invest in the relationship.

“A lot of people focus on surface traits like looks, but one of the most important predictors of a healthy relationship is how much effort someone puts into showing up consistently,” said Hathorn. “Those qualities determine whether a connection actually grows over time.”

Aside from shrinking the dating pool, some high standards can become a form of avoidance, Hathorn said: “A standard should help you identify alignment, not disqualify someone who might otherwise be a great partner.”

“The difference between someone with high standards and someone who is emotionally unavailable is willingness,” Hathorn continued. “High-standard daters are ready to build something meaningful with the right person. An emotionally unavailable person might actively avoid the right person.”

Sometimes high standards have nothing to do with finding the right person. “People set rigid criteria because they’re trying to avoid vulnerability,” Hathorn said. “In those cases, the standard isn’t about finding the right person; it’s about protecting themselves from risk.”

So how do you know if your standards are working for you or against you? Hathorn suggests asking yourself this question: Do your standards represent a value or an image? “Wanting a partner who is emotionally mature, financially responsible, or ambitious reflects values,” she explained. “Wanting someone who fits a very specific aesthetic or status symbol is usually about image, and not always something someone can change.”

Also, remind yourself to think realistically about what you want out of a match. “Some people come to me wanting a 10 in looks, a 10 in intelligence, a 10 in professional success, and a 10 in personality,” Winston said. “That is just not possible, and no one can embody that.”

When meeting someone new, ask yourself if your hesitations are based on values or fear.

“When it’s genuinely not a match, the disconnect usually shows up in core areas like goals, lifestyle, communication style, or emotional availability,” Hathorn explained. “When it’s self-sabotage, people often walk away because things feel unfamiliar, vulnerable, or ‘too good to be true.’”

And when in doubt, remember that standards should serve as guidelines, not gospel. Take another one of Winston’s clients, who she said narrowed her original list of standards to three important ones, only to end up marrying her first match. The kicker? “He didn’t have anything on the list!”

Following the mammoth success of The Celebrity Traitors last year, bosses have their work cut out for them making sure the second run lives up to the first.

Luckily, it sounds like they’ve already snagged some exciting names.

During a recent interview on The One Show, host Claudia Winkleman was asked if there were any “big dogs” on the season two line-up, to which she affirmed: “There certainly are.”

“They had to repeat the people [in the cast] twice to me, because I was like, ‘huh? Are you joking? Come again?’,” she enthused. “So we’re incredibly lucky.

“We’re so grateful that people want to come and play the game! And the people who said yes for series one, I still can’t believe it…”

“I’m very excited but I can’t say anything else,” Claudia added. “Don’t make eye contact with me.”

With filming on the new season rumoured to be getting underway later this month, producers are remaining tight-lipped about the famous faces who could be donning that iconic cloak for a trip up the turret later this year.

Here’s a quick round-up of all the stars rumoured so far…

If you cast your mind back, there were a lot of rumours first time around suggesting that comedy legend Bob Mortimer would be taking part in The Celebrity Traitors, with the man himself going as far as saying it was the “the only show of its kind on TV that I would agree to get involved with”.

While in the end, he proved not to be on the line-up, executive producer Sarah Fay recently told Metro last month: “Of Bob wanted to do it next year, we would absolutely love it.”

This is definitely a case of watch this space…

Around the time season one of Celebrity Traitors came to an end, The Sun published an article claiming that Celebrity Traitors were already “quietly approaching potential contestants” for a new series, with Gavin & Stacey creator Ruth Jones said to be “in talks to appear”.

However, an undisclosed “insider” told the tabloid: “Ruth would only consider taking part on the proviso she would be a ‘Faithful’.”

Danny Dyer has long been on producers’ wishlist, even turning down an offer to appear in the first series of The Celebrity Traitors.

He confirmed on the Live And Let Dyers podcast: “They did sniff round me about it. It was a no from me because, for one, I hadn’t seen it.”

According to The Sun, though, he has had a change of heart after watching the first season of Celebrity Traitors, and is now reportedly in talks to join the next series.

Danny claimed: “If you’re going to do it, if you’re famous, it needs to be an indulgence project — you have to love the game. It’s quite a simple game. I thought it was too complicated, but it’s actually just about people manipulating each other and a lot of lying.

“So if the money’s right, I might get involved in the next series. I think I’d want to be a Traitor, there’s triple bluffs, double bluffs – it’s more fun to be a Traitor, you’ve got a job.”

Great British Bake Off and This Morning fave Alison Hammond has also reportedly been approached by producers, who are said to have targeted her hoping she’ll be “comedy gold” because she is so “naturally very funny”.

Alison herself is reportedly “keen” to appear in season two of The Celebrity Traitors, having previously said as much during a discussion on This Morning in November 2026, where she expressed her desire to be one of the Faithful if she were to be cast.

The daytime star is no stranger to reality TV, having first found fame on Big Brother in 2002 and has since appeared as a contestant on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, Celebrity Masterchef, Strictly Come Dancing, Let’s Dance For Sport Relief, Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes and Celebs Go Dating.

Reigning Celebrity Traitors winner Alan Carr’s TV BFF Amanda Holden is also said to be vying for a spot on the second series.

According to The Sun, Amanda is on producers’ radar, and she has previously been vocal about her desire to enter the Scottish castle.

“I’d absolutely love to do it. I’d have to be a Faithful though – everyone would assume I’d be a Traitor, but I don’t think I could pull that off,” she said on her radio show during the first series of the celebrity spin-off.

It seems Amanda’s busy schedule may hold her back from appearing on the show, though. The Sun’s source notes that The Celebrity Traitors is filmed at the same time as Britain’s Got Talent semi-finals are filmed live in London.

However, that same source also suspected she may be given time off from her various commitments to film the hit reality show.

Like Danny Dyer, Daisy May Cooper was first rumoured to be part of the cast of the first season of The Celebrity Traitors, but reportedly backed out at the last minute due to family commitments.

However, it now looks like Daisy may get a second chance in the castle as she is in talks to join the second series.

A source told The Sun that producers are apparently “pulling out all the stops” to encourage the writer and star of This Country to join the show.

Her brother Charlie had also been tipped to appear on season one before it was reported that he and his sister had pulled out, but it is unclear if he, too, has been approached for series two.

Considering the drama that having family members on the show brings, let’s hope Daisy and Charlie can be reunited in the castle.

Former Girls Aloud star and X Factor judge Cheryl Tweedy was among the earliest stars rumoured to be on the next Celebrity Traitors cast.

Back in January, The Sun claimed she’d been “approached” to sign up for the new series, and while the chart-topping singer has been taking time out of the spotlight in recent history, following the death of her son’s father, Liam Payne, the tabloid cited a “source” who said she had been approached for was taking “baby steps” towards returning to our screens.

Fresh from the success of his hit series Adolescence and A Thousand Blows, it sounds like Stephen Graham’s next TV venture could be a little more light-hearted in nature.

The Mail On Sunday reported in March that producers were “absolutely desperate” to book the Emmy winner as their “star signing” on the new season of Celebrity Traitors.

An “insider” claimed: “The nation adores him, but no one really knows what he’s like as a person, so there is a definite hunger among viewers to see what he is like in a more reality-based setting.”

Another early rumour began circulating in January, when the Daily Mail claimed that Steve Pemberton was “being lined up” for a stint in the iconic TV castle.

Steve is best known for his work in comedies like The League Of Gentlemen, Psychoville and Benidorm, as well as the anthology series Inside No. 9.

Back in 2024, he also won praise for his performance in the imaginative Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, in which he appeared as the legendary British singer’s dad.

After being confirmed as the new host of House Of Games, it’s also been rumoured that Michael Sheen will be joining another beloved BBC show.

A source told The Sun in March that the Bafta nominee was The Celebrity Traitors’ “big dog signing” for 2026.

“Michael has had a lot of practice playing lying, duplicitous and scheming men,” they added, referencing his many villainous film and TV roles, and claiming that, in comparison, “Traitors should be a breeze”.

Another Hollywood star the producers of The Traitors reportedly have their eye on is Richard E Grant.

The Oscar nominee was reported by the Daily Mail to be in talks with producers, having previously made no secret of the fact he’s “obsessed” with the show.

However, the Withnail And I star’s family don’t exactly fancy his chances.

“I’d love to go on it,” he previously told The Observer. “My daughter said I’d be thrown out after half an hour because you’re incapable of hiding what you feel about somebody in any way shape or form.”

That same Daily Mail article also named Hugh Bonneville as a possible candidate for the next season of The Celebrity Traitors.

Best known for his work in W1A, Downton Abbey and Paddington, Hugh has apparently been approached by producers, who believe his “charming and funny” personality will make him the perfect contestant.

And Hugh Bonneville is not the only Hollywood Hugh rumoured to be sitting around that roundtable.

In February, it was reported by The Sun that Hugh Grant was being circled by The Traitors team, who are apparently keen to live up to season one by avoiding the “same tired reality stars who sign up to every series going” by getting some real A-listers involved.

After stepping down as one of the hosts of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, The Sun claimed that University Challenge host Amol Rajan had agreed to appear on The Celebrity Traitors.

In March, the tabloid went as far as saying Amol had already “signed up” for season two, with a “TV source” suggesting he’d be putting his journalistic skills to good use in the castle.

“Producers know he won’t be easily fooled by his fellow celebrities. He has the perfect poker face and the academic brains to go all the way, whether Claudia taps him on the shoulder to be a Traitor or leaves him as a Faithful,” they suggested.

Irish comedian Joanne McNally has also been rumoured to be entering the castle.

The stand-up – known for her work on QI and Taskmaster as well as the podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me – is said to be in demand by The Traitors team as she represents “the bridge between old and new media”.

In February, the Daily Mail claimed she was being “lined up” for the series, which will air in the autumn.

Comedian, actor and West End star Jason Mansford revealed in February that he’d already had “conversations and stuff” with producers about appearing on The Traitors.

“I think I’m waiting for them to come down the ladder of show business,” he quipped, referring to the success of the first run.

While the comic admitted there were “not many” reality shows he’d say yes to, he’d make an exception if The Celebrity Traitors did end up making him an offer.

Back in February, Liam Gallagher surprised his social media followers when he claimed that he’d already been approached to appear on The Celebrtiy Traitors.

When one fan on X asked if he’d be willing to “go on The Traitors if they asked”, he responded that he had, in fact, “been asked” – but unfortunately stopped short of saying what his answer was.

Watch this space, we suppose…

President Donald Trump posted a menacing reminder of his April 6 deadline he set for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” Trump wrote Saturday morning on Truth Social. “Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.”

It wasn’t immediately clear if spelling the word “reign” and not “rain” was intentional.

The president added, “Glory be to GOD!”

Trump originally gave Iran a two-day timeframe last month to reopen the strait, a pivotal global shipping lane that the country effectively shut down in response to being bombed by the U.S. and Israel. The closure of the strait, which provides passage for about a fifth of the world’s oil and a fifth of the world’s natural gas, has made oil prices skyrocket worldwide.

Trump wrote in a March 21 Truth Social post that the U.S. would “hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” if Iran didn’t open the strait.

He subsequently announced he was “pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction,” and would give Iran until April 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

You’re cordially invited to The Drama, a new movie starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya that looks set to become one of the year’s most talked-about films.

The comedy-drama follows a groom-to-be who discovers a dark secret about his fiancée in the lead-up to their wedding, which tests their relationship and leads them both to ask some big questions.

Before he found himself walking down the aisle with Zendaya (with whom he’s set to star in two more films later in 2026), Robert already had a long and varied career.

After first finding fame as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter, he became a global heartthrob off the back of his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight series.

Since then, Robert has gone on to appear in a range of different projects, from big-budget studio films to more left-of-centre indies, frequently taking on unexpected roles that have played against his heartthrob status.

Fans of the acclaimed English actor are in luck, as he has four films coming out in the next few months alone.

After his leading work in The Drama, he’ll be reuniting with Zendaya in The Odyssey and Dune: Part Three later this year, as well as appearing in Here Comes The Flood, a heist film co-starring Denzel Washington and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Before Robert takes on Greek mythology and battles Paul Atreides on Arrakis, here are 17 more roles from his past that you might have totally forgotten about…

A year after he made his Twilight debut, Robert starred as the Spanish artist Salvador Dalí in the romantic drama Little Ashes.

Shot before his work as Edward Cullen, Little Ashes saw Robert take on the role of the eccentric painter in a movie which chronicled Dalí’s friendship with the filmmaker Luis Buñuel – and possible love affair with poet Federico García Lorca.

While the film wasn’t universally well-received – and was criticised by some for being tonally uneven – it did earn a GLAAD Award, and sparked Robert’s interest in working on more niche projects. It also hit headlines at the time for its graphic sex scenes, allowing cinemagoers to see a different side of the actor (quite literally).

The 2010 coming-of-age drama Remember Me was poorly reviewed upon its release, and may well have been completely forgotten by audiences if not for its unexpected twist ending.

Robert played Tyler, a troubled young NYU student struggling to cope in the wake of his brother’s death, who falls in love with a detective’s daughter, played by Lost actor Emilie de Ravin, after being arrested.

All in all, it was a pretty run-of-the-mill romance – that is, until its questionable closing moments, which are still what come to mind when most of us think of Remember Me.

You’d think you’d remember a film starring film greats like Robert Pattinson, Amy Adams and Robert Downey Jr., but the straight-to-video Love & Distrust has mostly been lost to time.

The romance film follows five completely separate love stories, with Robert appearing alongside Talulah Riley as a man who follows his ex to a French summer house in the hopes of winning her back.

Love & Distrust landed an enviable 12% Rotten Tomatoes score, with its more scathing critics calling the project “slow” and “meaningless”.

In 2011, Robert starred alongside Reese Witherspoon in the period romance Water for Elephants, based on the popular 2006 novel by Sara Gruen.

He played a veterinary student who abandons his studies after the death of his parents to join the circus, where he falls in love with Reese’s character, Marlena.

While the film received mixed reviews from critics, it was a box-office success, and proved that Robert could be a draw for audiences beyond the Twilight fanbase.

For Bel Ami, Robert shared the screen with Kristin Scott Thomas and Uma Thurman in the 2012 adaptation of Guy de Maupassant’s 1885 French novel.

Robert played Georges Duroy, a former soldier-turned-social climber who uses his wit to charm older, wealthy ladies.

Upon its release, the film set tongues wagging due to its sexual content, with Robert allegedly filming an orgy scene with as many as 40 people, as well as having steamy scenes with several of his A-list co-stars.

These days, Robert is known for his work with auteurs, and it all started when he teamed up with David Cronenberg for Cosmopolis.

Based on Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name, Cosmopolis saw Robert play Eric, a Wall Street golden boy witnessing the fall of his empire from the back of his private limo.

Co-starring Samantha Morton and Sarah Gadon, Cosmopolis is like if The Odyssey starred American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman.

Released the same year as the last Twilight film, it proved to film fans that Robert was shedding his vampire fangs to become a more risk-taking actor.

In 2014, Robert and Guy Pearce took their film The Rover to Cannes, where it received critical acclaim.

The Australian film is set in the outback in a not-too-distant dystopian future, and takes place after humanity’s collapse.

Robert stars as a thief, Rey, who finds himself in a robbery gone wrong. When he is shot and abandoned by his friends, the man whose car they stole forces Rey to lead them to the gang of criminals.

As The AV Club puts it, the film “represented a turning point in Robert Pattinson’s career, being the first of a series of roles in which the English actor subverted his charisma and good looks to play desperate, mentally frazzled characters with criminal pasts”.

Robert teamed back up with David Cronenberg for 2014’s satirical black comedy Maps To The Stars.

The film explored the dark side of modern-day Hollywood, following a neurotic ageing film star and her young personal assistant.

Co-starring Mia Wasikowska, Julianne Moore and Olivia Williams, the film featured Robert in a minor role as a chauffeur and wannabe screenwriter.

A year later, Robert took on the role of the real-life archaeologist and diplomat T.E. Lawrence (the inspiration behind Lawrence of Arabia) in Queen Of The Desert, Werner Herzog’s biopic about the writer Gertrude Bell, played by Nicole Kidman.

Talking about casting Robert, the filmmaker said he “needed an Englishman who still looks like a schoolboy” but who is still “very smart”.

With a score of just 18% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s not exactly the best work of anyone involved, but Robert was singled out for praise for doing what he could with his modest role.

Later in 2015, Robert appeared in another biopic, this time playing the lead in Life, about the photographer Dennis Stock.

The film followed Dennis’ relationship with the screen icon James Dean, portrayed by Dane DeHaan, after he was assigned to photograph the Hollywood star.

Set just before the release of East Of Eden, Life follows the friendship between the actor and the photographer as they travel from Los Angeles to New York City and Indiana.

Perhaps the most underrated film on this list is 2016’s The Childhood Of A Leader, the feature-length debut of The Brutalist director Brady Corbet.

The film explores the rise of fascism in the early 20th Century, focusing on a young American boy living in France in 1918, whose father is working for the US government during the creation of the Treaty of Versailles.

Robert plays a dual role in the movie, first appearing as a jaded journalist friend of the young boy’s parents, then later transforming into a mysterious, villainous role that we won’t spoil here.

It’s a psychedelic, experimental work that was unexpected for a star who found fame in such family-friendly films.

James Gray’s historical epic featured Charlie Hunnam as the real-life British explorer Percy Fawcett.

Robert co-starred as fellow adventurer, Henry Costin, who accompanied Percy to Brazil to find a lost ancient city filled with gold.

The Lost City Of Z marked one of Robert’s biggest on-screen transformations, with his face buried under a bushy beard, wide-brimmed hat and round spectacles.

Robert reunited with Mia Wasikowska for the 2018 Western black comedy, Damsel, which follows an affluent pioneer who journeys across the American frontier to marry the love of his life.

The quirky Western has since earned cult status for offering a fresh and thoughtful take on the genre.

Critics also praised Robert’s performance for disrupting the traditional macho role in Westerns by “serving up a naive and troubled anti-hero entirely out of place among the gunslingin’ and whiskey-drinkin’ rough necks of the Frontier lands”.

The Claire Denis-directed High Life is considered by cinephiles a career highlight for Robert, although it’s perhaps lesser known to the average cinema-goer.

High Life follows a group of criminals sent on a space mission toward a black hole, while being subjected to scientific experiments.

Robert plays a celibate prisoner who is serving life for the manslaughter of a child, in one of his darkest and most surprising roles to date.

Based on Shakespeare’s group of historical plays, known as The Henriad, the Netflix film covered the major events of the life of the 15th-century English monarch Henry V, including the Battle of Agincourt and his strained relationship with his father.

Robert makes a small – but notable – appearance in the historical epic as a dim-witted, ego-centric Frenchman.

Those who have seen The King will remember Robert’s eccentric French accent as Louis, Duke of Guyenne, with Timothée Chalamet taking the lead as King Henry.

Robert has a minor role alongside Mark Rylance and Johnny Depp in the 2019 adaptation of JM Coetzee’s 1980 novel.

The action-drama follows Mark Rylance’s ageing magistrate, who governs the peace of a remote outpost of an unnamed Empire.

His world is disrupted when the Empire becomes paranoid, and Johnny Depp’s Colonel starts capturing and torturing so-called barbarians from beyond the borders.

Robert plays a cruel officer working for the regime’s harsher side and represents a colder, more chaotic form of authority.

In 2020, Robert partnered with his The Drama co-star Zendaya’s real-life partner, Tom Holland, for the psychological thriller The Devil All The Time.

The Netflix film follows several characters in post-World War II Ohio and West Virginia, with an all-star cast including Bill Skarsgård, Sebastian Stan and Riley Keough.

Robert plays a charismatic but corrupt preacher, a deeply unsettling role that won over critics despite some criticism of his exaggerated Southern accent.

The Devil All The Time came out the same year as Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and The Lighthouse, which marked a turning point in the actor’s career. Two years later, he would don the black cape in The Batman, cementing him as one of the hottest properties in Hollywood.

The Drama is in cinemas now.

My doorbell rang twice that morning. I had no idea my life was about to change.

At first I ignore the ringing, assuming it was just a HelloFresh box being delivered. Two rings seemed aggressive, but they’d just leave it by the door. Rolling over in bed, I set a timer for 30 minutes. It was already getting late, and I needed to get up, but I wanted a little more sleep.

The doorbell rang again. After quickly throwing on a pair of athletic shorts and scooping up a tank top from the floor, I open the door as I put on my glasses. Standing in front of me is my neighbour, hair wet, holding a cordless phone in one hand and looking panicked.

Six-inch-thick walls separate me from the other lives being lived in my building, but suddenly my timeline was merging with another.

“Nathan,” my neighbour stammers. “Something’s wrong… he’s not moving.”

I rush to the apartment next door – an apartment I’d never been inside before – and see her husband in his leather chair sitting completely still. The bearded man has some slippers on his feet, pyjama pants, a grey T-shirt and a pair of black round glasses. His mouth is slightly open, which makes him look asleep.

“We have to get him down,” she says.

Instinctively, I grab his torso while his wife momentarily puts down the phone – she’s still on the line with 911 – and grabs his legs, and together we begin to pull. His body is heavy, and his head flings back. Sliding him onto the cold, hard tile floor, I immediately start doing chest compressions to the beat of the Bee Gees Stayin’ Alive, like I’d been told to do years ago.

I- I- I- I’m- staying alive… staying alive.

Suddenly he convulses. His wife gasps. Was it working?

A few moments later his daughter, who had been at work, rushes in. We’re both in our early 30s, and she’s an only child, just like me. Her father (I didn’t know his name at this point) was in his early 70s, just like my father.

“Where the fuck are the paramedics? Are they lost?” she asks breathlessly.

“They said they’re coming,” her mother replies.

The daughter leaves the apartment to go look for them.

All I can think about is this man’s dignity and comfort. I ask for a pillow and put it under his head in case he convulses again. His mouth is still open. Is he breathing? Does he have a pulse? There is no time to check. I hear their little white dog barking in another room.

I- I- I- I’m- staying alive… staying alive.

I look over and see one of his slippers has fallen off. I want to put it back on, but don’t want to stop doing CPR. He convulses again. His arm smacks the tile. I want another pillow. I want to be gentle, hoping not to break any of his ribs. If you’re doing it right, the ribs will crack, I suddenly find myself thinking. Am I doing it right? His chest is going up and down with every press.

Just as I am getting tired, the 911 operator asks me to allow someone else to take over.

“Are you sure?” the operator asks.

I’m not about to subject his family to that.

“Have you done this before?” his wife asks me.

I tell her I’ve never done CPR before. I wish I’d lied. I’ve never been part of anything like this.

I flash back to when I was 16 and had the opportunity to see my great aunt die in hospice care but refused. I’m too afraid of death. It’s the boogeyman. My mom told me it would’ve been a good experience for me. Later I learned my aunt’s death had been peaceful, and that as she went, with family around her bed, her body made sounds as all the energy from a life well-lived left her body.

But what was happening in this room was not peaceful.

“You need to lift his shirt and make sure the palm of your hand is between his nipples, and lock your arms,” the 911 operator instructs. I don’t want to do it – I want to preserve what little dignity I can for this man – but when I do lift his shirt, his skin is warm. Is he still alive? After being so afraid of death my entire life, why am I so calm?

I do compressions for what feels like 20 minutes before EMS finally arrives, and five men calmly file into the apartment. They don’t immediately take over and begin compressions, which makes me angry. When they do, they are violent, and my neighbour’s whole stomach jiggles. Oh, God, I was doing it too softly, I think.

I move over to the couch where his wife and daughter are sitting, and his daughter grabs my hand and holds it tightly.

Lieutenant So-and-So comes over with a pen and notepad. “We don’t need this,” he says and hangs up the phone.

The wife begins to tell him what happened. Her husband had just had an Ensure, and she went to take a shower. When she got out, he pointed to his stomach. She asked him a question. He shook his head and… I stop listening.

The EMS officers take out a large device, strap it around my neighbour’s body, and velcro his arms to the sides. The centre of the contraption looks like a giant plunger, and when they press a button, the machine makes a cheerful sound as it begins forcefully doing compressions.

“I could’ve used that machine earlier,” I say with a grimace.

The family looks at me, and instantly I feel ashamed. Was I being cavalier? Was I trying to deal with the situation by using my trademark snark?

The team brings out an oxygen mask. They tap, tap, tap on his arm. They begin to administer medicine through an IV. They listen for a pulse.

Lieutenant So-and-So brings over a stethoscope.

“You have to use this, it’s better,” he calmly instructs as he pauses the machine.

He listens, then resumes the machine. I brace myself to hear if the man was already gone and, if so, if I am responsible.

“His convulsions are from his pacemaker,” Lieutenant So-and-So tells us. The wife mentions a prior stint in the hospital. She rattles off a list of medications and shuffles through her husband’s medical records, offering up various papers. Suddenly I remember something my mum often told me: “When you’re stressed, drink water.” My neighbours need water.

Stepping around the commotion, I find two mugs in the kitchen. Checking to make sure there aren’t any pictures of my neighbour on them, I fill the mugs with water and hand them to the daughter and wife.

“Thanks, Nathan,” the daughter says, smiling weakly.

She breathes hard like she’s blowing out candles. I’m worried she’s going to have a panic attack.

The mum’s knee is pulsing. “We knew he wasn’t doing well for quite some time, you know that,” she says to her daughter.

I didn’t know that. Suddenly my phone alarm goes off. Has it only been 30 minutes?

I want them to look away from the violence. I want to shield them. But am I even supposed to still be here? Do they want me to stay? I’m not family, after all, and this is so intimate.

“We need a bed sheet,” one of the EMS officers says.

I rush over to a closet and pull one out. I’m afraid they’re going to cover him – that this was the end. Instead, they use it to lift him onto the gurney.

“Don’t worry about the dog, I can take care of him,” I tell my neighbours.

“OK. You can take my husband’s keys.”

As they cart him away, all I can think is, I never got a chance to put his slipper back on.

Suddenly it’s just me and the dog. It’s quiet, except for the TV on the wall playing a reality show at low volume. I take the dog’s harness and fiddle with it. “How the hell do I put this on you?” I ask him, but he doesn’t reply. I finally get it on and attach the leash, and we walk out.

The paramedics are by the elevator. The dog steps out of the harness, and it falls off him. I can hear the music next door as the construction workers renovate an apartment nearby. Life is continuing for everyone else.

I grab the dog, head back into my neighbour’s apartment and watch a YouTube video on how to use a harness. I take one loop and the dog recognises it, gleefully pushing his fluffy face through the hole.

As I exit the building, my door lady says, “Nathan, he didn’t seem to be doing well.”

“No, no he’s not,” I tell her.

The dog leads me straight to the dog park. The sun is bright. The dog is happy. The dog leads me back home.

When I get back to my neighbour’s apartment, I look around and ask myself, What seems out of place here? I scour the room for any medical waste to throw out. The EMS team seems to have placed most of it in an orange bag in the corner of the room. I grab it and fold my neighbour’s pants, which they’d removed, and put them back on his chair. I place his slippers neatly by the chair, turn off the TV and take the dog to my apartment. I don’t want it to look like something awful had just happened when the family returns home.

The dog is the only thing keeping me calm. I’m grateful to have a responsibility – a task to keep me busy. I turn on my TV and sit down, and the dog sits on my lap. I wonder if that’s routine for him – if it was what the husband used to do.

The dog races around and grabs one of my socks. There’s so much to sniff. He makes me laugh, but I immediately question why am I able to laugh at this sweet ignorance after what I’ve just been through. I take a picture of the dog and post it to my Instagram stories with a caption that reads, “Emotional Support Pup.” The hearts and comments soon roll in, but they go unread.

I call my boss and tell him I need to work from home… if I am even in a state to work. Two Zoom calls later, I realise I can’t, and that none of my work seems to matter. I speak to my editor on the phone about what happened, and he tells me, “What you need is a stiff drink.” Another coworker calls and echoes his advice: “You need to get out of your apartment and go to a bar.” They mean well, but I’m newly sober, and that’s the last thing I need. Besides, dulling what I am feeling wouldn’t work because I’m not feeling anything. Why are there no tears?

A few hours later I got a text message from his wife: “He is gone.”

That poor family – and that poor man, whom I’d seen so many times before in the elevator but had never spoken to aside from a “Have a good day.”

A part of me wishes I’d struck up a conversation with him, but we don’t do that sort of thing in New York City. Yet I had just done something his friends and family never had to do to him, and never will.

My head begins to spin with a million thoughts. If something were to happen to my parents in Florida, would there be someone to help and treat them with respect while doing so? Could I have done more for this family? What if I’d answered the door sooner or done the compressions harder?

Later that day, the daughter comes to my apartment with some friends to pick up the dog.

“You’re a hero,” her friend says. I don’t feel like one.

“I wish I could’ve done more,” I tell them.

“You’ve done more than you know — you’re family now,” someone else says.

“Oh, I’m just the neighbour.”

The daughter seems to be doing OK, but I am a mess. Do I have a right to feel this way? Did they know this was coming? It’s not like he was a friend or a family member. Is that why I had been so calm? Is this how medical professionals feel? Or is it because I deal with high pressure work situations and panicked producers trying to get the news on TV? What will I feel the next time I hear sirens?

The building I live in on the Upper West Side is large and filled with many older people. Emergency vehicles arrive at the front door at least once a month, and I’ve never thought much of it before. It just seemed like a natural, though obviously sad, part of life.

Occasionally a poster noting the death of a longtime neighbour appears in our lobby. Will there be one for him? Will I soon hear construction in my neighbour’s apartment as it moves from rent-controlled to market rate with shiny new appliances and quadrupled rent? Is that how I ended up in my place? There’s so much I haven’t considered before, and suddenly all of it is rushing into my head.

I can’t stop thinking about the man I couldn’t save. The family’s apartment was covered with jazz posters – were they his? What about all of those CDs and vinyls? Is it weird to want to go to the funeral of a man I’ve never spoken to before in the hopes of learning more about him? Did he have a full life? Were there things he was looking forward to that he’ll never get to do?

Another neighbour, a cantor, comes to my door and gives me a long hug. Pressing her palm to my chest she says, “You did good, do you hear me? You did good. You performed a sacred act that’s called a mitzvah. She came to you because she trusted you, just like I did before when I needed help.”

The tears come. I’ve been holding it in, but thanks to my neighbour’s kind words, I am able to drop my guard.

She gives me her keys so I can pet her two kitties while she’s out at dinner. It helps. As I’m petting them, my mind continues to swirl. I hope my neighbour knew in his last moments that he was surrounded by people who cared about him. I hope he felt like he had some dignity. I wonder if he would’ve liked me.

I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now. Is this where the story with my neighbours ends, or is it just the beginning for us? Will I ever learn his name? I’m just the neighbour, I remind myself.

The next day I wake up early. I had a hard time sleeping, and in the middle of the night, a panic attack caused me to imagine that the pillows on my floor were my neighbour. I can’t stop myself from wishing I could have done more. If my doorbell rang twice this morning, I’d already be awake. Maybe I would be quicker today. Maybe it would make a difference. I don’t know. I’ll never know.

Twenty-four hours have elapsed, but it feels like an eternity. My life hasn’t changed at all, but at the same time, I’m not the same person I was yesterday. I’m aware of how many people are waking up at this very moment in my building, in my city, in this country, and how many lives are starting and moving forward and ending around the world. I realise, more than ever before, how interconnected we are – or can be, if we choose to be or are suddenly made to be. It makes me want to pay more attention to everything and everyone around me. It makes me want to tell the people in my life that I love them. It makes me want to spend more time getting to know the people I see every day but rarely interact with.

My phone dings and a text from my neighbour pops up:

I am so thankful. This is a forever life connection with you. Simon was a man of few words but he was the kindest, gentlest person and you would have really liked him. Please feel free to come over.

I’m just the neighbour… at least, I thought I was. But that word means something different – something more – to me now. Perhaps being a neighbour is greater than just the necessity of 8 million people squished together with just 6-inch-thick walls separating them in this city. Could it even be sacred?

I head downstairs to go to work. A neighbour stops me.

“Nathan, you shouldn’t be upset. He was very sick and had been for a long time. They shouldn’t have put that on you.”

Note: Some names and identifying details in this essay have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals mentioned.

Nathan Rousseau Smith is a two-time Emmy, GLAAD, Murrow and Webby-winning producer, video editor and journalist at ABC News. The Florida-native has spent the last 10 years in New York City specialising in reporting on the most talked about cultural zeitgeist moments, minority communities, and the b-side of top headlines. In his spare time, Nathan loves traveling, studying languages and running. Before his career in media, Nathan was a high-level ballet dancer.

This piece was previously published on HuffPost and is being shared again as part of HuffPost Personal’s “Best Of” series.

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