Thinking of Rob   It's all about Robert Pattinson

Jacob (Twilight) vs. Jacob (Water for Elephants)

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Debuting on Blu-ray & DVD on Nov. 1

Hard as he might try, Robert Pattinson has trouble getting away from the ‘Jacobs’ in his life. He might have escaped his lupine rival in the supernatural Twilight world, but one of his next big roles saw him taking on the name himself as his played love-struck veterinarian Jacob Jankowski in Water For Elephants. With one film set in the fictional past and the other in the supernatural present, let’s see how Robert’s Jacobs compare!

Devastated by the sudden death of his parents at the height of The Depression, a young dreamer from the wrong side of the tracks, Jacob Jankowski (Pattinson), abandons his veterinary studies at Cornell University. With no other family, no house, and no money, Jacob stows away on a train carrying the circus performers of The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Hired as a veterinarian to care for the troupe’s animals, Jacob is temporarily filled with the promise of an exciting life that comes with a traveling circus troupe. However, as he builds a rapport and falls in love with the star of the show, Marlena (Witherspoon), they become prey to the circus’s owner, Marlena’s violent and abusive husband August (Waltz).

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1) Fans of Fur!

Any Twi-hard worth their salt will know that Jacob Black is a werewolf, a fact that gives him a rather unique viewpoint when it comes to human-animal relations. But he’s not the only one to share a close bond with the animal world! There might not be many lycanthropes beneath the tents of the Benzini Bros but there’s plenty of other animals around for Jacob Jankowski to look after. It goes without saying that vets love animals and Robert’s character in Water for Elephants is no exception. Spending almost as much time with his furry patients as he does with his humanoid circus mates, having a close relationship with animals is a trait that both Jacobs share.

Keep reading after the jump! 

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2) Thrilling Threesomes!

Jacob Black plays just one third of cinema’s most memorable love triangles in Twilight, sharing the spotlight with Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. Having fallen in love with a girl already spoken for, Jacob’s wolfish wiles often get the better of him as he fights to claim the one he loves. Jacob Jankowski faces a similar problem in Water For Elephants. Completely smitten with the beautiful and talented Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), Jacob never backs down in his pursuit to free her from her violent husband and give her the life she deserves.

3) Getting back to nature

After Jacob Jankowski’s parents are killed in a car crash and his home is reclaimed by a bank, Jacob decides to up and leave, escaping into the forest where he has only the train tracks for guidance. When the Benzini Brothers’ train comes along, Jacob jumps on and is soon swept away into a wild world completely at odds with his previous lifestyle. Surrounded by animals and constantly travelling across the country, Jacob fits right into the rustic lifestyle. Twilight’s Jacob Black also loves life on the wild side. Frequently reverting to his wolf form to lope through the woods, Jacob is as at home among the trees as he is under a roof and laps up life outdoors!

4) Planes, trains and automobiles

Another thing the two Jacobs’ share is their penchant for speedy transport! When Jacob Black isn’t racing through the forest on four legs, he’s shooting around Forks on his motorbike. Jacob Jankowski also hopped aboard a fast moving vehicle when he was picked up by the circus steam train which took him at great speeds across the US on an unexpected adventure.

5) Friend, not foe

As part of a wolf pack, Jacob Black’s friends mean everything to him. Extremely loyal and fiercely defensive, Jacob would fight to the death to protect his own. When Jacob Jankowski joins the Benzini Brothers, he makes a new family (maybe not the kind he was expecting!) among the circus workers, earning their trust and becoming an integral member of the railroad family.

What other similarities do you guys see between Jacob Black and Jacob Jankowski?