Taking this role was an intelligent move on the part of Robert Pattinson. He'd been cast in the 'Twilight' movies and was aware that he'd earn a lot of money from them, but also ran the risk of being typecast. To demonstrate that there was a lot more to his acting skill than portraying a slightly emo vampire, he also accepted the part of Salvador Dali in 'Little Ashes,' which was released the same year as his blockbuster franchise in 2008.
Pattinson gives a remarkably restrained performance as the famously eccentric artist, even if he does look fabulous in the mustache. Somewhere around the time of filming or shortly afterward, he entered into a relationship with Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart, although that ended badly and publicly when she cheated on him. Dali was never confirmed to be gay, which might explain the choice of a straight man to play him.