It is Edward for me. I feel like I know Edward, but although I have seen quite a few of Rob’s interviews for Twilight publicity, he comes across as a private person and doesn’t say much about himself. I also hadn’t clocked him in the Harry Potter movie, which if it was a physical thing then I probably would have done.
This is a bit of a pattern for me, it is the character not the actor and the same actor playing a different part can be quite a turn off - David Duchovny as Fox Mulder (in X-files) = yes, in Californication = no. (Funny, this also illustrates my preference for soft sci-fi, which probably also explains a little about the Twilight obsession, sexy VAMPIRES, oh yeah!)
I understand the Robward thing, because they do morph for me, I now tend to picture Rob as Edward when I am reading the books, and I can’t remember how I pictured him before, but I think this is because Rob does epitomise Edward for me.
But, on a deeper note, I wonder if I am subconsciously trying to protect my DH? He handles my Edward obsession quite well, and knows that I don’t lust after Rob Pattinson, so doesn’t feel like he has to compete with a 22 year old with a firm body and floppy hair…err, lines getting blurry again!