London, April 3(IANS) Overnight success had a dark flipside for British actor Robert Pattinson. He lost touch with most of his old friends and now his only true companion is his guitar.

"I'm comforted by my guitar, my true companion that travels everywhere with me. I didn't need this in the past, until I got back to London and found I had lost my social life. It's tough maintaining it when you don't speak to anyone for over a year. I am now trying to get back in touch with some friends through Skype," thesun.co.uk quoted Pattinson as saying.

The actor, who featured as a vampire in "Twilight", says making new friends has become tougher for him ever since he has become a star.

"Being well known is a real burden. I'm less open and have noticed that I'm actually getting paranoid. If people push themselves on me I find it gruelling and repulsive. If I even think someone wants to approach me I feel the need to scream, 'What do you want of me'. Then later I think, 'What if this person only wanted to be nice?'" he said.

Pattinson admits his problems with fame stems from his feelings that he hasn't achieved much as an actor yet.

"It's all been given so easily. What did I do to deserve this adulation? I am convinced I need to work at least 10 full years to actually earn the status I'am apparently being given."

He wants to experiment with his roles to "grow as an actor".

"The more I act different characters the more I learn. I know it might be risky, especially with the added pressure of fame...certainly with the fame that has been thrown in my lap. I want to grow as an actor. I don't want to be typecast as the romantic hero. I'm not going about wishing everything was back to how it was in the past. Although, sometimes I do as it was so much easier."