“I had to fight for my role back”: Taylor Lautner Reveals Twilight Franchise Tried to Recast Him Despite Being the Best Part of the Movies

Taylor Lautner Reveals Twilight Franchise Tried to Recast Him Despite Being the Best Part of the Movies

SUMMARY

  • Taylor Lautner, who was still a teenager at the time, was initially only cast for the first Twilight film.
  • Lautner ended up being told that he would be recast for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, as the role demanded a muscular 20s-something actor instead.
  • However, the determined actor went to the gym, gained 20-25 pounds in less than a year, and won back his role.
Show More
Featured Video

Taylor Lautner was made a part of the Twilight franchise at a young age. And yet it remains to be his magnum opus, the work he is most known for. The American star dedicated 5 years of his life to the franchise. And it was all worth it in the end, with the franchise becoming the project that would propel his name to the limelight. However, things could have turned out very differently. Word has it that Lautner was almost recast after Twilight.

Advertisement

Taylor Lautner almost lost the role of Jacob in The Twilight Saga: New Moon 

Taylor Lautner
Taylor Lautner

Taylor Lautner AKA Jacob was just a teen when he starred in Twilight. A 16-year-old boy who couldn’t boast of being the most muscular man, he did however perfectly fit the bill for the 2008 film. But things were about to change with the second installment.

On an episode of Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, the 31-year-old made a joint appearance with his wife, Taylor Dome. In the episode, he opened up on a host of issues, including revealing that he was almost recast.

Advertisement

Also Read: “I had to fight for my role back”: Taylor Lautner Was Almost Kicked Out of Twilight Franchise as the Studio Wanted a Muscular Actor to Play His Role

Taylor Lautner was brought in only for Twilight

Taylor Lautner at an event
Taylor Lautner at an event

Getting candid about the experience, he told Alex Cooper,

“They called me and said, ‘Thank you for your participation, but we’re recasting you for the rest of the franchise.'”

Apparently, when The Twilight Saga: New Moon was under works, the plan was to look for a muscular man. Taylor Lautner didn’t fit the bill surely. He continued,

Advertisement

“So their plan all along was to cast a 16-year-old, which they did… And then they were going to cast like a mid-20s guy to carry on and be Jacob for the rest of the franchise.”

Some plan, wasn’t it?

Also Read: “He’s like a young Tom Cruise”: Taylor Lautner Got the Biggest Compliment of His Life Despite His Flop Movie After Twilight Fame That Never Materialized

Taylor Lautner had already begun to work on his body

Taylor Lautner in The Twilight Saga
Taylor Lautner had begun to spend time in the gym

Yet Taylor Lautner was not ready to go out that easily. He knew he had a fight at his hands. And fight he did.

Advertisement

Actually, his fight had already begun. When the studio called him about being recast, they didn’t know that he had already begun taking counter-measures.

The Abduction star had begun to hit the gym. He had been “hardcore working out for about nine months” and had gained “20 or 25 pounds.” 

After some time and an audition, he was recast as everyone’s favorite werewolf, reclaiming his role for the entirety of the franchise.

Advertisement

Also Read: “She is pretty great to have in your life”: Taylor Lautner’s Heartwarming Statement Over His Breakup With Taylor Swift

Source: Twitter

Avatar

Written by Smriti Sneh

Articles Published: 196

Smriti Sneh is a Content Writer at Fandom Wire specializing in celebrities and everything pop-culture. Being a literature research scholar, she is cashing in on her writing skills by working in the entertainment news sector - studying literary theories by day, and navigating celebrity net worth through the night. Although you can find her writing poems at any and all hours.