Interview with Taylor Lautner about ending the Twilight movie franchise…
How sad are you that it’s all over?
Taylor Lautner: So sad! No, I really am. The smile is only there because I know that I am going to be promoting these films for the next year and a half, so I know we are going to be seeing each other all the time. But the real bummer is that we are done filming, and that’s probably the toughest thing. Whenever we finished filming a movie before, it wasn’t sad because we knew that we were going to be back in a couple of months, but at the end of this one, it was definitely emotional. We’ve been doing this for years now – five movies – and we knew we weren’t coming back. That was tough.
What was the last day on set like for you?
Taylor Lautner: It was not good because my last scene with Rob (Pattinson) and Kristen (Stewart) was the second-to-last day of filming and it was actually a scene where I was dancing with Kristen and I’m saying goodbye to her – she’s getting ready to leave and go on her Honeymoon and I’m dealing with everything for the first time, so it was a pretty emotional scene for Jacob, so it wasn’t fun doing that, when it was actually me saying goodbye to filming with Kristen and Rob as well. Then literally my last scene filming on the franchise was a scene where I think Bella has just died and I run outside the house and I crumble onto the ground and I just lose it and I’m bawling. That was my last scene of the movie, my last scene of the franchise, so I definitely had some extra motivation, so it was a little easier.
So over all five movies, what would you say was your most valuable experience?
Taylor Lautner: As an actor, I wouldn’t be able to choose one, it would just be working with different directors each and every time, and ending with Bill (Condon) was a miracle. Bill was phenomenal. So as an actor, that was probably the biggest thing I have been able to take, just working with all these incredible directors that bring something different to the table. But as a person, it’s the relationships: there is nothing more important to me than the relationships I have taken from this franchise. Thankfully, we all got along so well, we are all really close – it really would have been a nightmare if that wasn’t the case, filming these movies for years, and when we are not filming, promoting them together, it would have just been tough. So thankfully we are all really good friends and we are definitely going to stay in touch even when we are done promoting the movies.
What do you have to say to you being called the most promising star of the Twilight franchise?
Taylor Lautner: “Say what?” <laughs> Really? I don’t know. I leave other people to make that call, but for me, it’s just important on focusing on doing what I am passionate about, and the most amazing thing about this franchise is that it has given us all the opportunity to do what we love: as actors, you really want to make movies that you believe in and that you are passionate about, and it is rare to be given that opportunity, and that is the opportunity that this franchise has given me, so I could not be more thankful for that. I was extremely passionate, for a long time, about ‘Abduction’ and this gave me the opportunity to do that, and it gives me the opportunity to challenge myself to do different things and different genres and different characters, which is what I love focusing on.
Do you think you are going to miss the die-hard fans or do you think it will be a little bit of a relief that you can leave that behind?
Taylor Lautner: I will definitely miss them. It’s always great. We were just at Comic Con and it’s always amazing to go back and experience that. If it was like that, like Comic Con, every single day, then it would become a lot, but it’s always great to go back and see them. We use that as a way to thank them. We’re here promoting movie number four, and we wouldn’t be doing that if it wasn’t for them, so it’s always a lot of fun. So I will definitely miss them, but I hope they continue to follow me in whatever I continue to do.
Do you still look up things about yourself online or in magazines, or do you avoid all that stuff?
Taylor Lautner: Avoid! It’s tough because sometimes it’s impossible, like you will just be on the Web and things pop up, or you get emailed something from a friend, so it is definitely impossible sometimes, but no, it’s pretty important to try and stay away as much as possible. It’s just tough, because it’s very rare that things are true about yourself, that are on the internet, so it’s just sad sometimes reading things that you feel don’t represent you or aren’t true, so you definitely try and stay away from it as much as possible. Taylor Lautner Gay
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt 1 is at cinemas from November 18, 2011