Taylor Lautner Says He Was Almost Recast with a ‘Built, Muscular Man’ for New Moon: ‘Had to Fight for My Role’

Taylor Lautner did everything to fight for his role in Twilight franchise.

The actor (31) appeared together with his wife Taylor Dome in the last episode Call her dad podcast and talked about how he was almost recast for the role of Jacob Black after the first movie.

“They called me and said, ‘Thank you for participating, but we’re trading you for the rest of the franchise,'” he told host Alex Cooper. As for the reason for this, he said it comes down to how his character is portrayed in the successful book series, written by Stephenie Meyer, on which the films are based.

Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson at the premiere of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images ‘Twilight’ cast: Where are they now?

“My character in the first book is supposed to be like a 16-year-old little skinny boy, and in the middle New Moon, transforms into this 25-year-old who looks strong, muscular. So their plan all along was to pick a 16-year-old girl, which they did. I was 16 years old then. And then they were going to cast like a guy in his mid-20s to go on and be Jacob for the rest of the franchise. I had to fight for my role,” he explained.

Taking the books as a reference point prompted Lautner to start hitting the gym after filming the first movie, in 2008. Twilight. “I was ready, so when we got the call, my team said, ‘Have you seen him recently?'” he said, explaining that he had been “training hard for about nine months” and gained “20 or 25 pounds.”

Taylor Lautner in the movie “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”. Kimberley French/Summit Taylor Lautner sets records for correct pronunciation of her name

Although he underwent a dramatic physical transformation, he said he still had to audition for the role.

Elsewhere in the podcast, Lautner told Cooper, 29, that being part of a successful franchise and in the spotlight has made him question his own self-worth and what he cares about.

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“In the last five to seven years, I’ve been dealing with a lot of body image issues because I didn’t wear that many clothes in the franchise, you know. And I was also 17, 18, 19 years old and it was a lot easier to have that body, but that’s how most people know me of the world,” he said.

Taylor Lautner visits SiriusXM at SiriusXM Studios on May 17, 2023.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

When asked where he is now with his body image, Lautner said, “It’s a lot better, but it’s definitely not perfect,” and he credited his wife and friends for helping him feel comfortable in his own skin.

“I’m much better at it now, but there are still good days and bad days,” he added.

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Source: HIS Education