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Back in the late 2000s, Twilight ruled pop culture. Teens everywhere were split into Team Edward and Team Jacob. Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner became household names overnight, thanks to the supernatural blockbuster’s roaring success.
But now, years after the frenzy, Lautner has dropped a bomb: he was almost axed from the franchise after just one film. That’s right, your beloved Jacob Black was nearly played by someone else. In a recent sit-down with Call Her Daddy, Lautner opened up about how he had to fight tooth and nail to keep the role that made him famous.
Turns out, getting cast in a billion-dollar franchise doesn’t always mean job security. Taylor Lautner, who was only 16 when he stepped into Jacob Black’s shoes, thought he had locked in his spot after Twilight became a phenomenon. But when the sequel, New Moon, rolled around, the studio had second thoughts, mainly about his physique.
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Taylor Lautner says he was almost recast in ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ with a ‘built, muscular man’:
“They called me and said, ‘Thank you for your participation, but we’re recasting you for the rest of the franchise.’ My character in the first book is supposed to be like a… pic.twitter.com/Tt19JaBO7Y
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 14, 2023
On the Call Her Daddy podcast, Lautner admitted the character’s transformation from teen boy to ripped werewolf had producers scrambling. In Stephenie Meyer’s books, Jacob goes from scrawny to swole in a matter of chapters. So, the studio figured they needed someone who already looked like a gym membership personified.
Lautner said bluntly, “My character in the first book is supposed to be like a 16-year-old little scrawny boy, and in the middle of New Moon, he transforms into this 25-year-old looking built, muscular man. So their plan all along was to cast a 16-year-old, which they did. I was 16 at the time. And then they were going to cast like a mid-20s guy to carry on and be Jacob for the rest of the franchise. I had to fight for my role back.”
That “fight” wasn’t just metaphorical. Lautner got a heads-up from the studio that they were planning to replace him. Not sugarcoated, either. “They called me and said, ‘Thank you for your participation, but we’re recasting you for the rest of the franchise,’” he recalled.
But Lautner wasn’t about to let go that easily. “Thankfully, I started that process the second that we stopped filming the first movie. I’ve read the books, so like, I knew, if I wanna continue playing, I gotta do something.”
And that “something” was an intense physical makeover. Lautner began a hardcore fitness routine immediately after Twilight wrapped, transforming his teen frame into Jacob 2.0. He trained for nine months straight, gaining muscle, changing his diet, and prepping to prove he could still handle the role.
By the time casting talks for New Moon heated up, Lautner was ready. His team went back to the studio armed with visual proof. “I was ready, so when we got that call, my team was like, ‘Have you seen him recently?’” The physical transformation got their attention, but even then, it wasn’t a done deal. The Hollywood star still had to re-audition for the role.
taylor lautner as jacob black in twilight pic.twitter.com/r2K3yi9yeH
— 2000s (@PopCulture2000s) April 24, 2022
In the end, the studio stuck with the actor. He stayed on for the full five-film run. And while Lautner may have left Jacob Black in the rearview, it’s safe to say fans never forgot. Had things gone differently, someone else might’ve run shirtless through the forest. But Lautner earned that six-pack (and that spot) in more ways than one.
For more such updates, check out Hollywood News
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