In a recent episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, Taylor Lautner shared his close call with losing the role of Jacob Black in the Twilight film series.
Originally slated for recasting with a mid-20s actor, Lautner had to fight to retain the role against contenders like Michael Copon. So, to secure his position, he underwent a rigorous fitness transformation to prove to the studio that he could also be the jacked version of Jacob Black for the remainder of the series.
But despite his dedicated efforts, Lautner still had to re-audition for the part.
He noted:
“So their plan just 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."
But Lautner had been hitting the gym for the past nine months and was ready when they called to deliver him the news.
"My team was like, 'Have you seen him recently?' and they were like, 'No, why?' and they were like 'Well, you may want to take a meeting with him or something.'"
And the rest is history.
On the podcast, Lautner also discussed the body image challenges tied to his shirtless appearances in the films, expressing an improved but not perfect relationship with his body.
Lautner credited the ongoing support of loved ones, including his wife Taylor Dome, for helping him navigate these challenges. The actor acknowledged the continuous nature of his personal growth, emphasizing the presence of both good and challenging days in his journey towards a healthier body image.
Taylor Lautner was going to be recast for the Twilight series #twilight #taylorlautner #callherdaddywww.youtube.com
People were glad Lautner got to stick around.
A lot of fans were stuck on him being just 16.
But many Twilight fans are remembering that this story is, well, old news.
In fact, it's a story that Lautner himself has been telling ever since the production of the Twilight films.
But really, if they were going for accuracy in the books, there was an alternate casting choice that could have been made.
This does kind of bring us all back to a simpler, kinder time.
Despite his body image issues at the time, Lautner has made a lot of progress and has been very open and honest in recent years about advocating for mental health awareness.
Continue to fight the good fight, Taylor!
