Celebrity Interviews

Zimbio Interview: Taylor Lautner

Actor Taylor Lautner attends The Cinema Society & Piaget screening of "Twilight Saga: Eclipse" at the Crosby Street Hotel on June 28, 2010 in New York City. (Getty Images)more pics »The Twilight films are really getting a lot of mileage out of Taylor Lautner’s workout. He bulked up for New Moon so teenage girls could coo whenever he took his shirt off. It’s actually integral to the plot, so he has to keep taking his shirt off in Eclipse. I mean, this is about art here. Other characters even comment on it. Edward Cullen himself asks, “Does he even own a shirt?”

Zimbio: The line where Edward refers to you topless and says, “Does he even own a shirt” seems like it was written just for the film.

Taylor+Lautner in The Cinema Society Screening Of

Taylor Lautner: I believe it was actually in the book, but it was definitely in the script. When I read that for the first time I couldn’t wait for Rob to deliver that. It was funny. It was quite obvious when they pull up in the middle of the street, even in the position I’m in. I’m leaning back up against the car with my hands behind me. It looks like I’m sitting there flexing, waiting for her to come up. Those are the awkward scenes when everybody is fully clothed, it’s raining and I’m just the only person there waiting kind of posing for them.

Zimbio: Do you have a clause in your contract that says you get to take your shirt off and show off your pecs in every movie?
Taylor Lautner: No, no clause. Whatever the book says that’s most likely what we’re going to do.

Zimbio: You've got a good thing going though. Become a free agent and shop your pecs around Hollywood.
Taylor Lautner: No, it really all comes down to character. If I love the character and if I love the story and the character requires me to be shirtless, or if it requires me to lose 30 pounds, I’m ready to do it.

Zimbio: Have you ever been on the losing end of a love triangle?
Taylor Lautner: That’s a very popular question.

Zimbio: What’s the popular answer?
Taylor Lautner: Maybe when I was younger in elementary school or something and there’s a girl and like five guys who want to be with that girl. You’re in the fifth grade and have crushes, but not seriously. I’ve never been in a love triangle. I would not want to be in that situation. I would not want to be in Bella’s situation for sure. I wouldn’t want to be in Jacob’s or Edward’s. It’s not fun. I’d have to say no, like seriously.

Zimbio: When the Twilight Saga comes to an end, what’s one item from the set you’d keep?

Taylor Lautner: Probably be those little jean shorts. Definitely they have a lot of value here. I’m going to miss those shorts dearly.

Zimbio: Who designed those? They might have a lucrative fashion line there.  
Taylor Lautner: I don’t even know what they are. It’s just like jeans that Jacob finds in the woods, man. I don’t know. I don’t know if there is a brand. You know what? Just because you said that, I’m going to look at that when I wear those little jean shorts again. I’m so curious now.   

Zimbio: What are your guilty pleasures?
  Taylor Lautner: American Idol definitely. So You Think You Can Dance as well, but American Idol would definitely be number one for me. I haven’t missed an episode in what is it eight or nine years. I can’t believe I just said that.   

Zimbio: Can you sing?   
Taylor Lautner: No, I can’t sing and that’s the funny thing. Maybe that’s why I like watching it so much is because I know there’s no way I can do that.

  Zimbio: What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had with a Twilight fan?   
Taylor Lautner: I wouldn’t say they’re weird, but they’re definitely passionate. Funny enough, I was just in Australia like a week ago or so and we’re at this big fan event and there was a red carpet. There were 4,000 fans and I was walking down the line and fans like to hold out their hand or arm for you to sign. This one arm I went by had a massive tattoo of the wolf pack tattoo from the movie. A real one, the same exact thing. It was pretty cool. She was like, “Can you sign it?” and I was like, “Sure.” So I signed right underneath it and the next day somebody told me that the girl got my signature tattooed right underneath the wolf pack tattoo. I didn’t know whether or not to say that’s cool or feel bad that I signed her arm. That’s definitely some passion there.

  

Taylor+Lautner in Premiere Of Summit Entertainment's

Zimbio: Can you ever go out without being mobbed?   
Taylor Lautner: Yeah, you can be creative. It’s a matter of choosing where you go, when you go. A mall, probably not. A movie theatre, probably not. I have my hangouts like the good low key restaurants. Sometimes you’re just like, “I don’t care. I want to go bowling and I’m going to do it” and you do it. And sure enough it’s a little hectic, but you had fun. Then you go home and you think, “I’m not going bowling for a while.”   

Zimbio: That’s just a love fest for you though. What is the real downside to this whirlwind fame?
 Taylor Lautner: It’s hard to choose one, it really is. There’s a million more pros than cons for sure. Obviously the privacy thing, it’s a little different. It’s usually not normal to wake up and have 12 paparazzi cars waiting outside to follow you to Starbucks in the morning or something, but like I said, there’s a lot more pros and I’m willing to put up with those cons for sure.

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