New Moon Parody "Disarm"

New Moon themed video brought to us by TA staffer Tayway91. The video is from TheRaggDolliish’s channel and is titled New Moon || Disarm and features Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins.

'New Moon' Werewolf Chaske Spencer Takes Vacation From 'Twilight'

Eclipse" wrapped production in late October, a couple of weeks before its "Twilight" predecessor, "New Moon," opened with $143 million of tween-driven gusto at the box office. What the saga's actors chose to do next is as varied as the public's reaction to the vampire franchise.

Robert Pattinson is gearing up to shoot "Bel Ami" next month. Taylor Lautner went and became the highest-paid teen in Hollywood. And werewolf Chaske Spencer? He went on holiday.

"I keep in touch with some of the wolf guys, but mainly I just totally disconnect," he told MTV News at the red-carpet premiere of "Youth in Revolt." "I just got back from vacation, so I'm pretty refreshed."

When he says "disconnect," he really means it: no obsessive self-Googling, no clicking over to the "Twilight" fan sites to see what's shaking, no attempting to catch some early footage of the upcoming film. He hasn't seen a single frame of finished footage, nor does he have a clue when a trailer might be made public.

"I stay off the Internet," he explained. "I don't pay attention to anything. I put on my little stocking cap and I'm gone. What I like about New York City is nobody cares. If they do, they don't ever approach. They just give you a 'What's up?' and that's it.

That's a far cry from the brain-meltingly shrill squeals that greeted Spencer and his castmates as they crisscrossed the country last fall, promoting "New Moon" at suburban malls. Though, by the look of some of the photos that popped up on the Web during those PR stops, Spencer certainly seemed to be enjoying himself.

But months removed from that craziness — and months before it ramps up again in June with the release of "Eclipse" — Spencer confessed that it all seems a tad unreal.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that," he laughed. "That was a blur!"

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Tippett Studio: The Making of The CG New Moon Wolf Pack

As the New Moon rises, so do the stars at Tippett Studio. Charged with creating the Quileute Wolf Pack for the Twilight sequel, some of the industries leading character artists sunk their teeth into just under 60 shots ranging from three to twelve seconds that were pivotal to the storyline. And those shots are getting noticed.

"Strong concept art will save a lot of steps in the CG process;
it helps to keep the artists from meandering from the final goal." - Aharon Bourland, Technical Art Director, Look Development.

Wolf Mountain and Frankenwolf
The challenge wasn't just to build a believable wolf, but to build five unique wolves of extraordinary size and weight, to portray that mass often with little more than the surrounding trees as comparisons, create believable fur and humanesque eyes that weren't distracting. Nate Fredenburg, Art Director, helped to make sure those requirements were fulfilled, combining real-world attributes and CG magic.
"At Tippett Studio, we always look to real-life creatures for reference on how to design our characters, real or mythical. For New Moon, we had a special opportunity to travel down to wolf sanctuary in Southern California to observe wolves up close and personal. The key to looking at live reference is to form a knowledge base, study the creatures, their quirks and behaviors, the language between the pack. We looked for signs of what the creature was about and added those to the visual effects to make them believable."

In Lucerne Valley, there is a sanctuary called Wolf Mountain where a dedicated group is trying to save wolves from extinction. This is where the Tippett artists traveled to spend personal time with the wolves, many tame enough to be approached and touched by strangers. There the artist could observe behaviors, pack interactions, hierarchy behaviors, and movement, and "closely examine the fur and its different lengths over the body, the coloring variations and markings, as well as the structure of the face, eyes, teeth and so on."

The trip was extremely fruitful, but Phil Tippett, with his honed eye for perfection, added a second method to study fur under different controlled lighting and wind. "We had a bunch of photographs of wolves that we were studying but Phil was insisting that we take it to the next level and have something to touch, walk around, and actually do your own," explained Fredenburg. This resulted in the creation of what became affectionately known as the "Frankenwolf".
Tippett bought wolf pelts and cut them up with an Exacta knife and pasted it onto a taxidermy blank "so that we could do a lighting lab in two conditions? controlled lighting on our stage where we could shine very specific lights and look at how the fur responded, then we took it outside on an overcast day, which was perfect for New Moon. We came up with strategies for how to artistically make the wolves look better in flat lighting, which is what we were dealing with and is a very difficult lighting situation."

Hair Raising
One of the key observations we made at Wolf Mountain was the complexity of the fur. From nose to tail the fur quality changes, prompting the painters to create a zone chart of the animal that divided the wolf up into fur zones; on the nose and the legs the hair was short and velvet, on the neck the mane was thick and long, belly clumped and long, the back more medium length while the tail was bushy. The coloring was not only unique over the length of the body, but the hair follicle had unique color ticking from root to tip.
Image courtesy Tippett Studio.

"Even with as far as computing power has come," said Fredenburg "it still is very difficult to accurately mimic real life, so everything we do to come up with our fur look is an approximation,
a cheat. It's not about replicating a wolf hair for hair; it's about getting the feel of a wolf. Even though we pushed 4 million hairs on this show, which is
twice what we normally grow, it is still not nearly the number of hairs a real wolf has."

A real wolf would have hundreds of millions of hairs but a digital wolf will only have perhaps four million, so some interpretation is needed to achieve the same effect.

To help achieve the fullness and fur realism needed, Aharon Bourland, Technical Art Director and Look Development, helped create Tippetts' in-house tool, Furator.

New Moon was the second Tippett film where this tool was used. Similar
to Shake in that is uses a tree-based system, it allows for characteristics
of hair to be added via nodes, then merged back together for the final groom.

It was developed to be highly flexible and extensible, such as the ability to twist a group of hairs from the tip and leave the base alone.

Another very helpful addition was Scraggle, a tool that used a CV interp node that increased the number of CV's and resulted in a scraggled hair, then further adjusted so that the majority of scraggle was towards the base, creating the illusion of a thicker undercoat with smoother fur on top.


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New Moon Wolf Pack Cast Audition Parody Video

New Moon Wolf Pack Auditions from sterlinharjo on Vimeo.

'New Moon' wolfpack leader Chaske Spencer on cougars and fainters

Chaske Spencer, the actor who plays wolfpack leader Sam Uley, talked to EW about getting cast, meeting randy Twilight fans, and playing the leader of the pack.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When did all this start for you, and when is it done?
CHASKE SPENCER: It started for me March 5 when I got cast in New Moon, and I don’t know when it’s going to be done. It’s been like a wild ride. We got cast and there was already sort of a buzz about us. As it got closer, you kept feeling the buildup and the buildup, and all of a sudden at the premiere, it just exploded. It was like a rock star moment. This is what we’ve been waiting for. People are telling us our lives are going to change. And they have.

What has been the most memorable fan encounter?
Let me think of PG one. [Laughs] Probably, a fainter. I had a girl faint on me. And then the criers. And then the cougars—the Twi-Moms—always come after us. That’s been very surreal, because we’ve had phone numbers slipped in our back pockets. It’s like we’re The Beatles.

Did you have a sense of what part you wanted when you auditioned?
They had me going out for Jared at first. Any part was fine. I knew it was going to be a huge movie. Next thing I know, they told me I had Sam. When I read the book, I thought more about his character. He’s tragic; he never wanted this—to be the leader of the wolfpack—but that was what he was thrown into.

What’s next for you?
I have my own production company called Urban Dreams. I want to get scripts for movies I want to do or vehicles to star in or direct. Things are rolling. Something hit me last week—we were doing some promos at a Nordstrom. Me and Bronson [Pelletier, a fellow wolf] were riding in a limo, going through Laurel Canyon, on Mulholland Drive. The sun was setting and a really cool song was playing on the radio. We rolled down the window and were like, ‘Wow, this is a good life. I can’t believe we’re in f—ing New Moon.’”

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Twilight Saga: New Moon Behind-The-Scenes Footage And Interviews

Behind-The-Scenes Look At Scene Where Jacob Transforms
You've seen the movie clip, but check out what it takes to create the scene where Jacob protects Bella from the wolf pack.

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Behind The Scenes At Bella's Birthday

You've seen the completed scene, but now check out what it took for Kristen Stewart to get that paper cut.

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Exclusive 'New Moon' Clip: Bella's Paper Cut
An innocent birthday present nearly turns tragic in this exclusive "Twilight: New Moon" clip.

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Behind The Scenes At The Volturi Fight
Check out what it was like to shoot the Volturi fighting with Robert Pattinson.

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The Volturi Vs. Edward And Alice Cullen
"She knows too much. She's a liability," Caius (Jamie Campbell Bower) tells Aro (Michael Sheen) before the fight breaks out.

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Robert Pattinson's Take On The Volturi
The "New Moon" actor describes what the vampire lords' roles are in the "Twilight" universe.

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Dakota Fanning Plays A Bad Girl

The "New Moon" newbie talks about her character, Jane, and her bad powers.

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Dakota Fanning Talks About Working With Kristen, Rob, Ashley And More

Plus, she talks about the wide appeal of the "Twilight" sequel.

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'New Moon' Has Fans Jumping From Team Edward To Team Jacob

With even Kirsten Stewart questioning Bella's alliance to Edward and with Taylor Lautner looking particularly beefy these days, it's no wonder die-hard Team Edward members are questioning their allegiance to the brooding vampire.

Some fans are switching teams altogether — so does that mean no one is on Team Edward anymore?

"I'm still Team Edward," Stephanie told MTV News early Friday after catching a midnight screening of "New Moon" in New York. "Die-hard."

The majority of Twi-Hards agreed that no matter how hot Lautner gets, Edward will always have their hearts. But, obviously, Jacob has his supporters too, many of whom were always behind the werewolf, along with some newcomers.

"I was definitely Team Edward, and I'm kind of leaning toward Jacob now," Alyssa said. Another fan added: "Team Jacob. I like the underdog."

At a Thursday "New Moon" screening in New York, Stewart elaborated on Bella's relationship with Edward in the forthcoming films. "I've always backed her up in her devotion to Edward," she said. "And to see that falter will be interesting. ... I'm looking forward to seeing the love triangle actually becoming a problem. We sort of innocently touch on it in 'New Moon,' but it actually becomes something that is very, very real."

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New Moon Wolfcast Alex Meraz Interview

Alex Mera video shows off his Abs.




Meraz got those ripped abs with “pretty hardcore” kettlebell routines created by a trainer who starred as one of the Spartans in action flick “300,” he says. “The best part is that at the end of the training session, he gave us his red underwear from ‘300!’” Meraz adds.

The 24-year-old tells “Extra” that he got really close to the wolfpack while shooting the vampire saga, in theaters Nov. 20.

“I really felt like I created a family,” he says. “Taylor was always fun. We always went bowling and had dinner. The other guys too. We played jokes in between [filming].”

Pranks included sneaking into Kiowa Gordon’s room to wake him up and pretend he was late to set.

“He was nearly in tears, he was so scared,” Meraz says. “We always did things like that to kind of have fun.”

Exclusive: ‘New Moon's' Alex Meraz on Bella's Slap and More

Since The Twilight Saga: New Moon is all about the rise of the werewolf – in the form of its bare-chested, strapping young Quileuete Indian protectors – we seized the chance to speak with the most volatile member of the Wolf Pack. As Paul, newcomer Alex Meraz adds a hot-blooded physicality that leads to one of New Moon's best moments – a surprise showdown in which Bella (Kristen Stewart) finds herself caught between two raging wolves. Find out more about Meraz, the slap heard ‘round the Twi-verse, and how the Native American actor thinks the Twilight films serve the Native American community.

You stand out among the Wolf Pack because of your scene with Bella – the slap heard ‘round the world, so to speak. Tell me how that scene went down.

Alex Meraz: It was exciting. Even just in the casting of it, I just really liked Paul. What happened with the casting process is, we sent in our information and through that they were going to break it down. I sent it in and started reading New Moon while I was waiting and I really liked Paul because of that scene, and I really like bad boys and he's kind of the bad boy of the Wolf Pack. I got the chance to audition and I got that role, saw the script and was blown away by it. I knew it was the first transformation you were going to see in the movie, and it's definitely a scene that stands out. There was pressure to make sure it looked good, but I knew I was in good hands – Chris Weitz is just an amazing director, and Phil Tippett who did the special effects was going to make me look awesome. So it was fun.

What scene did you perform in your audition?

They gave us stuff from the book that wasn't even in the script – there's a kitchen scene at Emily's when we figure out that it's Victoria killing people on the reservation, and that's when we set up a game plan. It was that scene.

You and Kristen have a very adversarial encounter in the slap scene. Do you think that Paul really wants to kill her in that moment?

Yes, definitely! He's compulsive, you know. He kind of goes with the flow, but he's volatile, but not in a "I like to hurt people" way; he's very proud. He has a thick sense of pride, and he really wants to protect the reservation and she's bringing nothing but trouble. So in that scene, I'm thinking in my head, "Do something to make me change, so I can kill you." Just do something, because I'm itching to kill her. She's a nuisance, a problem. That was that way I did it in the scene, and of course she hits me, and that's enough to change me.

Did you and Kristen rehearse that a lot beforehand?

Not at all. We did one rehearsal the day of, said our lines, and we were good! The next day, we shot it and experimented – one time I tried grabbing her throat, which she was not fond of – and we played around with it, the director gave us good stuff to do, and it was what it was.

Did Kristen really hit you in the face?

She started finding a home for that fist on my face. It was getting really close.

There's a nice little moment between you and Kristen again after the fight, when the Wolf Pack has reconvened at Emily's house and you turn to her and say "Sorry," with a bit of a smile.

I improvised that. I asked if I could do something because I felt that something was missing there. A little humor should be added. Luckily, Chris was keen enough to see it from that perspective, and he thought it was great. I'm glad it made it in because it adds another level to my character – not just volatile, but playful.

What can we expect to see from Paul in Eclipse?

There are some cool fight scenes with the Wolf Pack, some CG stuff but I'm looking forward to the fight with Kellan's character, Emmett. There's a little encounter.

Have you read Breaking Dawn?

I have.

How do you feel about the idea of imprinting?

It's crazy! [Laughs] It's a little creepy, but it's interesting. It's very different from the typical werewolf-vampire stories. I think it works; it's what Stephenie Meyer created.

As a Native American actor, how much of a responsibility do you feel to represent indigenous culture respectfully in the Twilight films?

It's about breaking down barriers. Even amongst the native community, there are thousands of tribes; you can't include the Brazilian tribes because they're not Native American. There are so many tribes in Central America, Mexico, Canada… I was just excited that I got an opportunity as a Native Mexican, because my tribe is the Purepecha tribe and there's so much cultural identity there that still exists. It's a different kind of Native American than Hollywood likes to portray. The person on horseback with feathers – not all natives look like that. Clearly, we see that with the Quileute tribe. I was glad that they let real natives portray that, a different mythology.

Do you think the Twilight Saga really serves the Quileute culture?

It serves them in that it takes things from the mythology and their creation story and combines it with fantasy. But it's not completely accurate. Part of their creation story is that they came from wolves, but they can't change back. That's one of the things that the Quileute are protesting. But I think it serves them because it's giving them the spotlight. It informs people of the tribe. Now tons of people are coming to La Push to see people from the Quileute tribe. I think that's great. I've talked to the other Wolf Pack members and we've discussed that we'd like to go to the actual reservation and speak with some of the council members and pay homage. That's kind of the Native way, anyways. You can't just take something, you have to give back as well. So that's something we plan on doing at some point.

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'New Moon' Wolves 'Bring A Warmth' To Film

"Twilight" mastermind Stephenie Meyer describes Rosalie Hale as the most beautiful woman in the world — a tall, statuesque vampire with long, wavy, blond hair and eyes resembling violets. Onscreen, 21-year-old beauty Nikki Reed has lived up to that impossible description, endearing herself to fans even as she further antagonizes their beloved Bella Swan.

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Rounding out a week of Cullen family interviews that has included Jackson Rathbone, Elizabeth Reaser and Kellan Lutz, we caught up with the refreshingly frank actress to talk about the joys of a half-naked Taylor Lautner, rainbow analysis and why she'll never, ever own a Rob Pattinson doll.

MTV: What's the biggest difference, in your personal opinion, between the three "Twilight" books currently being filmed as the "Saga"?

Nikki Reed: The biggest difference? Well, I know the similarities — it's an ongoing love story. I guess the action increases and the excitement and visual stimulation. But I think "New Moon" really revolves around this intense love triangle, and with "Eclipse," it's more heightened.

MTV: What's your favorite scene in "New Moon"?

Reed: Anything that Taylor Lautner is in. Seriously, the kid is — he's not a kid, he's a young man — but he's incredible. And I'm not saying that because he takes his shirt off in every scene. [Laughs.] Seriously, you forget that he's half-naked in every scene, because he is so incredible. He makes this film amazing.

MTV: Tell us about your favorite new character to join the franchise, who wasn't in the original film.

Reed: All of the wolves. They bring a very obvious warmth. To see people actually interacting and wrestling and touching each other and rolling around in the mud and being a bunch of boys? That was a nice addition. Because the vampires are all very ... cold. It sounds super cliché, but there was a lot of interaction, a lot of human interaction [in "New Moon"]. It was nice.

MTV: You guys have known each other for so long. What do you discuss between takes?

Reed: Um, I suppose all kinds of things. We usually talk about rainbows. [Laughs.] That and how tired we are. That seems to be a very common topic: how exhausted we are.

MTV: As the "Saga" has continued filming, do you find yourself becoming more or less like Rosalie?

Reed: I guess the older I get, the more understanding and forgiving I've become. I'm learning how to see people as people and forgive them for their mistakes — and I guess that is unfolding in Rosalie's life as well.

MTV: What do you think is the secret to the enormous success of the "Twilight" series?

Reed: It's a universal love story. The obvious answer is the books, if you're asking why the films are successful. But if you're asking what people are drawn to, I think it's ideas, situations [and] circumstances that are just out of reach, just out of the realm of possibility. I mean, it's not realistic, but it's this whole idea about living forever. People are fascinated by vampires, because it's the one thing we can't [attain]; it's unachievable. Also, the love these two characters have for each other is relatively unhealthy and unrealistic as well. People are fascinated with situations like that.

MTV: There is so much "Twilight" swag out there now. Do you own any?

Reed: "Twilight" memorabilia? No. [Laughs.] I don't have an Edward doll.

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Twilight Watch—Attack of the Wolves, Part Two: Meet Kiowa Gordon

Wolf Day continues. Having posted an interview with Alex Meraz, who plays a lupine Quileute Indian in Twilight: New Moon, earlier today, VF.com brings you an exclusive Q&A with one of the youngest members of the Wolf Pack: Kiowa Gordon. Unlike his cast mates, Kiowa had never acted before this movie. We recently called him at his home of Scotsdale, Arizona—we apologize for waking him up—where he talked about how Twilight author Stephenie Meyer handpicked him for the role, and promised his female fans that it’s O.K. to come closer: he doesn’t bite. (Don’t believe it.)

Little Gold Men: Can you tell us a little bit about your Native American descent?

Kiowa Gordon: Our tribe is called the Hualapai, and we are in Northern Arizona. We sit on top of the Grand Canyon and used to live there [on the reservation] about ten years ago. We take frequent trips back.

New Moon is your first film. What was the casting process like?

They had an open casting call here in Phoenix, and I auditioned. I was going to
church with my mom out in Cave Creek, and Stephenie Meyer goes to church with her. She kind of helped me out on that one.

Did Stephenie suggest you?

Yes, she told production, I think, and got me some sides to do the audition.

So you never acted before this?

No.

Did you want to be an actor?

Definitely.

Did you know anyone in the cast before you started?

No, I just met Alex [Meraz] at the auditions.

How did the wolves come together as a pack?

They got us a personal trainer, and we just went to the workouts and got to know each other. We saw each other’s strengths and pushed each other’s buttons; we really bonded during that time. We’d go out to eat a lot and watch movies …

Which movies?

Anything that we agreed upon! We all like Inglourious Basterds. That was really good.

How would you all get revved up before a scene?

We just took off our robes, put our game faces on, and did what we do best.

So you spent a fair amount of time being topless.

Yeeeeep! It was really freezing when we first got to Vancouver.

What was your favorite scene to shoot?

I call it the “muffin scene.” It’s right after Bella finds out we’re all werewolves, and we take her to Emily’s house while Jacob, Paul, and Sam are off in the woods taking care of some wolf business.

And you eat muffins.

Yeah. A lot.

What kind?

Some weird bran muffins. They didn’t taste so good!

What do you do on set when you have downtime?

I sit and think about what we’re doing that day, think about the scene. I listen to music and try to focus.

What kind of music are you into these days?

This band that Chaske got me into called Phoenix. And also Grizzly Bear.

Did anyone on set take you under their wing or give you any good advice?

Just the Wolf Pack. We all helped each other along and gave each other advice.

Has anyone tried to prepare for what’s coming once the film is out?

They’re trying! They keep telling me that it’s going to be a lot crazier than what I’ve seen. They keep telling me that I can’t go outside of my house. I just think it’s nonsense.

Are people recognizing you already in Arizona?

Sometimes, yeah. They just look away and start laughing and whispering to their friends, but I know what they talk about because I can overhear.

Have you seen the finished film yet?

No. I saw the rough cut with Stephenie a couple of months ago. It was really good. I’m sure it’ll be 100 times better when it comes out.

What’s it been like filming the third installment, Eclipse?

It was a lot more fun being with the guys this time around. We already knew each other, had new stuff to talk about, a new director, and we actually had some scenes with the Cullens [the saga’s main vampire clan].

Do you have any other projects lined up?

In May, I’m going to be filming this new movie called Into the Darkness. It’s a horror thriller.

So, what do you want to say to the fans who are afraid to approach you? The giggling ones.

It’s fine for them to approach me. I’m not going to bite!

Give me one word to describe each actor: Taylor Lautner [“Jacob Black”].

Innocent.

Bronson Pelletier [“Jared”].

[Laughs] Jokester!

Tyson Houseman [“Quil Ateara”].

Smart.

Kristen Stewart [“Bella Swan”].

Edgy.

Gil Birmingham [“Billy Black”].

Papa!

Chaske Spencer [“Sam Uley”].

Leader.

Taylor Lautner: Jacob Black Wolf Transformation Clip

On iTunes has the Exclusive clip of Jacob's New Moon transformation scene



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Twilight Watch—Attack of the Wolves, Part One: Meet Alex Meraz

Alex Meraz, who, judging from the snarling werewolf he plays in the following clip, is not one to take kindly to pestering questions. Luckily for us, he was up for discussing life on set, bonding with his pack-mates at the gym, and exactly what he thinks about each of his fellow wolves. Little Gold Men caught up with Alex on the road—literally—as he was driving through his home state of Arizona.

Little Gold Men: How did you end up getting cast in New Moon?

Alex Meraz: It was pretty conventional. I got a breakdown for an open casting call—they were looking for Native actors—and I submitted my stuff and luckily I got a role. One of the casting directors was kind of the Native American liaison. I had been cast in another one of her films. I sent her my original casting tape. She liked it, but she thought we could do better. So she brought me in to L.A., I gave it a whirl, and I eventually got the role.

Had you seen the first Twilight movie?

No, I hadn't, but after I got the role, I bought a bootlegged version and watched it while I was on set.

What was your favorite scene to shoot?

The cliff diving scene was the most fun because the whole Wolf Pack was there and we were jumping off these 50-foot scaffolding things onto an air mattress. It was pretty exciting to be able to do our own stunts.

You didn't have stunt doubles at all?

No! They were pushing for it, we were pushing against; we wanted to do our own stuff. We had to train for a good two days, eight hours each day just practicing jumping, making sure we were landing safely. On the day [of shooting], we were actually jumping from a green screen cliff but it was actually taller and a little bit more dangerous because there was foliage and grass on top of it—it was a little slippery. We were fine, and it was really fun.

What was it like having to come together and bond as the Wolf Pack?

We were entirely new, and it was a lot easier. We relied on each other to get through everything. There was so much to learn, but it was organic. We spent a lot of time together at the gym, and that's what helped. As far as the original cast from Twilight, they were really cool. We didn't spend much time with them because all of our scenes were really just with the Wolf Pack. It was easy.

Taylor [Lautner] did have some experience from the first film …

His bigger role was coming in New Moon, so he was new to it, too. We kind of all learned together. Taylor's an amazing person. He really knows how to even everything out for himself—the work, the play, the socializing. He's a really smart guy. I look at him as being a little man.

What did you do during your downtime on the set?

We showed each other exercises. Taylor would show some of his workout, I would show some of mine. We'd practice martial arts tricks … just goof off! We had a great time. That's part of what our characters were like anyway. We're supposed to be frisky, friendly—like brothers. I think everyone on set was affected by it because they were always looking forward to the days when the Wolf Pack would film … everyone was really excited. They knew we were going to bring a different kind of energy.

Did you receive any guidance from any of the other actors on set?

At that point, you've got yourself a job. There's nothing that anyone else is really going to teach you. I didn't have anyone holding my hand when I did the audition. What I did to get the job is what I had to do on film. In terms of everything else that was coming with that, with the fame and all of that stuff, [director] Chris Weitz and Kristen [Stewart] had the best advice to give me.

Can you say what that was?

Not really. It was between me and them.

Fair enough. Well, have you seen the finished film?

Just scenes.

Are you going to see it with the wolves?

At this point, I don't think that's going to happen. That's what they promised us, though. [Laughs]

What was it like filming the third installment, Eclipse?

It was no pressure. The pressure was doing the job on the first one, trying to understand the character. On this one, I felt a little bit more comfortable with what I was doing. I already knew the cast, so it was a lot easier.

Has much changed since you've started filming the Twilight movies?

Well, I've got a lot more family members now! [Laughs] I don't know, people say after the movie opens things are really going to change. I'm getting a lot of meetings with really great directors and producers—people I really admire. It's a really good gig to have. The fans are amazing. They're really the ones that are changing everything for each actor.

You have thousands of Twitter followers …

I know! It's only been like a week and a half since I got my Twitter [account]! It's pretty cool. For the first week, no one believed it was me, so I had to put a picture of me holding my name. It looked like a mug shot! It was pretty ridiculous, but it's really cool knowing you have really enthusiastic fans that want to hear about what you do on a day-to-day basis.

What is it like now having all of this crazy press attention?

I've been doing a lot more interviews. I was a little more intimidated by it all about four months ago when I finished wrapping New Moon, but I've been doing smaller interviews and going to red-carpet premieres and things like that. I've gotten used to it; I call it my new "norm." But a few months ago I was pretty terrified. It was shocking to me. Now it's part of what I have to do. This franchise demands it. I had to do classes—P.R. classes—just recently. That kind of strengthened all that! I just try to have fun and be myself.

Are you up for some wordplay? Please give me one word that describes some of the New Moon actors starting with the Wolf Pack. OK, Bronson Pelletier [who plays “Jared”] …

Aw, man. [Laughs] Jokester!

Kiowa Gordon [aka “Embry Call”].

Bewilderment. [Laughs] He's always thrust in these crazy situations that … he's pretty young. At 19, I didn't have these crazy things. I mean, I'm 24—I consider myself a man. I have a wife, a son, and I've had some practical life experience. This kid just got thrown into it, so it's new to him. To me he always has this bewilderment about him.

Tyson Houseman [“Quil Ateara”].

He'll know what this means. Vespa. Scooter.

Taylor Lautner [“Jacob Black”]

Taylor! Loyal.

Gil Birmingham [“Billy Black”].

One word is really hard. I would say … intuitive.

Chaske Spencer [“Sam Uley”].

Aw man, love him. Wisdom.

Kristen Stewart [“Bella Swan”].

Aw, she's awesome. I would say badass.

Rob Pattinson [“Edward Cullen’].

Patient.

Source

Competing for Bella

We caught up with New Moon star Taylor Lautner to discuss his work on the latest installment in the Twilight series.

Seventeen-year-old Taylor Lautner is the youngest star in Twilight's fantastical love triangle, but he's an old pro at discipline. At 11, he was the top ranked global champion in four styles of karate; at 12, he won the Junior World Championship. The next year, Robert Rodriguez [Spy Kids, Sin City] cast him as the kiddie action hero in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D, followed up right after with playing one of the brood in Steve Martin's Cheaper by the Dozen 2. As Twilight's Jacob—the Quileute Indian high-schooler who learns how to transform into a werewolf just as his classmates learn to shave—Lautner was launched into international stardom, and the most surprising thing about it is the young athlete was first considered too scrawny to make the transition to the brawnier, more action-packed sequel, New Moon. One year and thirty pounds of muscle later (every ounce of which was breathlessly detailed on fansites), Lautner's on the cover of magazines, he's featured prominently on New Moon's poster and, true to form, the young actor is already hard at work on the third installment in the series, 2010's Eclipse. Though he's hardly had a break since he first entered the dojo as a first-grader, Lautner's in high spirits, laughing his way through an interview where he tells BOXOFFICE about his secret love for romantic comedies and whether he'd ever date a fan.

If the last two books in the series hadn't already been written, what do you think Jacob should do to win over Bella?

I don't think he would have changed anything, and I don't think he should change anything. Jacob and Edward are extremely different guys and it's just whether you want one guy or another. Jacob is himself, and he has a relationship with Bella that Edward doesn't. And Edward has a relationship with Bella that Jacob doesn't. So I wouldn't change a thing.

As an actor, how do you make the audience root for Jacob and get invested in his feelings when the outcome of the love triangle is already known?

Well, you try and take things one step at a time. When I'm filming New Moon, I'm not thinking about Eclipse. When I'm filming Eclipse, I'm not thinking about Breaking Dawn. We just have to focus on the movie that we're doing.

What is it like for your family and friends to see people scream at pictures of you topless?

[Laughs] It's weird. It's embarrassing for me, and I'm sure it's awkward for all of them.

Have you gotten teased about it at family dinners?

Not yet, and I'm hoping that doesn't happen because I'll start blushing.

You came into acting from karate. Do they overlap—they seem to share the need for focus and concentration.

It's a lot of hard work. That's probably the most I got out of karate: it was a lot of work. A lot of training. And you need that for everything in life.

It's helped you take on these physical roles with Twilight and the Robert Rodriguez film.

Absolutely. And I love action, so it definitely helps with that.

Everybody has been talking about the muscle that you've put on. The furor around actors and their weight changes is something you usually see happen with older actors who are more established. You're 17—what is that like to have people paying so much attention to your biceps?

It's different. It was all for the job, and that's all. I knew that Jacob was going to transform not only mentally, but physically as well, from Twilight to New Moon, and I wanted to be able to portray him correctly for all the fans. That was my motivation. It was a lot of hard work, though.

Does your old karate coach wish you had that much muscle on you back when you were still competing?

I probably wouldn't have been as flexible, so it wouldn't have worked out that well. He's probably thankful.

What do you like about playing Jacob?

I love Jacob and Bella's relationship. It's very different from Edward and Bella's. Jacob and Bella start off as really good friends. They become best friends—they can tell each other anything, they do whatever together, ride motorcycles. I love that. And then their relationship starts growing into more and more, and you wonder if they're going to go past friends. I love being able to do that. And work with an amazing actress, Kristen Stewart, and all of the help around us, our director Chris Weitz, the whole crew. It's a lot of fun.

What will draw guys your age to New Moon?

There's a lot more action than Twilight. It's more exciting—it has werewolves and vampires, which creates fights because they don't get along. Not only does the action step up, but the whole story line does as well. Now there's a third person involved.

It's been years since we've had a good werewolf film—it's been vampires, then zombies, then vampires again. What's awesome about werewolves?

They're different. Werewolves are extremely strong, which is cool. But it's a bummer because I don't actually get to play my werewolf. It's full-blown CGI; it's either me or a CGI werewolf. So that's a bummer, but I know they're going to look awesome in the film. I'm excited to see it.

That wolfness—do you have to bring that animal movement in your human performance?

The only difference is in New Moon, I play pre-transformation Jacob, and post. He doesn't transform into a werewolf until halfway through the film. For pre-transformation, the books describe Jacob as clumsy. He trips over his own feet—he's a kid. And as soon as he transforms, he all of a sudden because extremely agile. There's several scenes that show his new agility, so that was the biggest thing I had to bring out.

Not to jump ahead too much, but Jacob's love life takes a turn in the fourth book that I think might be hard to translate to people who haven't read the series. Do you have any thoughts on how to handle his 'imprinting' on Bella's daughter?

I'm sure it would be different. It was definitely a surprise for me when I read the book. But we're just trying to take it one movie at a time, and nothings been confirmed yet on the fourth, so we're just staying focused on Eclipse at the moment.

What is your favorite thing to do while shooting a movie?

I always carry a football around with me, and there's a lot of people on set between the crew and the cast who like to play, so I'm always throwing the football around and that keeps me entertained.

Whose career do you want to have?

I've always loved Matt Damon. I love the Bourne series. Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington. But I'd also like to change things up. Not only do I like the action movies, the drama movies that all three of those actors do, I'd also love to challenge myself with different roles. Romantic comedies—I think the best examples would be Gerard Butler, Ryan Reynolds.

Ryan Reynolds has been so under-appreciated—he's amazing.

Definitely.

Tell me then about working with Garry Marshall [Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride] for Valentine's Day.

It was awesome. I was so glad I got to do that before I went back and filmed Eclipse. Working with Garry—that's a once in a lifetime thing. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to see it when it comes out in February.

When it comes to romantic comedies, he's the king. If you wanted to get into them, there you are already.

Absolutely. I know—I couldn't have asked for more.

Are you romancing the other Taylor, Taylor Swift, in it?

Yes, in the movie. Which was a lot of fun.

Did you heart break for her when Kanye jumped in during the video music awards?

Yeah. It was...unfortunate.

What is a movie you love that you're embarrassed to admit?

The Notebook. I don't think I should be embarrassed to admit it though—it's a great movie. I'm not embarrassed. I'm saying it proudly.

One of the things I think is interesting about Jacob is he's an American Indian character put out there as this gorgeous romantic lead. The last time I can remember that happening, Daniel Day-Lewis or Kevin Costner were involved.

You know, I really haven't thought of it like that, so that's interesting? Thinking about that, yeah, it goes back to Last of the Mohicans.

You have some heritage yourself from your mother's side?

I'm mainly Dutch, German and French. That's pretty much who I am.

I heard there was also some Ottawa and Potawatomi?

We have no idea how much there is—it's in my far distant background.

Fair enough. I'm Dutch as well, so way to represent us—we don't get enough credit either.

Gotcha!

Would you ever date a fan?

I don't exclude anyone...

What has that been like, dealing with the fan experience?

All I can say is it's mind-blowing. I, myself—and nobody else—ever expected it, so it's incredible to have the support and the passion of the fans behind us. We're so thankful because we wouldn't be here today on movie number three in Vancouver if it wasn't for them. They're amazing.

I saw that you have two books written about you on Amazon.

Are you serious?!

One is an unauthorized biography and the other is a 94-page picture book.

Oh my. I guess if it's unauthorized, then you can't believe anything. Don't believe anything you hear—or read.

People could say that you're half-alien, half-prince.

And everyone would be believing it. That would not be good. It's different. This whole franchise is unlike anything else. Which is a good thing, it's awesome.

Do you avoid Googling yourself?

Absolutely. That would not be good if I did that. Definitely try to stay away from that or it could get in your head.

Are you parents doing anything to try to keep your life in check? 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's millions of girls screaming, but you're still a normal kid?'

Absolutely. I'm hoping it doesn't take too much work. I feel the exact same—I'm the same person as before. It's just a completely different world. I have my world, and then I have Twilight world.

Source

New Moon Sneak Peek: Howls for the Hunk

Taylor Lautner may play a werewolf in the Twilight sequel New Moon, but he'd better prepare for some catcalls!

In a photo from The Twilight Saga: New Moon: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion, a bulked-up Lautner, who plays Jacob Black, shows off his muscles while trying to win the affection of lovelorn Bella (Kristen Stewart), still reeling from her breakup with vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson).

For hungry fanpires counting the days till New Moon's Nov. 20 release, the tie-in book might prove the perfect thirst quencher. Due in stores on Oct. 6, it's filled with behind-the-scenes photos and tales from the film's cast and crew, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the making of New Moon.

Click Here to view more Behind he Scene Photos.

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New 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' Stills

Summit Entertainment has just newly released outdoor poster artwork for New Moon!


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Weitz Talks 'New Moon'

It started with a pie. Once Chris Weitz and brother Paul deflowered the dessert in 1999's American Pie, they became two of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. Though he was barely out of his twenties, Chris Weitz was smart enough not to squander the opportunity, and instead of signing on to keep the sequels coming (seven, counting the straight-to-DVD installments), he held out to direct more literally adult fare like Chris Rock's Down to Earth and About a Boy, the Hugh Grant-led adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel. Weitz invested the next several years in his passion project—the big budget fantasy film The Golden Compass—but the film's irreligious subtext coupled with Weitz's high ambitions and the studio's anxiety doomed the American release. Though worldwide grosses of $372 million justified the estimated $180 million budget, its comparatively small US take left everyone involved backing away from what had once considered a surefire franchise. But with The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Weitz has taken the reins of another hit franchise, and he's certain to steer this one to box office success. Weitz talks to BOXOFFICE about the power of break-up stories and his family's gratitude to vampires—a lineage that stretches back to his grandparents.

How do you direct a film when everyone knows the story and ending?

In a way, that's an advantage. That people know and love the book means that people know and want to see the movie, which is what you hope for when you're making a film. It's a fine balance between being as faithful as possible to the spirit of the book, and bringing changes. I regard myself as fan as much as any other, and the way that I see the book in my head is just like any other fan's ability, except that I happen to have tens of millions of dollars at my disposal to realize that vision. One hopes that it's a strong enough envisioning of the book that people will be amused and entertained and excited even though they know how things are going to end.

One of my favorite New Moon conspiracy theories is that the producers are ordering Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson to keep their love hidden because it will affect the way people will perceive the story, even though the story is already known even until the next two books.

The fans know what the Volturi look like or what Taylor Lautner as Jacob's amazing bod is going to look like—the producers know these things are big points of curiosity about whether we've been able to be faithful to people's notions. And they want to parse these things out over time. [Laughs] It is a conspiracy, but the conspiracy is called marketing.

There are so many films about vampires, vampire romances, teenage romances—what is it about Twilight's love triangle that's catalyzed this phenomenon?

To me, it has a lot less to do with vampires and werewolves than with readily identifiable emotional situations. Bella has a choice between the loving friend who's nearby and the distant, unattainable object of her affections. That's a pretty common scenario, and unfortunately also, so is being dumped. I know I've experienced it—pretty much anybody except the incredibly lucky has experienced it—and the supernatural element of things just allows for a degree of wish fulfillment. We can play out these scenarios on a grand scale. When you get broken up with, you'd like to think that if you just did something brave enough, something amazing enough, you could rescue the relationship that's been broken. And you would like to think that the person who's left you has left you for your own good against their heart. That's usually not the case, but in New Moon it happens to be, so that's a lovely way to fulfill one's wishes. A great thing that Summit as a studio understands is that there are dark places that the movie has to go in order for it all to work. They're not afraid of the angst and the sorrow that's in the book. In a way, the film can be kind of a throwback to weepies as well as very cutting edge in terms of visual effects.

It's got this operatic tone that's like soma for anyone with a broken heart.

We're probably going to put out one of the greatest breakup mix albums of all time on the soundtrack. Alexandre Desplat doing the music means there's this sense of French Romanticism that goes back to Alexandre's mentor Maurice Jarre and everything he did for David Lean's movies—going back to Debussy and Ravel and that kind of stuff. There is a lot of luxuriating in the emotionalism of the piece. I think I'm probably now supposed to add at this point that there's great stuff for guys as well. But leave that aside for the moment.

You talked a minute ago about Pattinson being an 'unattainable male.' We always see stories about men pursuing a woman. It's rare to see stories where a woman really pursues a man, and when you do, it's usually handled like All About Steve, where it teeters into comic stalking.

Farce.

Exactly. You always hear about the male gaze in films, but this seems to have such a strong female gaze. One of the prerequisites is how many times Pattinson and Lautner take off their shirts.

It's there in the script, and that's one for the ladies, really. Women have been objectified plenty in Hollywood films. And there's still sort of a chasteness to the objectification in Twilight and New Moon. One approaches it hopefully with a bit of tact—not just an exercise in beefcake peddling. You hope when you're shooting any kind of above-the-waist nudity that it suits the demand of the moment, it isn't just in there for the hell of it. That being said, I think we did come to Comic-Con with a lot of muscles and it was really fun to see the reaction to it. I've tried to make films that take into account the female members of the audience. Even American Pie, which comes from a genre that is notoriously misogynist.

I would agree with that. In American Pie, you make a point to show the girl's side of why she would or wouldn't do it on Prom Night—it was fair.

We were trying to say, too, that they were really in control of the scenario, and the guys were more or less hopeless schlubs just trying to navigate these waters. The girls were in control of what happened when.

American Pie—like Twilight—was one of those films that made stars of everyone in the cast. This time around, do you find yourself wanting to give this new generation career or life advice?

I don't particularly feel qualified because I'm not in their situation. I don't have to deal with that fame; I'm able to turn it on or off—or rather, the publicity department is able to turn it on and off. I don’t walk around and get recognized. I'm recognized in inverse proportion to my nearness to Rob. There's some kind of equation I could work out. Basically if I'm within 50 yards of Rob, I matter. If not, I just don't. I think that they don't really need my advice because they are determined to remain true to their own life, in spite of anything that might turn their heads. That's the only advice I could give them: that they stay the clever and decent people who they already are. And I don't think they're manifesting any problems in that regard.

I heard that the on-set experience has been like living in A Hard Days Night.

It was like that in Italy. Although it wasn't so much running and chasing. I'd compare it more to The Birds. You look around and then there's suddenly ten girls over there. And then there's 20. Then 30, then 40. And then suddenly the street you're intending to walk down to get to your next location or lunch is just blocked and there's no way to get through. Or you will get through, but it'll take you hours because you'll take pictures and sign autographs. Which is fair enough because they've come all this way and they're really the reason that we're there. Or you'll have to be a real meanie and just run past. I've developed a preoccupied look that sometimes works. I try to seem as though there's something going really badly at a different location, and sometimes that gets me out of situations.

Have there been any crazy fan experiences?

The crazy thing has been how extraordinarily supportive, friendly and enthusiastic people are. They really want this to be done right, but they're not hyper-critical. There's a degree of good faith between the people making the movie and the people who want to see it, and we are innocent until proven guilty. And that's great because that's not always the case with fan boys. I did encounter this Italian girl in Montepulciano who then appeared in Vancouver who speaks impeccable English. That's one of the reasons I recognized her. She came up to me and said, 'Do you remember me?' and I said yes, I did. And then her mom was there and I sort of wanted to ask her mom what else she and her kid were up to because it seemed like she should be in school, but it's really not my place.

Which other book would you love to film?

To be honest, I would love to film The Golden Compass. I would love to have been allowed to do my own cut of The Golden Compass because I did film that book and there could be a real version of it, but it would cost millions of dollars to complete with the special effects. The cut was taken away from me and that was a devastating experience. That's the other book that I would like to film. I wouldn't have the strength to go through another three years to do it, but it is a great shame that the fear of the ideas in the book led the studio to do a version which I think caused its own downfall.

It was a beautiful film, the look of it.

It's a good-looking film. And there are moments where it's precisely the way I wanted it to look or to feel. But it's been put through a blender so that the interesting ideas that it had in it and the real emotional heft of the story was lost. And that's a shame because I take very seriously my responsibilities to an author in trying to represent their vision on film. Failing Philip Pullman in that regard is a big sadness for me because he's one of the authors I most admire in the world.

Between the author and the studio, that can be a lot of weight.

It is, and I have to say that Summit understands that the fans want to see the book in the film, not just a popcorn movie.

It's almost a safety net, having that many people know the book already very well, more than American audiences knew The Golden Compass.

Yes, American audiences weren't that familiar with The Golden Compass. Once you start monkeying around with the plot and characters and key concepts in the film, you really lose what made the book appeal to anyone in the first place. If you take the example of The Lord of the Rings, it wasn't that it made everybody into a geek overnight. People were able to see what had been great about it in the first place, and the adherence to story and character really paid off, even though a lot of people went to see it who hadn't read Lord of the Rings in the first place and didn't know anything else.

What can you tell me about The Game, the film adaptation of the Neil Strauss guide to picking up women?

I can tell you that Rawson Thurber [director of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story] is going to direct it, and that he is rewriting it now. It's an attempt to walk a very fine line with a project like this. It has things to say about the relationships between men and women and it could be perceived as misogynistic or as a textbook in how to manipulate women. But it's really not about that—it's about the weaknesses of men and women more than anything else.

And your brother Paul also has a high school vampire movie coming out?

He does. That was not planned at all. It's very funny. A week before I was offered New Moon, I was wondering why there were so many vampire movies around. Paul had wanted to indulge a long-standing love of the grotesque, which the Cirque du Freak series allowed with its visuals and that sort of perversity—not perversion, but perversity—of the books and the script. It's a funny coincidence. Actually, if you want to take it one step further, my grandmother was a silent film actress in the Mexican version of Dracula. They shot it on the same sets as the Todd Browning version, but they started shooting at midnight. My grandfather, who was a producer for Universal at the time, was courting my grandmother, and when talkies came out, there were no parts for women with strong Mexican accents. He convinced Carl Laemmle at Universal that you could make a profit by using the same sets during the night and making Spanish-language versions of the same film. Hence, the Spanish Dracula. It's a film geek delight to compare the Todd Browning version to the Mexican version.

And if your grandfather hadn't done that, you might not exist.

This is true. If it weren't for vampires...

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Taylor Lautner: Robert Pattinson Doesn't Need Workout Advice

'He definitely doesn't need any pointers at all," Lautner joked about the actors' shirtless appearances in 'New Moon.'

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Before Lautner headed into the show though, he stopped to speak to MTV News about the trailer, which features him shirtless much of the time.

"I think they might start crying," he guessed about what he thought might be the fans' reaction to seeing him as werewolf Jacob Black running around with his wolf pack.

But Lautner isn't the only one Twilighters got an eyeful of in the trailer — Robert Pattinson also appears sans shirt. And Lautner insists that if the two were to compete in some kind of shirt-off, the competition would be stiff. "I don't know [who would win]. Rob, he's getting some muscle," he explained. "There's some good competition."

Lautner famously had to pack on the muscle to reprise his role as Jacob. So we wondered if Pattinson has been seeking advice from him on how to bulk up. "No, he definitely doesn't need any pointers at all," Lautner joked. "He's got it covered."

In addition to talking about all things "New Moon" trailer, Lautner opened up about what it's been like on-set for the movie's sequel, "Eclipse." "Yes it's a lot of fun," he said. "I think we're, like, a month in, so it's exciting to be back with our new director David Slade and back with the whole team again."

Slade is the third director to helm a "Twilight" flick, and Lautner admits that he's got a whole new dark take on the saga. "It's been good. He's a lot different, but I think he's going to add a cool taste to the movie," he explained. "It might be a little darker."

And Lautner thinks Slade will take the action in this flick, which involves a lot of battling, to the next step. "I feel like the action level is stepping up each and every film. 'New Moon' definitely has a lot more [action] than 'Twilight,' and I feel like Eclipse is bumping it up another level," the actor said.

Sure, Lautner is cool with the films going in that direction. But he's not so cool with the fact that he doesn't get to partake in that action as much as he would like in "Eclipse." "We're at war the whole time or most of the time. I think it's going to be pretty good but it's a bummer 'cause I'm a wolf the whole time, so it's not actually me getting to do my action. ... But you'll be able to see the cute fuzzy wolf."

And what does he think of that wolf? Well, that jury of one is still out. "I'm not sure yet! I think I've got to watch it a couple more times," he joked.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: New Moon Star Chaske Spencer Reveals Wolf Pack Tattoo Secret (part 2)

Radar: When you first booked the role how long did you have to keep it under wraps?

Spencer: Oh my God, maybe about a month and a month a half. I didn't tell anybody.

Read part one of our exclusive interview with Chaske Spencer

Radar: Was it hard?

Spencer: It was hard. It was really hard because I told my friends I got booked on a pilot so I would have an excuse to go to Vancouver. I told them yeah, I booked a pilot and I'll be up there for a little while. I told my parents the same thing.

Radar: You didn't even tell your parents?

Spencer: No, I didn't tell my parents at all. I didn't tell anybody. I kept it pretty close. It was really cool, I guess that's how the guys in the Wolf Pack really bonded, because we couldn't tell anyone so we just talked about it amongst ourselves. All the excitement and what we're going through, the workout. I guess that's how we bonded, the workouts and plus it's like a brotherhood of secrecy, so we had to keep this big secret and we just talked. It was good to vent to one and other and bounce ideas off each other. It was really hard, it was really hard. The paparazzi got us in a restaurant, they took our picture with Chris Weitz and Taylor. Then about a few days later it came out and I got to tell all of my friends. They were like whoa, man, what's up Spence, why didn't you say anything? My mom and dad, they were just excited.

Radar: You are a member of the Sioux Nation?

Spencer: I'm Lakota Sioux.

Radar: Being a member of a First Nation do you feel like that helped you bring a lot of depth to the character?

Spencer: Yes, yes I do. Of course, it's written for First Nation people or Native Americans or American Indians, whatever the new pc word is. It helped out a lot. But then again, the way the book is written isn't a stereotypical Native role. That's what I found really interesting about the Twilight series is that it could have been anybody. It just happened to be Natives and I like that, I really like that how she took a contemporary outlook on these characters. It was really a breath of fresh air for all of us, the Native actors. We've been trudging away in films, TV and theater and we can do other roles, we have done other roles that weren't designed for Native people but no one has ever seen them. When we got to this is was so nice to not put on the feather and the leather and the buck skin. There's nothing wrong with that, I take pride in the roles I've played but it was just a breath of fresh air to say that yes we could play these contemporary roles. It was so nice to cut the hair too, yes we can do other things, look at us, and we're a pretty good talented group.

Radar: How is your on screen chemistry with Tinsel Korey?

Spencer: She's a sweet heart, I love that girl. What we did was we went out for coffee and we talked to build some chemistry to sit and get to know one and other. When we got to filming it went really well, it went really easy. Of course, you meet someone and the next day you're kissing them. It's a weird profession. You can't fake it. She's one of my really good friends, I call her up. I can put her on my top five actually. I text Alex and Kiowa, we talk to each other because we're all going through this together. Tinsel I like her because I can talk to her in ways that I can't talk to the other guys. It's almost like we are becoming that family in the book. Tinsel is a good actress and a talented, talented woman. I like her music. We would just hang out and talk, go to dinner, shoot the breeze.

Radar: What about the first time you saw Tinsel with the scar? How did you feel about that?

Spencer: She's a really beautiful woman and when you put that scar it just adds this depth to her. It's horrendous; they did a really good job. It really ads so much to her character, because you really look inside her eyes and you can see the beauty inside her eyes, and that's what she brings to Emily. So when we did the scene it was just magic happening there that hopefully the audience will see. She really brought a lot and the scar helped out.

Radar: Tinsel had said that Kristen was really shocked by the scar, what was it like to film with the whole group, Kristen and Taylor?

Spencer: It was really good. Everyone has a different way of working; I learned that a long time ago. Kristen is an old pro, she's been working since she was a child. She comes ready to go. She's got her character down; she knows what she wants to do. She's very open to ideas as well. She's ready to play. Taylor is the same way, he's been working since he was a kid as well. I have a hard time thinking him of a kid, because he's got that man body, but he still has that baby face. The thing is they're both good people, that's what I love about them. They're both egoless. We did a scene in Emily's home and Kristen got all her scenes done and she stayed. She stayed for us to do all our close ups. You don't have to stay, you can get a stand in to come in and say all your lines but she stayed the whole time. And it was a long day. So that shows what kind of integrity and what a trooper she is. I really tip my hat to her on that. Taylor is working, when he's not doing his scene he's getting his muscles pumped, with all of us, we're all doing push ups between scenes. Those two, I like working with them, they come in they're ready to go, but they also know when to have a good time. They keep it light on the set as well, which is really good for an actor, you have to stay relaxed on set.

Radar: Who is the funniest on the set?

Spencer: I'd say Bronson. Bronson is funny, I like him. He can crack some jokes. He has a quick wit about him which we all love.

Radar: You've worked with Gil before, how is your relationship with him?

Spencer: Gil's my brother. I was very happy to be working with him again. Out of the whole cast I'm pretty close to Gil. We worked several projects together, actually all of the projects I've done have been with him. It was very top secret when I was getting this role. He didn't know when I was cast but he was very happy. We go out to dinner; we can talk about what's going on. He gives me advice, I love the guy, he's like my older brother. One of the nicest men you'll ever meet. I like working with him. He'll be there for me. In New Moon we just bounce stuff off each other and I'm very excited to work with him again.

Radar: What was your favorite scene in New Moon?

Spencer: I know people are going to read things into this, but I like the scene going into Emily's place, it really shows the characters of all of us in that scene. Kissing Tinsel Korey, it's not a bad job to kiss a beautiful woman. I've had bad jobs before, I was a bartender I was a garbage man, I've had bad jobs. This is the easiest job in the world.

Radar: We are friends with a fansite and Lorabelle from Twicrackaddict.blogspot.com wanted to ask you question - What do you think about the wolf-pack tattoo - and do you know whether it's meant to be a "birth mark" kind of thing - especially considering the wolves heal and so might not technically be able to be tattoood once they've transformed?

Spencer: Wow, what a great fan! Hello to Lorabelle at Twicrackaddict! That is a deep question and I never thought about it! I learn something new every day! I've read the books, where did that tattoo come from? We're all talking after the film is over the Wolf pack might get tattoos. We all have tattoos, they're addicting. It would be nice to take off to a tattoo parlor after the installment is over. We talk about it. I really like the tattoo, if you really look at the design it's two wolves. Maybe it's an imprint? Maybe it's an imprint of the wolf god, the one that was a shape shifter in ancient times.

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XCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: New Moon Star Chaske Spencer on His Competition With RPattz

As the tension between the vampires and the werewolves builds in the Twilight Saga, a pivotal character in the series is Sam Uley, the La Push Shape Shifter and the alpha leader of the werewolves pack.

Chaske Spencer played Sam in New Moon and RadarOnline.com exclusively caught up with him before he starts filming Eclipse next week in Vancouver. In part one of the interview we tried to find out everything there is to know about Chaske, his incredible new buff body and his competition with Rob Pattinson!

Radar: Have you started filming Eclipse yet?
Spencer: No, I leave Sunday.

Radar: Are you excited?
Spencer: Yeah, I am, I’m excited to get back to work. I like to work so it’s kind of like waiting around getting ready to get back into the game.

Radar: Hurry up and do nothing until you get started?
Spencer: Yeah, I’ve been going to the gym and hanging out with friends, and going to rock show, because when I was up there last time filming New Moon I was up there for a while so in my down time I try to make sure I stay relaxed.

Radar: I understand that Chris Weitz said for the last movie you guys did Wolf Camp? Tell me about that?
Spencer: Yeah, I like the choice of words, Wolf Camp. It was like a basic training. I had been going to the gym before I went up to Vancouver and just to keep in shape I go to the gym regularly but when we got there it was a whole different beast all together. They got us a trainer, and he had helped out the actors in 300 get in shape. It was really cool, me and the other guys, the wolf guys, we were pretty jacked that we were working out with the guy who was affiliated with 300. I think we were more excited about that than anything else. So what they did is he threw us into circuit training and muscle confusion workouts and we hit it pretty hard for about an hour and hour and a half. First thing in the morning that’s what we’d do. And then we just eat all day. It’s pretty much four to six meals a day plus three to four protein shakes a day as well.

Radar: What about when you’re done filming?
Spencer: I took like a week to eat anything I wanted and then I just traveled to clear my head and took my own road trips. I got back to the gym and continued to work out. It’s different though, my workouts are not like his. Not like the Wolf Camp workout.

Radar: Have you been in Wolf Camp workout for Eclipse? When will that start?
Spencer: I don’t know. I have no idea what’s going to happen until I get up there. They pretty much keep people on a need to know basis. So when I get up there I’ll find out what’s going to happen. It’s a very tight security. Security is pretty tight on this production. Which I understand.

Radar: I know quite a few years ago you actually played Dracula, so what do you like better, vampires or werewolves?
Spencer: You know, I really like the werewolf. There are positive things about both characters. I like the werewolf because I’ve gained some weight; I’ve put on 20 lbs of muscle! When I came back from shooting New Moon my friends said, my God, you’ve just gone gigantour! I like that. It’s good to look at your arm and say, wow, that’s mine! Sometimes I don’t even know what to do with my own body; I’m like a 13 year old kid who just went through a growth spurt.

Radar: Do you spend all of your time staring at yourself in front of the mirror?
Spencer: You should see us on set! It’s so bad! We’re shirtless throughout most of the movie and we’re constantly doing the push ups and the sit ups between takes. We look in the mirror and say, ok, I can probably work THIS a little bit more, maybe 50 more crunches, I can loose that, I look at my bicep and check out Taylor ’s. It’s funny, it’s really funny. The other cast members laugh at us, it’s pretty hilarious. I’ve never been so body conscious until I landed this role. As for a vampire, you know I like the fact that the vampire is very mysterious; they’ve got that skinny rock star thing going on. I remember when I was a kid I read all the Anne Rice books and she romanticized the vampire and I though those were really good. So when I got the Dracula role it was my first role in New York City and I thought I was really cool and I went all out with the monologue, I lost weight, I had a good time. No one came to see it! It was very humbling, I was 22, and there were pin drops. But I really honed my craft and I think that is what theater is all about. You have to show up and be present. In film you can always do another take, and you can do a scene several different ways. In theater you can take risks and I like doing that, that’s what life is about, taking risks.

Radar: You said that you like that the vampire is the cool skinny guy. Rob is basically the only guy in the show that isn’t working out in between scenes because he’s not buffing up, right?
Spencer: No, actually he was training with us.

Radar: Did he go to Wolf Camp?
Spencer: No, he did Vampire Camp! I don’t know what his workout regimen was but he would show up before or after us because we were on two different shooting schedules during New Moon and most of the vampires, I met them for dinner once but then boom, we all went our separate ways to work. I would hear the trainer say oh Rob lifted this much weight, and I’d say really?

Radar: Would you want to lift more than Rob?
Spencer: Yes! There was this competition one day we went into the gym, we have this rowing machine and I really busted my ass and I got a high record on it and I was like, yeah, beat that! Because the wolves are really competitive with each other in the gym. Then the next day I came in and Rob beat me by four seconds! Then filming was done and I never got to go back and try to up that.

Radar: Is that the first things you’re doing on Sunday when you get there?
Spencer: I hope so! I’m going to go row that and see if I can beat his record. Rob would come in either before or after us. I like that, I like that we’re separated from them, it builds the tension. You’ll see the chemistry on screen. I think that’s why they kept us wolves together, because the chemistry will come out on screen, you can’t fake that. Same with the vampires, when we’re on screen with them you’ll see the chemistry – we’re supposed to be competitive against them, resent them for who they are as vampires. I think that will come across. But we don’t resent them in real life. They’re really nice. That’s what I love about the cast, they’re really nice, everyone comes to play They’re ready to work, they’re good people It’s one of the cool things about this production, I don’t think anyone really expected it to be this big of a hit so we’re all just wide eyed and wow. They’re really good people.

Radar: What is your favorite thing about working on New Moon?
Spencer: My trainer. I know this sounds so bad and so vain, but the trainer actually has changed my life. I go to the gym a lot more, I watch what I eat, it’s changed my whole lifestyle. After we wrapped I shook the hand of the trainer and I thanked him so much because it actually changed my life. I’m more active now; I want to go do things. I want to do some mountain climbing, I want to run a marathon, and it’s just opened up a whole new door in my life. I’m really thankful for that.

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