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.

Source

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



Source

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

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.

Source

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.

Source

'New Moon' Actor Kiowa Gordon Reveals How To Tell The Wolves Apart

'We all have our own colors,' the 'Twilight' rookie says of his wolf pack brothers.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Our vote for breakout beefcake is Kiowa Gordon, the Hollywood newcomer who portrays Embry Call in the upcoming films. Smart, friendly and a big fan of Stephenie Meyer's work, he's the guy who spilled the beans on the "muffin scene." , Gordon returns with more delicious "New Moon" details about his native heritage, tattooing the fans and how you can tell the wolves apart.

MTV: You and the other wolves are new to the "Twilight" series. Did you look to Taylor for inspiration, since he'd already been through a movie?

Kiowa Gordon: Yeah. And he's really buff, so we look to that too. [Laughs.]

MTV: You looked to his buffness for inspiration? We've seen you guys without your shirts on, so obviously it helped.

Gordon: Yeah, well, when we showed up, they were like, "We got you a personal trainer. You guys are gonna train hard!" And so we were like, "Sweet, we get to work out!" And it was really fun.

MTV: Now that filming is done, how do you think "New Moon" is going to turn out, particularly your scenes?

Gordon: Well, our scenes were the most fun, I think, out of the whole movie, probably. I'm looking forward to seeing it in completion, because it looks great from what I've seen — all the photos, everything looks awesome.

MTV: The "Twilight" series has done a good job so far of hiring actual Native American actors to play the Quileute tribe. Can you tell us about your background?

Gordon: I am Hualapai. We are located in Northern Arizona, at the Grand Canyon. We own the Skywalk area. When I was growing up, my mom tried teaching us [the language], all my seven siblings and I. But we just laughed at her, because it sounded funny to us. Now, I'm kind of sad that I couldn't learn it, because it's a dying language. So, hopefully, I'll get to learn it sometime soon.

MTV: Do you have any scenes in "New Moon" with Kristen or Rob?

Gordon: No, nothing with Rob. We don't meet the vampires yet. We know [the Cullens], and we don't like them, so we don't like playing with them. But Kristen and Taylor, we have a couple scenes together.

MTV: You're joining this big, massive fanbase with an already-tight group of stars. How accepting were they of you rookies?

Gordon: We had a big dinner together, the whole cast and the director and the producers. And we all got to know each other and just become friends, basically. Now I have some friends for life. It's really awesome.

MTV: How about the fans?

Gordon: I guess I've been welcomed with open arms. A couple weeks after getting announced out there to the public that I got the role, a girl actually tattooed my name on her back with a paw print!

MTV: Your real name, not Embry's?

Gordon: Yeah! It was like, "Whoa!" And now I have my own team of supporters, for some reason.

MTV: The movie hasn't even come out yet! Does that put extra pressure on you to make sure your performance doesn't suck?

Gordon: Yeah, then they're gonna [want to remove the tattoos]. Maybe she'd cut it off. [Laughs.]

MTV: We've seen Taylor as a wolf in the "New Moon" trailer, but what are the rest of you guys going to look like?

Gordon: Well, we all look like brothers, so [we'll look similar], but we all have our own colors, so you can [tell which is which]. It's distinctive.

Source

'New Moon' Actor Went Too Far With Kristen Stewart

'Wolf Pack' members describe injury, aggressive confrontation with Kristen Stewart.

The second day of the official "Twilight" convention started with a howl from "New Moon" actor Kiowa Gordon, who, along with fellow Wolf Pack members Alex Meraz and Chaske Spencer, sat down for an hour-long Q&A session at the event.

Meraz initially took the stage wearing black sunglasses to conceal an injury received during mixed-martial-arts training for an "Eclipse" fight scene he'll have with Kellan Lutz. "In theory it's a good idea, but I got my eyes beat up," he said. "So they're kind of red. I'm being insecure."

While Meraz has been throwing punches in preparation to play shapeshifter Paul, Spencer took a more laid-back approach for his Quileute pack-leader role. "I just watched a lot of movies to get the character, Sam, and watched a lot of generals," he said.

One thing the trio tries not to do when preparing to film is read the blogs.

"For the first two weeks, when it came out I was in the Wolf Pack, I did it," Meraz said. "I was in my trailer [saying], 'People like me! People like me!' " But the gleam quickly wore off and negative comments began to bug the actor. "By Googling myself, I'm not going to find anything I like," he said, adding, "I'm arguing with an 8-year-old!"

Onstage the affable trio shared an obvious rapport, crediting some of their bond to cuddling on-set to keep warm during rain-drenched shirtless scenes. They shared several funny anecdotes from filming "New Moon," including Meraz's embarrassing moment with Kristen Stewart.

"I decided, all right, the Wolf Pack stay up all night looking for who's killing people on the res, so we don't sleep very much. So I thought it would be a great idea if I stayed up for 10 days straight." What should have been a simple scene — a confrontation between Bella (Stewart) and the Wolf Pack — became, in Meraz's mind, his "Brando moment." Wanting to try something different, the actor played the scene overly aggressive: screaming, grabbing Stewart by the throat, hurtling his line at her.

"[Director] Chris Weitz comes off-set like, 'Yeah, I like the energy Alex, but just take it down a little,' " Spencer chimed in: "Meanwhile the producers are freaking out back there."

" 'Cause nobody touches Kristen Stewart," joked Meraz.

Things get even more heated for Meraz when he phases into a wolf. For "New Moon," Weitz told the actors to envision the phasing sequences as a "pop like popcorn," which meant the actors only had to do a little shake before CGI took over from there. For the novel's wolf mind-reading sequences, the trio said it would be portrayed on film through quick glances. "With real wolves, that's actually how it's done," Meraz said. "The alpha male does things just with its eyes."

Spencer and Meraz also reminisced about the cliff-diving scene, a stunt they performed themselves, though for Spencer, his favorite scene was kissing onscreen love Emily (played by Tinsel Korey). "It was a lot of takes," Spencer said. "It's a hard job."

Source

'New Moon' Brings Wolf Pack Together To ... Eat Muffins?

'I didn't have the pleasure to enjoy any muffins,' Taylor Lautner says of brooding in the back while his co-stars chow down.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

If there's one thing Twilighters are hungry for these days, it's beefcake. For proof, look no further than the latest "New Moon" trailer, which features Taylor Lautner, Kiowa Gordon and their wolf pack buddies without shirts on. But according to the duo, there's a different, top-secret treat fans should be looking forward to when the film hits theaters in November: muffins.

"I call it 'the muffin scene,' " revealed Gordon, who plays Jacob Black's friend Embry Call in the flick. "We all gather around at Emily's house — she's Sam, the big pack leader's, fiancée — and we all just gather around and eat muffins and talk about stuff."

As those who have read the Stephenie Meyer novels know, this inserted scene is rife with dramatic and humorous possibilities. At some point in the saga, Sam Uley imprints on Emily — the second cousin of high school sweetheart Leah Clearwater — leaving Leah more than a tad bitter. The scene takes place on the La Push reservation, with many of the key Quileute characters interacting while they partake in their bountiful breakfast. But why muffins?

"We like muffins," Gordon said, revealing that the Quileute wolves have a taste for more than vampire flesh.

"The muffin scene?" Taylor Lautner grinned when we told him of Gordon's comments. "I didn't have the pleasure to enjoy any muffins.

"When they were eating their funny little muffins, I was standing in the back, all pissed off," Lautner said of the scene, which depicts Jacob as not being too thrilled with the whole imprinting/ turning-into-a-wolf drama. "So I just got to watch them eat their muffins."

According to the buff, 17-year-old star, Jacob will spend much of "New Moon" in a mood that not even a tasty pastry could cure. "He's a little upset. He's pissed off a lot in this movie, for many different reasons," Lautner explained. "Maybe because he just transformed into a werewolf. But he's a little grumpy at that moment. So I just watched them eat their muffins."

An intense Taylor? The news might be shocking for those die-hard fans who have come to know and love the actor as a happy-go-lucky guy. But according to Lautner, he can put on his game face when he needs to.

"Oh," he promised with a wicked grin, "I can turn it on and off."

'New Moon' Trailer: What's Missing?

Where are the Volturi? Or Jacob's wingman Quil Ateara? We give you a rundown of what we want to see more of in 'New Moon.'

Shirtless Taylor Lautner? In-costume Dakota Fanning? Strung-out-looking Robert Pattinson? Check, check and check. But although the "New Moon" trailer entitled "Meet Jacob Black" gave us plenty of fun things to look at — again, and again, and again — it also continued to omit plenty.

Depending on your point of view, the two "New Moon" trailers have either held back all the best stuff or done a good job of giving us glimpses at just enough to get our butts in theater seats. But at the risk of paraphrasing Veruca Salt: We want it all, and we want it now! Here's our list of the Top Five Things We Still Need to See From "New Moon."

The Cliff Dive — Kristen Stewart told us long ago that Bella's pivotal cinematic near-suicide will be CGI, and we've got to admit: We're still a bit concerned. Fan-made videos like this one give us an idea of some things to expect from what could be the most powerful moment in "New Moon," but so far, nothing official. Come on, Chris Weitz — cough it up!

Fight Scenes — Although Catherine Hardwicke's "Twilight" won the hearts of millions of women, it won't be stealing men away from sports and "Star Trek" sequels anytime soon. Now, with male directors in place for the next two films — and increasingly darker, more action-oriented plotlines to come — it's time to start convincing the dudes that seeing "New Moon" will do more than put you in your lady's good graces. But what have we glimpsed so far? Shirtless Jacob, shirt-open Edward, shirtless wolf pack. "Fight Club" gave the same number of abs, but also brought along just as many punches to the face — so bring back the honey and chicken, already!

The Vanishing Volturi — As any good Twilighter knows, the Volturi feature prominently not only in "New Moon," but also in the overall arc of the "Twilight" saga. So, why have they become the J.D. Salinger of the film series? We want full-on, official shots of Aro, Caius, Marcus and the rest. No more slowing down video clips to see if that's Michael Sheen in the background — it's time to bring out the big guns.

Quil Be Seeing You — Everybody's got their own favorite quasi-obscure "Twilight" character, and mine is Jacob's "wingman" Quil Ateara. We know he's played by Tyson Houseman in the film, but we haven't seen so much as a publicity shot yet. Sure, some might laugh — but I'll be wearing a "Team Quil" shirt when I see the film on opening night. Which reminds me of a second complaint: Why has no one invented "Team Quil" T-shirts yet?

It Ain't Easy Being Human— They're the nicest people in the world and the backbone of the "Twilight" film series: Mike Welch, Christian Serratos, Justin Chon, Anna Kendrick, Billy Burke and others. But although these fan favorites are among the most visible at "Twilight" conventions and other events, we haven't seen so much as a glimpse of them in the "New Moon" trailers. It's bad enough that these guys don't get to pretend they have superhuman powers, the ability to live forever or even a clue as to all the craziness going on in Forks. "Twilight" is nothing without the humanity that Stephenie Meyer injected into it — here's hoping that Weitz remembers that element as he's working all those long hours and late nights in the "New Moon" editing bay.


Source

Taylor Lautner Introduces His 'New Moon' Wolf Pack

'Twilight' star gives us details on his Quileute buddies — and reveals a scene that wasn't in the book.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

In last year's "Twilight," cute little Jacob Black got pushed around a bit. Bella gave him the dreaded "just a friend" treatment, Edward stared him down at the end of the movie, and he barely got a "thank you" after working so hard on that damn truck.

But in November's "New Moon," a bigger, buffer Black will be back — and this time, he's bringing along some friends.

"He's pissed off a lot in this movie," laughed Taylor Lautner, looking spiffy at Sunday's Teen Choice Awards in a multi-buttoned vest that he told us "took an hour" to put on. "He is pissed off for many different reasons."

As Twilighters know, "New Moon" gives us a rapidly developing Jacob, now with the power to transform into a werewolf. It also introduces us to Jacob's Quileute friends, a group of sometimes-shirtless hunks who've already set the fandom on fire with glimpses of them in pictures and on Burger King crowns.

"We've got Sam Uley, who leads the pack. We all follow him. He's the alpha," Lautner said, introducing us to his wingmen. "And then we've got Jared and Paul — Jared is a funny guy, a real jokester — and Bronson [Pelletier], who plays him, in real life is the same way, so he does that well. Paul is the hothead. He goes out with my girl, and I tear him to shreds. And then there's Kiowa [Gordon] who plays Embry — he's my best friend."

And speaking of Jacob's friends, Lautner also told us that one of his favorite scenes in the "New Moon" movie is something that didn't occur in Stephenie Meyer's novel. It's a moment revolving around the newly glimpsed character of Quil Ateara and his smoothness with the ladies — or lack thereof.

"I loved shooting the scenes with Embry and Quil," he revealed. "Tyson [Houseman] plays Quil, and he's just kind of a funny character.

"Me and Bella — I'm sorry, Bella and I — are working on the bikes, and Embry and Quil come in," Lautner explained of the scene. "Quil's checking out Bella [and trying to be smooth] and is like, 'Hey, I'm Quil. Quil Ateara.' It's a really funny scene, and the two were really great in it."

Source

'New Moon' Wolf Kiowa Gordon Talks About The Pack

'He saves humans from vampires, basically,' Gordon says of his character in the film.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Thursday night, we caught up with Gordon at the red-carpet premier of the new Vanessa Hudgens flick "Bandslam." In his first-ever interview with MTV, the rookie actor was eager to talk about hanging with Taylor Lautner's wolf pack, the "surreal" experience of meeting Twilighters, and offer a preview of his call of the wild.

MTV: Give us your breakdown of the character, as we'll see him in the movie.

Kiowa Gordon: I am Embry Call; he's a Native-American. He lives on his res, and he goes into a transformation which freaks him out completely. He turns into a wolf. So he gets some extra baggage going there — and then he saves humans from vampires, basically.

MTV: Break down the wolf pack for us.

Gordon: Alright, the head is Sam Uley — he's played by Chaske Spencer, who is a great guy. He's the leader of the pack, he runs us and helps us go through our phase. Next is Jared — he transforms next, and he's the fun boy, the jokester. He's played by Bronson Pelletier, and he's a funny guy too — he's awesome, we became really close. And Alex Meraz plays Paul — he's the hotheaded, ferocious guy that always wants to be in the middle of the action, and he's the go-to guy if Sam needs something taken care of.

MTV: And how about yourself?

Gordon: Jacob's really weirded out that I joined this cult of shirtless Natives. [We] thought that Paul, Jared, and Sam were just these [egotistical] guys that thought so highly of themselves and called themselves the protectors of the tribe, and I'm just the shy, lanky kid. Then Jacob sees me [join them] and he's like, "Wow, I've lost a friend," but that's really not the case; we can't tell Jacob or other Quileutes about our transformations until they have transformed themselves. Then, next in line is Jacob of course, and he's so natural to it; his wolf is stronger than like any other one.

MTV: You and some other "New Moon" stars were exposed to the public for the first time at Comic-Con. How was that?

Gordon: Yeah, I went to the Comic-Con for the "Twilight" screenings, and the question- and-answer [sessions], and it was crazy. They all started screaming as soon as we walked off the bus; the whole time we were answering questions they just kept screaming and screaming. It was so surreal for me. I've also gone to my own things — like I've gone to this unity conference out in New Mexico where Native American youths gather and share their tribal affiliations and all that awesome stuff. And [Twilighters were there and] they went crazy.

MTV: Taylor has said that he gets to speak the Native-American language of the tribe a bit in "New Moon." Do you?

Gordon: No, I would just — we make noises.

MTV: Noises? Can you give us an example?

Gordon: Hopefully I won't get in trouble for this. But yeah, [there's a scene where] we get out of the car, and we have to do this call — this signal that we're home. Me and Jared, we go [he unleashes a loud, yipping noise]. It's kinda funny. But it's awesome.

MTV: Wow. And that basically means "Hi Honey, I'm home"?

Gordon: [Laughs.] Yeah!

Source

Tinsel Korey Interview

Tinsel Korey, who plays Emily in New Moon gave an interview to the Lexicon about her role, audition with director Chris Weitz and the Twilight cast.

Have you read the Twilight Saga books? If yes, which book is your favorite and why?
I have read New Moon, and I’m reading Eclipse right now. I also own Breaking Dawn. I’ll have to get back to you on which one is my favorite.

What was the audition process like for you?
I auditioned in L.A. with the director Chris Weitz and casting directors Rene Haynes and Joseph Middleton. Filming was great, Chris is a very warm and talented director. I can’t wait to see his vision of New Moon come to life.

Did you, along with the other cast members who were also in the Quileuete roles, spend any time building back-stories or relationships?
I built my back-story before I met the boys, I already had an idea of who Emily was. Meeting and hanging out with the boys only helped build upon what my prior thoughts already were. I think when we all hung out the back-story just was there in who we were. Most of us are pretty similar to our characters.

How long is the process of getting into makeup and costume for Emily and can you describe it?
It takes hours to perfect the make-up and you’ll have to wait for the movie to see the magic that the makeup/SPX department created :)

Your MySpace has pictures and videos of you performing traditional music and dance. What art form do you prefer: acting, music, or dance?
I don’t really prefer one over the other, they’re all just different aspects of my artistry: I love them equally.

You seem to gravitate toward roles where you play strong women with interesting pasts. What types of things excite you when considering a role?
I never really realized that I did gravitated towards that till you mentioned it, then I thought about it, and I guess I do. Lol. Material that I get excited about, are the ones that give me an opportunity to break stereotypes.

Can you describe what working with Chris Weitz is like?
He’s an actor’s director, he gets us probably because he is an actor. He’s a very attentive and warm man; I hope I get the pleasure to work with him again in the future.

There are some major, powerhouse actors in the New Moon cast. Did you ever find yourself getting a little star-struck or tongue tied around any of them?
Nope. They’re just normal people.

How would you describe your vision of Emily Young?
Oh god, I don’t think I’m allowed to right a novel for this interview. Lol. So let me summarize in one sentence. She’s a survivor, the heart and soul of the team, when they’re down she brings them up. She’s the one you want to have in your corner.

Do you have anything more that you’d like to share with Twilight fans?
I’d like to thank them for all the support I’ve received and I’m glad I get to be on this journey with them. HUGZ.

Source