Nov 8, 2008 - Taylor Lautner snagged the coveted role of Jacob Black in Twilight without knowing what he was getting himself into. Lautner wasn't familiar with Stephenie Meyer's bestselling book series about Bella (Kristen Stewart), a high school girl who falls in love with a handsome vampire named Edward (Robert Pattinson), but now he confesses he's a fan of the fictional world Meyer created. And it's a good thing he's now a fan as his role is much bigger in the sequels to Twilight: New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.
At Twilight's Los Angeles press junket, Lautner looked like he was having a blast promoting this film.

Lautner's energy level was up, even after facing a seemingly neverending line of journalists, and his genuine enthusiasm for the film was definitely evident.

Exclusive Interview with Taylor Lautner

Are you ready for this?
Taylor Lautner: "No."

Was it worse three months ago when there was just all the anticipation or now that it's almost here?

Taylor Lautner: "Now, because the next two weeks are probably going to be…"

Hell?

Taylor Lautner: "Yeah. [Laughing] No, I mean they're going to be fun. It will probably go by super slow for me though just because I'm so excited. It’s a hard decision because when I first finished filming I was like, 'Am I really going to have to wait like eight months for this to come out? That seems like forever.' And it just flew by, flew by and now it's going on two weeks. I'm so excited and then the next two weeks are going to be the busiest weeks of my life."

Do they have you booked every minute of the day?

Taylor Lautner: "Every second. Not a day off. I mean this whole weekend is press junkets until Sunday night, Monday morning I wake up, get on a plane and do a six-city tour in six days throughout the United States.

Come back at midnight on the 16th, the next day is the 17th - the premiere. A couple of days later it comes out. Oh no, sorry, the 18th they have a big autograph signing in LA, then it comes out, then two days later I film My Own Worst Enemy before I leave. And then I leave again on the 28th to go to Australia for a week and a half."

So when are you going to sleep?

Taylor Lautner: [Laughing] "I don't know!"

Did you have the slightest idea when you signed on that it would be anything like this?

Taylor Lautner: "No. When I first found out I had an audition for some Twilight movie, my agent told me, he's like, 'Yeah, this one’s kind of big. This one's big.' And I was like, 'I've never heard of it. Oh, okay.' So I go in on it, and yeah, the director's really cool. I meet the director, I go back and I read with Kristen Stewart and she's really cool. Still have no idea what the project is about or how big it is. So then I get cast and I go do my research. 'Oh this is based off a book series. How big is the book series?' So I check it out and just mind-blowing. I'm just, 'Oh my gosh, what am I getting myself into?!' This is life-changing, so now I'm so excited to be a part of it."

It is life-changing. How have things changed? I'm sure you're bombarded by fans all the time now, right?

Taylor Lautner: "Yes. I mean it hasn't changed as much as most people would think it has. I tested out of high school so I'm taking college classes still. I do have, except for these two weeks, I usually have quite a bit of free time. I film My Own Worst Enemy but that's only about two days a week. And besides that, I mean I'll have zero free time for the next three, four weeks but it hasn't been bad. But I mean the difference is Twilight fans are everywhere. You're just walking down the street or at a premiere, anywhere, anywhere and everywhere there is Twilight fans."

It's crazy. And playing Jacob, did you ever think of just growing your hair long?

Taylor Lautner: "Absolutely not!"

You don't want to do it?

Taylor Lautner: "I had the experience of doing it for while I was filming and I think I'm done with it for now."

So you don't think having your own hair would be better than just having to put on that wig?

Taylor Lautner: "Yes, it probably would. It definitely would be more comfortable. I just don't think I could stand walking around like that in public. I don't know. It's so weird looking at myself in the mirror and going, 'Is that me?' It’s like it looks so different, it's weird to me. It's like, 'Wow!' I've never had my hair longer than it is right now, so just looking at myself like that is like, 'Wow, do I look like a girl? I do look like a girl, ah!'"

Earlier in the day you were talking about how there's underwear with 'Team Taylor' on it. Does it have your picture on it or is it just 'Team Taylor'? Please tell me it does not have your picture.

Taylor Lautner: "I don't think it does have my picture on it. It just says Team Taylor in like rainbow colors. So yes, I'm waiting for the day where a fan comes, 'Taylor, can you sign my underwear?'"

Will you do it if somebody asks?

Taylor Lautner: "I'll probably do it but…"

You'd turn bright red doing it.

Taylor Lautner: "I'm like, 'Okay…I saw these things on the internet and now I'm signing them!'"

New Moon is going to be all about you and Bella. Are you ready for that one?

Taylor Lautner: "I'm trying not to think about it. I mean Jacob's character becomes very cool and a lot more in-depth in the rest of the series. He's my favorite character. He's so cool."

If you had a chance to play Edward you wouldn't have played him?

Taylor Lautner: "It would be hard. It would be a hard decision, but I do actually stand behind Jacob. I'm definitely Team Jacob."

Team Jacob all the way.

Taylor Lautner: "Oh yes. Oh yeah, Bella, she's just young. She doesn't know what she's thinking right now but she'll realize it some time."

Page 2:On Book 4 and Buffing Up for New Moon