The Twilight Saga: Climbing the ladder of success
Take a glimpse at the glamorous lives of the Twilight stars and how the film franchise has changed them.
Sensing that end is nigh for their favourite vampire romance franchise, members of Team Edward and Team Jacob are certain to flock to theatres this weekend to see The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 and critics predict that the film is likely to suck the blood out of the rest of the box office as its in popular demand, reports Reuters.
As the hit film series draws to an end, we take a look at the journey of the popular trio of Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart.
One minute Robert Pattinson was an out-of-work musician, then Twilight turned him into Britain’s second-highest paid actor. He tells The Guardian how frightening it is to emerge back into the daylight. “In career terms Twilight was like a security blanket,” Pattinson tells The Guardian. “I had a three or four-month window between each film during which I could do another job. But whatever I did I knew that I’d have another Twilight movie on the way, which guaranteed to make a lot of money. So I could always afford to fail,” he adds.
Before becoming an actor, Pattinson had toyed with the idea of becoming a political speechwriter — until he landed the part of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but this didn’t pave the way for better things. Instead, his career went into reverse and there were a few minor parts made-for-TV features such as a shell-shocked war pilot in The Haunted Airman.
Heartthrob Taylor Lautner who gained a large fan following with his muscular looks in the Twilight saga was originally a martial arts student. He quickly developed a love for acting at the age of seven when his martial arts instructor encouraged him to audition for a small appearance in a Burger King commercial. Although he was unsuccessful, he enjoyed the experience so much that he told his parents that he wanted to pursue a career in acting, reports IMDb.
With the sudden and unexpected success of Twilight, Taylor found himself being propelled into a world that would forever change his life and his career. “It is rare to be given an opportunity, and I could not be more thankful for the opportunity that this franchise has given me.” Taylor has branched out into other roles such as the star studded romantic comedy, Valentine’s Day and the action-packed thriller, Abduction.
After a talent scout caught her grade school performance in a Christmas play at the age of eight, Kristen Stewart appeared on television in a few small roles. Her first significant role came when she was cast alongside Jodie Foster in the hit drama, Panic Room (2002) and was nominated for a Young Artist Award, reports IMDb.
Stewarts says that Twilight hasn’t changed her life. “Most circumstances I find myself in are different than they were a year ago, but I myself haven’t changed. Twilight makes things so much easier. I cannot describe how good it feels to actually have something that is truly into your heart and soul actually affecting people.” Currently Stewart is filming Snow White And The Hutsman, expected to hit theatres in Summer 2012.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2011.