Taylor Lautner Reflects on Challenging Fan Rivalry with Robert Pattinson During the 'Twilight' Era
Taylor Lautner candidly reflects on the intense fan rivalry he experienced with Robert Pattinson while working on the blockbuster 'Twilight' series
Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson Lester Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images
Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson, known for their roles as rivals in the Twilight saga, faced their biggest challenge in navigating their off-screen dynamic.
"It was difficult. I can't speak for [Pattinson], but for me at least, especially at that age," Lautner, 31, shared on the December 14 episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast. "Sometimes your feelings get hurt when they shouldn't, but it's hard to avoid."
During the peak of Twilight's popularity, fans were passionately divided between Team Jacob and Team Edward, the werewolf and vampire characters fighting for the affection of Bella, played by Kristen Stewart. In the end, Bella chooses Edward while Jacob finds happiness with the couple's daughter, Renesmee. Although actors Lautner and Pattinson had no personal issues off set, the onscreen rivalry proved to be a challenge for Lautner, who starred in Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.
Standing together on a balcony, Lautner and I often felt awkward as a thousand girls booed Rob but cheered for me. The mixed reaction made it challenging for us to maintain a friendship, although we managed to keep our professional relationship intact. Building a personal connection was no easy feat for us.
Lautner admitted that he and Rob are very different people and never really connected on a deep level, but he had nothing but praise for Rob's personality. Reflecting on his time in the Twilight franchise, Lautner expressed positive feelings about his experience with the project. His wife, Taylor Dome, is also a fan of the series and favored Pattinson's character over Lautner's.
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Lautner has previously discussed feeling uncomfortable due to the intense devotion of Twilight fans. During an episode of “The Toast” podcast in February, he revealed that he and Pattinson felt a sense of competition because of the overwhelming reaction to the film franchise. Lautner expressed that it was odd to experience the constant support or opposition from thousands of fans and that the competitive atmosphere was peculiar, despite the absence of rivalry between him and Pattinson. The situation definitely took a toll on their experience.
