By now every Twilighter knows the story well. Taylor Lautner almost lost the role of werewolf Jacob Black for "New Moon." But he hit the gym, packed on 30 pounds of muscle and secured the coveted part opposite Kristen Stewart. What we don't know as well is what went on behind the scenes when the casting decision was being deliberated at Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the vampire saga.
It turns out that at least one star was doing her best to make sure Lautner was not replaced. "I definitely fought for him," Kristen Stewart told MTV News on the red carpet at the "New Moon" premiere on Monday night. "I was totally on his side the entire time."
Though Lautner is two years younger than Stewart, the 19-year-old actress said most observers misunderstand their relationship, thinking she's the one giving him a Hollywood education, when it's really the other way around. "Everybody thinks that we have a sister/little brother sort of dynamic thing going on ... but he's taught me more than I ever, ever have been able to bestow upon him," she said. "I think he's the most centered of everybody here."
Stewart cited Lautner's belief in himself — not a commitment to bicep curls and sit-ups — as the key to his keeping the role. "I think the only way he was able to put on the weight was he already had the confidence," she said. "He knew what he was doing. It wasn't about the weight, it was just about knowing we had the right guy, and we totally did. I was proud."
Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."
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