‘Twilight’: Which Actors Were Friends Way Before They Were Cast?
Even though Twilight wasn’t expected to blow up the way that it did, getting cast in the film was akin to winning the lottery. Like many movies, there was a lot of competition for each and every role. Thus, booking a part in the movie was extremely rare. However, booking a major film alongside your friends is even rarer. But that’s exactly what happened to some of the main actors in the film.
Kellan Lutz knew two of his ‘Twilight’ cast members before filming began
It turns out that some of the Cullens were already acquainted long before they were cast in the Twilight movies. Kellan Lutz (who portrays Emmett Cullen) had befriended both Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale) and Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen) before cameras ever started rolling. Furthermore, some of Rathbone and Lutz’s family members knew each other from church and they were pleased that the pair would be working together.
How Ashley Greene and Jackson Rathbone helped Lutz feel more comfortable on set
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Lutz shared that he was very grateful to be cast in Twilight alongside his friends. This was especially true since didn’t have the opportunity to meet most of his fellow actors until filming was very close to starting. Fortunately, knowing people beforehand helped him bond with the rest of the cast a little quicker.
“I’ve been so fortunate to work with a lot of my friends,” Lutz shared about his Twilight castmates. “I knew Jackson Rathbone and Ashley Greene before we started, but I was a late-comer on the film. I booked Emmett on one of the last days of rehearsal, so I definitely came in as the new guy. That’s always tough, but having good friends that I already knew made it much easier.”
Greene was the one who told Lutz that the ‘Twilight’ books existed
But knowing Greene also made Lutz’s job easier in other ways also. In fact, she was the one who informed Lutz about the eponymous book series. Before chatting with her, he had no idea the Twilight books existed. However, after she let him borrow the books, he was able to get a better understanding of the story that he was helping bring to life.
“Once I was cast, I was flown out to Oregon to start shooting, and my friend Ashley Greene had all of the books,” Lutz recalled. “She asked me if I had read the [Twilight] books, and I was like, ‘Ha ha, you’re joking. There are no books.’ So she gave them to me and I did my homework. I read all three of them. The fourth wasn’t out yet.”
Clearly, it was beneficial for Lutz to work with his friends on the Twilight movies. Knowing them beforehand likely also helped contribute to the familial dynamic of the Cullen siblings. And considering the enormity of The Twilight Saga, it was probably a very fun experience to share with your friends.
