‘Twilight’: How Much Weight Did Taylor Lautner Gain To Keep the Role of Jacob Black?

While it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Taylor Lautner portraying Jacob Black in the Twilight movies, the actor was almost replaced after the very first film. While the producers didn’t have issues with his acting chops, they were concerned about Lautner’s size. As Jacob undergoes a pretty intense physical transformation in New Moon (thanks to his newfound werewolf status) Lautner was tasked with going through a serious physical transformation of his own.

Taylor Lautner was almost replaced after the first ‘Twilight’ movie

Prior to filming New Moon, there were plenty of rumors that Lautner was in danger of being replaced in the Twilight Saga by an older and more muscular actor. But, rather than lose out on the role, Lautner committed himself to an intense diet and exercise routine to pack on the pounds. Not only did Lautner have to work out with a personal trainer five times a week, but he also had to make sure that he was eating every two hours in order to gain weight. Lautner even recalled having to carry around burger patties in a Ziploc bag to eat in a pinch when he was between meetings.

Kristen Stewart reveals she knew Lautner was the right person to portray Jacob Black

But even though other actors were being considered for Jacob Black, Kristen Stewart, who played Bella Swan in the Twilight movies, believed that all the talk was blown out of proportion. In an interview with Collider, she gave some insight into the situation. “I think that controversy has probably been like made bigger than it was,” Stewart shared. “We needed to be sure that whoever played Jacob was going to be Jacob in New Moon. He’s such a different person. He becomes a man. There’s an entire [arc]. It’s not just a physical transformation. He really becomes an adult.”

Stewart continued on to add that while the studio and the producers may have been considering other actors, she always knew Lautner was up for the challenges that the role required. “I mean I always knew that Taylor could do that but we just needed to make sure because it was so important,” the Twilight star shared. “So once he actually proved himself which wasn’t hard to do, even seeing him walk around on set was like a different experience. He’s literally become a different person. He’s just grown up. He’s so confident and the nicest guy that I’ve ever met. I know that I’m using this grammatically incorrect but he’s the funnest guy I’ve ever hung out with. So he’s great. I’m so proud of him.”

How much weight did Lautner gain to keep his role in ‘New Moon’

But exactly how much weight did Lautner have to put on in order for him to keep his role? According to one of the trailers for New Moon, Lautner bulked up by a whopping 30 pounds. “New Moon is a lot more complicated than Twilight was,” Lautner shared in an official trailer for the film. “Bella is in such a deep depression when Edward leaves and Jacob is the friend that will always be there for her. Jacob has changed in many different ways; the physicality he’s a lot bigger, 30 pounds bigger.” Clearly, Lautner was willing to do what it took to keep his spot in the Twilight cast. We’re sure fans can’t imagine the movies without him.