‘Twilight’: Some Fans Required a Medic After They Met the Cast
Though Twilight mania is certainly not as intense as it once was, it’s hard to forget the intensity that surrounded the popular film franchise. Though the movies had a pretty strong built-in following, thanks to the eponymous books written by Stephenie Meyer, the movies garnered additional dedicated fans. And fans weren’t merely obsessed with the fictional characters in the movies, they were also completley enamored with the actors who were cast in the films.
Of course, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner received the brunt of experiences with obsessed fans. Cast as Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black, the three actors were considered the main stars of the franchise and their characters comprised the infamous love triangle. Funnily enough, none of the actors realized just how intense the fandom was when they signed on to the first movie. In fact, it wasn’t until they were promoting Twilight at Comic-Con that they first got a taste of just how overwhelming “Twihards” could be.
Taylor Lautner got candid about the intensity of ‘Twilight’ fans
The Twilight cast certainly wasn’t been shy about how overwhelming fan encounters fans could be. In a 2009 conversation with Interview Magazine Lautner got candid about the fans of the hit franchise. “They are very intense, but it’s cool that they’re so dedicated and so passionate,” he shared. “They’re the reason we’re here doing this sequel. So I’m thankful for the fans. I like meeting them. But, yeah, they’re pretty intense. Sometimes it becomes a little overwhelming.”
But the fan encounters weren’t just intense for the cast of Twilight. Lautner also revealed that sometimes the fans themselves were completely overwhelmed by the opportunity to meet the actors who portrayed their favorite characters. In fact, there were a handful of fans who had visceral reactions to meeting the cast and thus had to receive medical attention after their meet and greet.
Some fans would hyperventilate after meeting the cast
“We’ve met many different fans: the criers, who come around quite often; the hyperventilators who stop breathing and have to have a medic come,” Lautner recalled. “We’ve definitely seen some passion.” But how did the Twilight cast cope with such overwhelming experiences? Lautner shared that, for him, it was hard to fully process that level of devotion and admiration. However, he attributed most of his fame to the character which he was playing rather than himself.
“I don’t even know,” Lautner responded when asked how he dealt with Twilight fans worshipping him. “I don’t know if it’s really hit me yet. They’re just passionate for the series and for the characters, and we’re just lucky enough to be a part of this. I don’t think it has much to do with me personally; it’s more because I’m playing the beloved Jacob Black.”
Clearly, there was something special about the Twilight movies that made people lose their minds. It’ll be interesting to see if there will ever be a comparable teen romance film phenomenon in the future.
