Robert Pattinson
Emmanuel Itier: I’m sure after over four years of filming and five films, you never thought this day would come. The Twilight Saga is coming to a close. For all intents and purposes, the characters are going out with a bang in this epic finale. What is it about the story of Breaking Dawn - Part 2 that is different from the films that have come before?
Robert Pattinson: Yeah, there's a bunch of different stuff. It's kind of... having a kid for one thing, it's very, very different. I know when I signed on to the movies, I'd only read the first three books, and I would never have said in the fourth one they'd have a kid who also grows to be an 11-year old within about three months, and that Jacob would fall in love with her as well! [Laughs] I mean, it's completely crazy. But yeah, that and doing kind of the vampire sex stuff… it's all pretty crazy.
EI: We’ve heard that you and Kristen had to act out your sex scenes in first person, looking directly at the camera. It’s a pretty intimate way to shoot that sort of scene. Was that an off-putting experience for you?
RP: Yeah, we were, like, by ourselves half the time. There was just with the cameraman, and we're sort of sitting there trying to look sexy. But I haven't seen the movie yet, so I don't know how it turned out.
EI: In terms of the final product, how do you feel about the arc your character has taken over these five films? You’ve taken Edward, a now iconic character in teen lit and teen film, and carried him through different stories and personal changes. Are you happy with the way your character evolved and how the series concludes?
RP: Yeah. I mean I always kind of thought… I mean, what I was trying to set up for his character arc from the first one was, he's kind of fossilized at the beginning, and then he meets Bella and she cracks him open. He suddenly starts to feel for the first time in 80 years and then spends the rest of the movies kind of catching up to normal people, and then becomes kind of a normal guy at the end. [Laughs] It feels like quite a complete journey, I think.
EI: And how has this entire experience changed you? What do you see as being the biggest change within yourself, over the course of the last five films?
RP: I think I was kind of obsessed with being tortured at the beginning, feeling... to be an artist, you have to be so confused and in pain all the time. And I think, as I got older, I gradually learned to not be like that as much. It may not be a good thing, though! [Laughs]
EI: Twilight became an overnight phenomenon, and since the first film’s release, more teen fantasy novels have been adapted for the big screen. Do you feel at all responsible for creating this new genre?
RP: I don't know. It is funny that... Because when Harry Potter came out, it didn't seem like every other young adult series was being made into a movie. When Twilight came out, you cannot find a young adult trilogy which is not being made into a movie anymore, or a TV series. But I don't really think it's to do with me; it's definitely [Stephanie] Myers.
EI: After being tied to such a huge project for so many years, do you feel a sense of freedom now, to do anything you want? What’s coming up next for you?
RP: I don't know if you feel "free." I mean I've been really lucky in the jobs I've got for next year. I'm doing another movie with David Cronenberg which is going to be cool, and I'm working Werner Herzog as well, and in January doing this movie called The Rover, with David Michôd. I've never done a movie which is incredibly violent before, and it's very, very, very violent.
Kristen Stewart
Emmanuel Itier: Though you’ve carried on a very diverse career outside of the Twilight films, there’s no denying that this franchise has been a huge part of your life. This last film must be very special to you – what was unique about filming this last piece of the Bella Swan/Edward Cullen puzzle?
Kristen Stewart: I guess the biggest difference in making the last Twilight was the ease at which it all sort of flowed out. Having played human Bella along the way the entire time and making the change, you know, the jump into vampire land, it didn’t feel like a change; it just sort of felt like the next, very natural step.
Also, because everything is sort of… every question in her mind and in her heart has been put to rest. Now, the imposing danger is really just coming from the outside, whereas before, there was major inner turmoil. So now, to play her as such an assured, very sort of stand-up person, it was just a little bit less stressful, even though the movie is chock full of milestone moments, with just, like… the wedding, and the birth, and all of those. They happened so naturally that, yeah, it was just a lot of fun.
EI: You finally get to play around with vampire stunts with the rest of the cast. Did you find those particularly challenging or difficult?
KS: I loved doing all the fight stuff. It was fun doing action that wasn’t just 100% perilous. Usually, Bella is just in a lot of danger and taking a lot of hits and falling down and running away, and this was all about running towards what you were fighting. And that was fun because I got to sit around and watch everybody else do it for ages. [Laughs]
The love scene was interesting. Bill [Condon] had said that he wanted the experience to be very shared, that he wanted it to feel like you were kind of inside of it. And to do that, he had us do our close-ups directly into camera, and you can see yourself. Instead of looking at Rob, I was looking at my ridiculous sexy face. I don’t think that they used many of those shots, to be honest. It was pretty awkward. But yeah, it was good, I think… hopefully.
EI: There’s no denying that the Twilight series has been incredibly influential in the movie business. After the success of your franchise, we’re seeing other young adult fantasy series coming to the big screen. What do you think about this new sub-genre that you and the rest of the Twilight team have created?
KS: It’s great what the fan base has done just in terms of acknowledging that there is definitely a gap to be filled. You know, people only want to make movies in Hollywood if they’re guaranteed to be successful, and now they’ve proven that they exist and that’s fantastic. It’s important to take youth seriously. I don’t know; I think that makes for much more well-rounded adults. Yeah, it’s cool.
EI: Lastly, on the tail end of promoting the very last Twilight film, what do you think has been the biggest change within yourself? How have you grown with the series, and what has it given you?
KS: Well, it’s been, like, five years. I think at the end of any five-year experience, you’re going to see a difference between who you were and who you are. But at the same time, I feel very much like Bella in that I haven’t changed aspects of who I am; I’ve just sort of gotten to know them better and I can use them. I can actually, like, really utilize what I’ve got rather than trying to figure out exactly what your tools are. I mean you get a little bit older and you really realize what you want, and so it’s easier to go and get it.
Kellen Lutz
Emmanuel Itier: I’m sure after over four years of filming and five films, you never thought this day would come. The Twilight Saga is coming to a close. For all intents and purposes, the characters are going out with a bang in this epic finale. What is it about the story of Breaking Dawn - Part 2 that is different from the films that have come before?
Robert Pattinson: Yeah, there's a bunch of different stuff. It's kind of... having a kid for one thing, it's very, very different. I know when I signed on to the movies, I'd only read the first three books, and I would never have said in the fourth one they'd have a kid who also grows to be an 11-year old within about three months, and that Jacob would fall in love with her as well! [Laughs] I mean, it's completely crazy. But yeah, that and doing kind of the vampire sex stuff… it's all pretty crazy.
EI: We’ve heard that you and Kristen had to act out your sex scenes in first person, looking directly at the camera. It’s a pretty intimate way to shoot that sort of scene. Was that an off-putting experience for you?
RP: Yeah, we were, like, by ourselves half the time. There was just with the cameraman, and we're sort of sitting there trying to look sexy. But I haven't seen the movie yet, so I don't know how it turned out.
EI: In terms of the final product, how do you feel about the arc your character has taken over these five films? You’ve taken Edward, a now iconic character in teen lit and teen film, and carried him through different stories and personal changes. Are you happy with the way your character evolved and how the series concludes?
RP: Yeah. I mean I always kind of thought… I mean, what I was trying to set up for his character arc from the first one was, he's kind of fossilized at the beginning, and then he meets Bella and she cracks him open. He suddenly starts to feel for the first time in 80 years and then spends the rest of the movies kind of catching up to normal people, and then becomes kind of a normal guy at the end. [Laughs] It feels like quite a complete journey, I think.
EI: And how has this entire experience changed you? What do you see as being the biggest change within yourself, over the course of the last five films?
RP: I think I was kind of obsessed with being tortured at the beginning, feeling... to be an artist, you have to be so confused and in pain all the time. And I think, as I got older, I gradually learned to not be like that as much. It may not be a good thing, though! [Laughs]
EI: Twilight became an overnight phenomenon, and since the first film’s release, more teen fantasy novels have been adapted for the big screen. Do you feel at all responsible for creating this new genre?
RP: I don't know. It is funny that... Because when Harry Potter came out, it didn't seem like every other young adult series was being made into a movie. When Twilight came out, you cannot find a young adult trilogy which is not being made into a movie anymore, or a TV series. But I don't really think it's to do with me; it's definitely [Stephanie] Myers.
EI: After being tied to such a huge project for so many years, do you feel a sense of freedom now, to do anything you want? What’s coming up next for you?
RP: I don't know if you feel "free." I mean I've been really lucky in the jobs I've got for next year. I'm doing another movie with David Cronenberg which is going to be cool, and I'm working Werner Herzog as well, and in January doing this movie called The Rover, with David Michôd. I've never done a movie which is incredibly violent before, and it's very, very, very violent.
Kristen Stewart
Emmanuel Itier: Though you’ve carried on a very diverse career outside of the Twilight films, there’s no denying that this franchise has been a huge part of your life. This last film must be very special to you – what was unique about filming this last piece of the Bella Swan/Edward Cullen puzzle?
Kristen Stewart: I guess the biggest difference in making the last Twilight was the ease at which it all sort of flowed out. Having played human Bella along the way the entire time and making the change, you know, the jump into vampire land, it didn’t feel like a change; it just sort of felt like the next, very natural step.
Also, because everything is sort of… every question in her mind and in her heart has been put to rest. Now, the imposing danger is really just coming from the outside, whereas before, there was major inner turmoil. So now, to play her as such an assured, very sort of stand-up person, it was just a little bit less stressful, even though the movie is chock full of milestone moments, with just, like… the wedding, and the birth, and all of those. They happened so naturally that, yeah, it was just a lot of fun.
EI: You finally get to play around with vampire stunts with the rest of the cast. Did you find those particularly challenging or difficult?
KS: I loved doing all the fight stuff. It was fun doing action that wasn’t just 100% perilous. Usually, Bella is just in a lot of danger and taking a lot of hits and falling down and running away, and this was all about running towards what you were fighting. And that was fun because I got to sit around and watch everybody else do it for ages. [Laughs]
The love scene was interesting. Bill [Condon] had said that he wanted the experience to be very shared, that he wanted it to feel like you were kind of inside of it. And to do that, he had us do our close-ups directly into camera, and you can see yourself. Instead of looking at Rob, I was looking at my ridiculous sexy face. I don’t think that they used many of those shots, to be honest. It was pretty awkward. But yeah, it was good, I think… hopefully.
EI: There’s no denying that the Twilight series has been incredibly influential in the movie business. After the success of your franchise, we’re seeing other young adult fantasy series coming to the big screen. What do you think about this new sub-genre that you and the rest of the Twilight team have created?
KS: It’s great what the fan base has done just in terms of acknowledging that there is definitely a gap to be filled. You know, people only want to make movies in Hollywood if they’re guaranteed to be successful, and now they’ve proven that they exist and that’s fantastic. It’s important to take youth seriously. I don’t know; I think that makes for much more well-rounded adults. Yeah, it’s cool.
EI: Lastly, on the tail end of promoting the very last Twilight film, what do you think has been the biggest change within yourself? How have you grown with the series, and what has it given you?
KS: Well, it’s been, like, five years. I think at the end of any five-year experience, you’re going to see a difference between who you were and who you are. But at the same time, I feel very much like Bella in that I haven’t changed aspects of who I am; I’ve just sort of gotten to know them better and I can use them. I can actually, like, really utilize what I’ve got rather than trying to figure out exactly what your tools are. I mean you get a little bit older and you really realize what you want, and so it’s easier to go and get it.
Kellen Lutz
Emmanuel Itier: Now that you’ve finished work on all five Twilight movies, what’s different about this last chapter?
Kellan Lutz: You know, I think everyone is just looking forward to seeing vampire Bella. My character wanted her to be changed right away. And here we are five movies in, and finally we get to play. We get to play some ball. And Kristen, I'm sure, was having such a great time playing it.
You know, at the ending, we did something special for the fans that are really going to get them with their jaws on the floor.
EI: With so much rich back-story from the books, and an entire series of sequels, are you happy with the evolution of your character?
KL: Yeah. You know, any time you get to really play the same character over and over again, you get to fill them up and you get to just keep on adding more and more back-story and depth to them. My character has just been a blast to play because he's the comedic relief. And then, he also is the protector. So, what great two roles to play?
He's not the moody one; he's not the depressed one. He's not the emo one. He's the fun one.
EI: The series does bring up some darker elements. Even being the comic relief, did Twilight, or Breaking Dawn Part 2, make you think about some of those issues like life and death… mortality… that you hadn’t before?
KL: No, no. I always stand with I love life because death is imminent and it's going to happen one way or the other. I think that's what makes life so worth living. I'm a risk-taker by nature, so it's really important for me to do something extreme and really challenge and push myself. I think that's what keeps us so young and enjoying life; obviously smart decisions, but nothing too chaotic and dangerous.
But if you had immortality, I think you'd be stripped of that satisfaction because, to a point, you've done everything extreme and you can't die. So you'd feel a bit empty without that risk.
EI: Alone?
KL: Well, not necessarily alone, but just what's the meaning of life then? There's no death. You know, if you're just being able to experience everything. You're going to see a lot of bad moments in life; you're going to see a lot of good moments in life. But then again, it's like… there's something about death that is beautiful.
EI: The fans would definitely agree. You also can claim some responsibility for helping to shape a new sub-genre of young adult, fantasy romance movies. What do you think about this new trend of adapting from these teen novels?
KL: Of course, it's good news. It's good news for the industry and for the people who go and want to see and get lost for a couple hours and watch these movies.
EI: After being in the franchise for so long, and over so many years, how do you think you’ve changed? What has Twilight given you?
KL: When you're a part of something like this and when you grow from—for me, I was 23 and now I'm 27, so in life, that's a lot of life to grow in. And then being a part of something like this that's given us all so many opportunities, it's like I get to travel the world, which is one of my favorite things to do. It's just brought so much opportunity my way that I'm just so thankful for. It's just perk on perk on perk.
EI: Besides being thankful for what Twilight has done for you, and your career, does it feel a little freeing to be finished? What’s up next for you?
KL: Yeah, there is a bit of a freedom that comes with it because being a part of something like this, it's made a name for us, which has opened up all the doors like I had said. But then also, I think it's important to be hands-on and creative with your own career and kind of manage it and create the opportunities for yourself.
And now, in regards to that, I'm getting myself into producing and I want to create some really great, smart action movies. That’s what I like. So it's good to be hands-on as much as scripts are coming your way. You can very much create your own material. It's a good time in life to be creative.
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