Taylor Lautner Embarrassed Over Shirtless Jacob Black

Taylor Lautner may have a rock solid body for New Moon, but it doesn’t mean he’s still comfortable in his new skin! In this interview with IESB, Taylor talks about his transformation, not reading about himself in the tabloids, and whether he thought his performance would overshadow Edward.

Q: You have a lot of opportunities in the film to show off your new physique, like when Jacob takes off his t-shirt to wipe Bella’s blood.

Taylor: I start laughing so hard, every time I see that scene. “You’re bleeding? Okay, let me fix it.” It’s so embarrassing. Here’s the thing: there’s a reason that he’s not wearing clothes, all the time. One, when he transforms, all his clothes get shredded. He can’t help it. And, when he goes into the woods to get something to put on, so that he’s not naked, it’s just a ripped pair of jean shorts. He’s also hot. He’s 108 degrees. So, that’s another reason. The thing is, I love this character and story, and putting on the weight and not wearing much clothing was required by the role. A year from now, if I love a story and I love a character that requires me to lose 40 lbs, I’m ready to do it.

Q: Was there any concern about Jacob overshadowing Edward? Was that something you had to temper, in your own performance?

Taylor: I think it depends on what kind of girl you are and what kind of guy you like. Edward and Jacob are completely opposite guys. They’re hot and cold, literally. I, personally, love Bella and Jacob’s relationship, how they begin with best friends and it starts to grow into something more and more. Both guys are in love with Bella. Both guys are always going to be there for Bella, and they’re protective. I just think it’s what kind of guy you like.

Q: Can you talk about the stunt and wire work? How difficult was that to get used to?

Taylor: The physical side was really fun. Some of it was challenging. I’d never ridden a dirt bike before. Yes, I rode the dirt bike for a total of about five seconds in the film, but for those five seconds, I had to look as cool as possible, so it did require a lot of practice, safety-wise, for them to let me do it. And, like when I run up the side of Bella’s house, the wires were there so that, if I slipped and fell, I didn’t face plant into the ground. It was definitely challenging. That stunt was really complicated. You need to be on. I was using a little plug in the side of the wall to take off from and jump, so it was really complicated and it required a lot of practice. Every single weekend, I would practice that stunt, for three hours a day. It was the last thing we filmed.

Q: What is the strangest thing that has ever been written about you?

Taylor: Honestly, I try to stay away from what has been written about me ’cause if you let that stuff get to you and it’s not true, it can drive you crazy. One thing that I have heard recently, which is not true and I definitely didn’t say it, was when I was quoted as saying I will never take my shirt off for a movie again. If I have to and the character requires it, I will. Who knows? In 10 years, I might do that. It’s just what the character requires. So, that was interesting to see.

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Image Credited to Summit Entertainment