Taylor Lautner reveals having to ‘fight back’ for Twilight role

Taylor Lautner was not meant to play Jacob Black in the whole Twilight franchise.

According to the actor, Taylor Lautner was only meant to play Jacob Black in the first movie.

In an interview with Alex Cooper's podcast Call Her Daddy, Lautner disclosed that the Twilight crew intended to replace him for the remaining parts of the series.

“My character in the first book is supposed to be like a 16-year-old little scrawny boy, and in the middle of ‘New Moon,’ he transforms into this 25-year-old looking built, muscular man,” he said.

They intended to "cast like a mid-20s guy to carry on and be Jacob for the rest of the franchise," according to Lautner, who was cast in the first movie at the age of 16.

“I had to fight for my role back,” he said.

In an attempt to maintain his position, Lautner started "hardcore working out for about nine months," putting on 20 to 25 pounds. “I was ready, so when we got that call, my team was like, ‘Have you seen him recently?'” he said.

Lautner still needed to re-audition for the part.

The actor also talked about how his body image was impacted by growing up in the spotlight later in the episode.

“I dealt in the last five to seven years with a lot of body image issues because in the franchise, not wearing that many clothes, you know. And I also was 17, 18, 19 years old, and it was a lot easier to have a body like that, but that’s what most of the world knows me as,” he said.

Lautner expressed gratitude to his wife Taylor Dome, who was also a guest on the show, and his friends for their assistance in resolving his body image concerns.

“I’m much better at it now, but there’s good days and bad days still,” he said.