Twilight Saga? Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson interviews

As we hurtle towards the cinematic conclusion to Stephenie Meyer's vampire love story, we hear from its stars

Twihards rejoice! If you thought that Breaking Dawn –Part 2 would be the last time you got to sink your fangs into Edward Cullen, Bella Swan and Jacob Black then think again (and no, I’m not talking about Fifty Shades of Grey). With just weeks before the Twilight Saga’s cinematic finale arrives, you can indulge in the experiences that catapulted Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner into international stardom – in their own words.

A tome that in paper form might be rather heavy to lug around has been published today digitally – available to Twilighters on Kindle and other e-readers. It contains 30 interviews with the cast dating from 2008 when the first film was released. Its author Talia Soghomonian met and interviewed the trio at various points during the filming of Twilight, charting their progression from normal teenagedom, and relative obscurity, to the Hollywood A-list.

Everything might have since gone awry between real-life couple Pattinson and Stewart in the wake of reports that she cheated on him with her Snow White and the Hunstman director Rupert Sanders. Twihards were devastated when the relationship, that seemed to underline the fictional one, went wrong (please let the reports “they’re working on it” be true).

Click here or on "View Gallery" for more pictures of the Twilight stars

But Soghomonian’s interviews were conducted before the proverbial hit the fan, which means the book is choc full the pair’s collective gushing. Having never confirmed that they were an item prior to the allegations of Stewart’s affair (it being the best known “secret” in Hollywood), they are characteristically tight-lipped about their personal lives.

Extracts from two of the most recent interviews are published below:

Robert Pattinson at the 'Water for Elephants' Film Premiere, London, Britain, 3 May 2011

Robert Pattinson: Every actor is just a vain moron

Looking extremely casual in an old T-shirt, baseball cap, faded jeans and a three-day beard, Pattinson, 26, looks happy and relaxed to have the movie that changed his life behind him.

What was the hardest Twilight scene to film?

Probably that bit in the first one, when Bella is in the hospital and she says: "Don’t ever leave me again," and I say, "Where am I going to go?" or something like that. I still think that’s my favourite scene in it mainly because it was so different what happened after it. We made up the line there and then, that’s how different the shoot was. Like, every movie afterwards, the idea of making up lines was just unheard of so I loved that bit.

But the hardest scene to film was probably the birth scene in Breaking Dawn- Part One, mainly because it was hilarious, and it was supposed to be really serious. [Laughs] There was one shot where we had to look directly into the camera, and I was crying with laughter. I’d have to go down and chew the baby out and I was stopping tears from coming out of my eyes, and it looks like I’m crying in the thing. And I’m not supposed to be able to cry as a vampire.

Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey, the E.L James book supposedly based on you? And would you star in it?

I think the author has written me out of it. I saw some interview earlier and she went: "Oh, it could never be him." And I’m like: "Hey, I’m going to make you pay for that." [Laughs]

She said you could never play the role that was based on you?

It’s funny seeing all these other actors so openly vying for it. I’ve never seen that happen before. It’s so strange. I haven’t read the whole thing, I read bits of it. There’s a book called Fifty Sheds of Grey. Have you seen that book? That’s amazing, just a picture book of fifty grey sheds [laughs], and it’s literally on the New York Times Best Seller List. People have got the wrong read. [Laughs]

What do you think about when you watch yourself in movies?

I don’t really know what I’m doing when I’m doing it [Laughs]. I find a lot of the time it’s like tossing a coin and if something comes out good or not when you are doing it, even in the scene… I don’t understand these actors who can consistently turn up to work and just be in ‘acting mode’ and just be really good all the time. I can literally walk onto a set and have absolutely no idea. I’ve done all of my preparation, or whatever, and have no idea what’s going to happen until I open my mouth at all. And I can also feel when something goes terribly, when it’s the best scene in the movie or whatever. I have no idea ever.

What will you miss the most about filming Twilight?

There is something incredibly familiar and nice about it. I turn up on a movie set and know everyone. It’s like the first day of school every time you start.

What do you do to keep you grounded?

I don’t know, I guess I’m quite a genuinely insecure person, and so [staying grounded is] not very hard for me. Even if someone says that something is good, you’ve got to be pretty dumb to let your head get big, especially now when everything about your life is reported. I don’t understand actors who still have a big ego. Everyone knows who you are, everyone knows you are just a vain moron, and that’s what every actor is. [Laughs]

What has fame stopped you from doing?

I really miss going to the cinema, especially in Los Angeles, because LA has the best cinemas in the world. I used to go four or five times a week. And I miss the obvious anonymity kind of thing. I want to be able to sit in a place and not worry and just listen to people or watch people. The camera phones and TMZ just ruined everything. In a few years, people will be like, "oh goddammit, I wish we never bought into TMZ, now we’ve ruined it for ourselves." [Laughs]

Kristen Stewart at the 'On The Road' film premiere, 65th Cannes Film Festival, France, 23 May 2012

Kristen Stewart: Don’t protect me, I’m fine

Looking stylish in a pair of black skinny jeans, black heels and a white shirt, Kristen Stewart, 22, is in a friendly mood and seems excited about this next chapter of her life.

Can you talk about the transformation of Bella from human to vampire in Breaking Dawn-Part 2?

One thing that I liked about Bella’s human version is that she gives as much as she wants to and doesn’t feel pushed. To me, she’s always been really honest, even if she’s technically lying to people. She’s emotionally very honest. Because of that, she’s sometimes unsteady, and sometimes I allowed her to be kind of just teenager-ish. It’s like, you are this very developed, mature version of what we all know her to be, but at the same time, you are this very young, new animal, quite a baby, and you are figuring out how to like use the tools that you have been given. It’s like a 12-year-old getting into a six-speed sports car and being like: "Whoa, so that was fun."

How about just the physicality? Vampire Bella is so strong.

Yeah, that’s the thing. You want to get as close as you can to those experiences. I wanted to feel that strong, but obviously, you can’t. Sometimes you have to fake certain things. I really appreciated it when we weren’t on treadmills. I liked being able to actually run on ground and get movement, actual space behind me, and there were different ways that we accomplished looking strong and fast and all that stuff, and my favourite bits were always the ones that we could actually do.

You look very different. You’re wearing a great jacket and the running and the new attitude. Did you have any input on that too?

Yeah, absolutely. One answer to that is that Alice dresses her after she becomes a vampire, because she’s so busy afterwards and she’s so focused on other things, like having the self-control to not rip everyone’s throat out. And the fact that she’s got this child. So, they dress her. For a second, I was like: "Do we hold onto the idea that Bella doesn’t think about it, and so she just kind of looks plain [laughs] and puts on whatever is handed to her and it’s a natural, easy thing, or did she choose these things?" Now her clothes are pretty straightforward but she will wear a random pair of high-heeled boots, so it’s like: "Whoa, Bella, what are you doing? This is weird."

You have all become huge stars since the first movie. Did you notice any change, like the way people treat you on set?

On the Twilight sets, towards the end, I found that people didn’t really talk to us anymore, which was weird. It was like they possibly were even told: "Hey, leave them alone. If you don’t have a reason to talk to them, don’t just go up to them." And I hate that. Don’t protect me, I’m fine, it’s like, now you are just completely isolating me, so thanks. And then it makes them seem like you are the one possibly who said that to people, which is like, do not represent me, ever. That is the most horrifying idea that that happens unbeknownst to me, but I am sure it does. Just really annoying.

Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey?

I’ve read large excerpts.

Did you know it was based on your character? And if there were a movie, would you be in it?

Uh, [laughs] first of all, they haven’t called me or anything. They haven’t offered me the part.

Would you be brave enough to play Ana in Fifty Shades?

I haven’t read it, and so I mean, I know what you are talking about, I’ve definitely read some of ‘those bits’ [laughs]. It’s really nuts, I couldn’t believe it. I see people reading it and I’m like: "Dude you are in public, what are you doing?" [Laughs] But I’m pretty daring. It just takes the right story, and so I don’t know because I haven’t read it. I’m not avoiding it or anything. I just think it’s been made this big deal, so I don’t even know how to answer that question.

Did you take any mementos from the Twilight set?

I took all of her rings and stuff. I have all the bracelets, the wedding ring. I think I have a fake one, actually. I don’t think I have the real one. And I love how I don’t even know that. It’s probably sitting in some baggie somewhere, like a really big diamond.

The above interviews are taken from Robert Pattinson, 'Kirsten Stewart & Taylor Lautner – In Their Own Words', by Talia Soghomonian (www.thebookpeople.co.uk). Available at iTunes & Amazon, £3.74 and as enhanced version with audio for £4.99

Breaking Dawn - Part 2 is out 16 November 2012