Taylor Lautner Opens Up About Challenging Relationship with 'Twilight' Co-Star Robert Pattinson

The rivalry between Team Edward and Team Jacob fueled fervent debates among fans of Twilight. However, the franchise's spell extended beyond the screen and into the real lives of the actors, particularly Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson, who played the iconic characters of Jacob Black and Edward Cullen, respectively.

Lautner, now 31, opened up about the challenges he faced during the height of Twilight fame in a recent episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, shedding light on the intense fan rivalry that sometimes cast shadows on his relationship with Pattinson, per Page Six.

"I think it was tough," Lautner admitted, reflecting on the emotional toll the fan rivalry took on him at the time, especially given his age. The fervor with which fans defended their favorite supernatural suitor in the Team Edward vs. Team Jacob debate occasionally resulted in hurt feelings. "I don’t know for him, but for me at least it definitely, like, especially at the age I was at, like, you get your feelings hurt sometimes when you shouldn’t," he told podcast host Alex Cooper. "But it’s hard not to sometimes. But, yeah, it was a little difficult."

“It was awkward at times for the two of us standing together on a balcony and a thousand girls booing Rob but cheering for me. And then this [other] half booing me and cheering for [him] but us having to have some sort of friendship was difficult," Lautner recalled, elaborating on the surreal and difficult moments he and Pattinson faced as they dealt with the excitement of their devoted fanbase.

Lautner revealed that despite sharing the screen and the heartthrob status bestowed upon them by Twilight, he and Pattinson never developed a deep connection. "The thing with me and Rob is we’re very, very different people,” he admitted. “We never really connected on a deep level just because we’re different humans but he was always fantastic and the sweetest person ever."

Furthermore, Lautner's journey within the Twilight Saga was not without its challenges. The actor revealed that he was at risk of being replaced after the first film due to the changing physicality of his character, Jacob Black. Initially, the casting team intended to replace him with a more muscular actor to better match Jacob's transformation, reports Hollywood Life. Lautner's determination drove him to re-audition for the role and undergo a rigorous nine-month physical transformation, ultimately securing his place in the franchise.

Looking back on his Twilight experience, Lautner expressed gratitude for the opportunities it provided, acknowledging both the positive and negative aspects of his meteoric rise to stardom. "There’s pros and cons to what [“Twilight”] gave me, but the pros far outweigh the cons," he said.

Lautner reflects on the franchise's lasting legacy and the changing demographics of its fanbase as Twilight regains popularity among Gen Z, reports ET. The actor observed a shift from encounters with "TwiMoms" to a new generation of teenagers discovering the fascinating world of vampires and werewolves.