Taylor Lautner

July 27, 4:48 PMCelebrity Profile ExaminerAndy Williamson

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TAYLOR LAUTNER

Not too long ago, had someone mentioned the phrases Team Edward or Team Jacob, nobody would have had a clue what was being talked about.  However, in the wake of the pop juggernaut that is The Twilight Saga -- especially the film versions -- fans of the series know exactly which team they are on, whether Edward’s, Robert Pattinson, or Jacob’s, Taylor Lautner.

Taylor Daniel Lautner was born on February 11, 1992 in Holland, Michigan, to Daniel and Deborah Lautner.  His ancestry includes Dutch, German, and French (also some distant Native American: Ottowa and Potawatomi).  Raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan (along with a younger sister, Makena), Taylor showed a passion for karate at a very young age.  At age 6, Taylor was training at Fabiano’s Karate School -- by age 7, he was winning tournaments.  Seven-time world karate champion Mike Chat invited young Taylor to train with him, and by the time he was 8, Taylor was asked to represent America in the World Karate Association -- there he became the Junior World Forms and Weapons champion, winning three gold medals.  By the time he turned 11, Taylor was ranked #1 in the world for NASKA's Black Belt Open Forms.  By 12, he won the Junior World Championships.

While he was still in single digits, Taylor showed an interest in acting that rivaled his passion for martial arts.  Taylor’s parents were so encouraging regarding this, they frequently commuted between Grand Rapids and Los Angeles, so that the ambitious and talented boy could audition for acting roles.  By the time Taylor turned 10, the family made the difficult decision to relocate to southern California, so that Taylor could do so on a regular basis.

TAYLOR LAUTNER AS JACOB BLACK IN TWILIGHT

In 2001, at the age of 9, Taylor made his acting debut in the telefilm Shadow Fury.  More work soon followed as Taylor was cast in small roles on the television series My Wife and Kids, Summerland, and The Bernie Mac Show.  Also during this time, Taylor was hired for voiceover work on such cartoons as What’s New, Scooby Doo?, Danny Phantom, Duck Dodgers, and He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown (Taylor voiced the bully).

Then, in 2005, director Robert Rodriguez hired Taylor to play one of the titular characters in his kids film, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D.  The film received terrible reviews, but it did get Taylor some much needed exposure.  That same year he was cast in a supporting role in Cheaper By The Dozen 2, costarring Steve Martin and Tom Welling.

By 2008, Taylor played Christian Slater’s son in the short-lived TV series My Own Worst Enemy.

But Taylor’s biggest break was when he was cast as Jacob Black in the 2008 film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight.  The $37 million production went on to earn over $382 million at the worldwide box office, and birthed a phenomenon.  When principal photography for Twilight had wrapped, Taylor, knowing that his character in the sequel was dramatically more ripped and buff, immediately set about transforming himself.  By the time the second movie, New Moon, was being cast, there was some talk about recasting the role simply because Taylor was so young and his build was so slight.  Yet Taylor, having sprouted a few inches taller and gaining 30 pounds of muscle, wowed the producers and casting agents with his new form.  Taylor will be reprising his role in New Moon (2009) and Eclipse (2010).  No official word yet on Breaking Dawn.

In his free time, Taylor enjoys playing football and baseball (though not vampire baseball), and is close friends with his Twilight costars Kristen Stewart and Nikki Reed.  In addition to acting, he aspires to be a director and screenwriter.

TAYLOR LAUTNER

Taylor Lautner Quotes:

On why people should watch Twilight: “Jacob’s hot.”

Regarding Jacob's angry werewolf side: “[That] is not like me in real life -- I'm like Jacob's Native American side.  I'm very friendly, outgoing, energetic and easy to talk to.  But playing the werewolf side, where he's holding all this anger and stuff inside him, that'd be very different for me.  I love to challenge myself as an actor.”

From Interview Magazine regarding Twilight’s fanbase: “They are very intense, but it’s cool that they’re so dedicated and so passionate.  They’re the reason we’re here doing this sequel.  So I’m thankful for the fans.  I like meeting them. But, yeah, they’re pretty intense.  Sometimes it becomes a little overwhelming.”

From Interview Magazine regarding his feelings about fan worship:  “I don’t even know.  I don’t know if it’s really hit me yet.  They’re just passionate for the series and for the characters, and we’re just lucky enough to be a part of this.  I don’t think it has much to do with me personally; it’s more because I’m playing the beloved Jacob Black.”

From Interview Magazine regarding his relationship with his costars: “The whole cast is really close.  It would be difficult for our characters if we weren’t.  It’s a love triangle, and we need to understand each other.  So the fact that we’re close and can talk things through in rehearsals, and if we’re out at dinner, we’ll just randomly start talking about the scene we’re shooting the next day ...  If we weren’t able to do those things, I don’t know where we’d be.”

EXAMINER’S NOTE: Knowing that the Twilight fanbase is legion, and that certain members of Team Jacob know far more about Taylor than I do, if there are any errors that need correcting, or addendums that need to be made, please let me know and I will adjust this article accordingly.

For more Twilight profiles, click here.