A new dawn for Taylor Lautner

Here is a new candid interview with Taylor. It really is a great in-depth article. Check it out below.

Taylor Lautner thought he was safe.

The 19-year-old actor — best known to millions of moviegoers as heartsick werewolf Jacob Black from the ”Twilight” movies — had driven from the home he shares with his parents in Valencia, a tranquil planned community about 30 miles north of Hollywood, to a downtown Los Angeles hotel.
He had arrived for an interview to discuss his new action film, “Abduction,” out Friday. The movie, the first directed by John Singleton (“Boyz N the Hood”) in six years, is a sort of “Bourne Identity” for the teen set. In it, Lautner stars as a high school student forced to go on the run after he discovers that his parents have been concealing a weighty secret about his background.
The rooftop meeting location had been selected for its privacy, but almost as soon as Lautner ordered an iced tea, he spotted an intruder and tensed noticeably.
“I believe I just saw a paparazzi right there,” he said, furrowing his brow. “It definitely was, because I recognized his face. Like, I’ve seen him before.”
Although said photographer never materialized again, Lautner seemed on edge for the remainder of the sitdown — perhaps channeling some of the healthy paranoia “Abduction’s” Nathan cultivates over the course of his adventures or possibly just revealing his own internal struggles with the nearly incomprehensible level of fame he’s achieved at such a young age.
He has been on high alert, so to speak, for the last three years, since the release of the first “Twilight” film propelled him and costars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson into the center of a pop culture firestorm. Adapted from the bestselling supernatural teen romance novels by Stephenie Meyer, the first three films in the franchise have grossed more than $1.8-billion worth of tickets worldwide. As a result, Lautner — along with his famously chiseled abdominal muscles — has become a staple on the bedroom wall of teenage girls.
His days as the werewolf are waning, though, with the first of the saga’s two-part finale, “Breaking Dawn,” opening Nov. 18 and the second installment hitting theaters next year. Now Lautner is looking to life post-”Twilight” and is heading into that future with a specific plan: He wants to be an action star, like Tom Cruise or “Bourne’s” Matt Damon. It’s a career path that, should he manage it, would unquestionably keep Lautner in the bright eye of the spotlight for years. And the success or failure of “Abduction” will be the first indication of whether he can achieve his goal.
As Singleton put it: “The whole goal of the movie was all about showing that Taylor can actually carry a picture — that he’s truly a star.”

“Abduction,” Lautner said, piqued his interest because he thought the role would be demanding.

“I don’t know why, but I’m always looking to challenge myself as much as possible,” he said with an earnest grin. “Plus, I had always been an action fan and been fans of actors like [Matt] Damon and Harrison Ford. What I love about their action movies is that they’re not just action movies. They’re playing a character that goes through an incredible journey.”
Singleton asked the actor to watch Cruise’s cinematic oeuvre — from “Born on the Fourth of July” to “Minority Report” — in addition to Ford’s performance in ”The Fugitive” and Robert De Niro’s in ”Raging Bull.”
“I was like a film school teacher, talking to him about the rules of playing a hero,” Singleton said. “A hero walks upright. He walks with his head high. I was like his coach.”
To prepare physically for the film — shot in Pittsburgh over 51 days last year — Lautner learned how to ride a motorcycle and engaged in arduous boxing and wrestling training.
He appears in nearly every frame of the picture, and the largely physical role allows him to showcase his propensity for stunt work. It is without question his bid to abandon his status as a teen heartthrob, a prospect that’s proved tricky for his “Twilight” colleagues.

But Singleton believes that the powers that be are invested in the young man’s success. “The industry wants new blood,” he said. “They want someone else they can build movies around. So basically, Hollywood is kind of rooting for Taylor.”

“I’m just hoping that the fans can support me doing completely different things outside of the franchise,” he said. “And yeah, I mean, there probably is a lot at stake. It definitely crosses my mind, and I would be lying if I said I feel no pressure. But whenever that thought does come in my mind, I try to push it out as quickly as possible. I try and just stay focused on things that I can control.”

Moments later he got ready to leave, posing for photos with a few fans who had been waiting nearby and then asking a reporter to make sure that the elusive paparazzo wasn’t still hanging around. Even a budding action star, it seems, can never be too careful.

To read article in its entirety, please visit: LA Times