Another Cast Interview

His Golden Eyes had an Interview with Kellan, Nikki Reed and Jackson Rathbone

The interviewers in the call included Kimmy from HisGoldenEyes, and Twilight Facebook, Twilight Lexicon, Twilight Series Theories, Twilighters Anonymous, Twilight Moms, His Golden Eyes, Twilighters, Twilight Superfan, Bella and Edward, and Twilight Source.

Q: How do you think Rosalie in New Moon is going to be different from Rosalie in Twilight? Are we going to see more of Rosalie’s other side?

Nikki: The Cullens aren’t really in New Moon as I’m sure you guys know because of the books and Chris Weitz making it very clear that we’re going to stick to the storyline. So, we’re not really in New Moon all that much, but I did have an opportunity in the voting scene to show a different aspect of her personality, just because we were sort of setting up for Eclipse, because that’s really my opportunity to explore Rosalie as a character. So I guess, I guess in the voting scene, I worked really close with Chris to make sure that the speech that I give conveys exactly what I want it to. I don’t know if that answers your question, I’m sorry.

[No, no; yeah.]

Nikki: It’s been a long day. I think that when you have eight hundred pages in a book you have the time to explore each character, and so although Stephenie didn’t write one-dimensional characters, I mean all of our characters are very full and colorful; when you’re trying to execute that in a screenplay it can be really difficult because they have to focus on the love story between Bella and Edward. So in Twilight, you know, Rosalie was written, I guess the few opportunities I had to be on screen I was angry or bitchy and I don’t think that that’s what Rosalie is. So I’ve been trying my best to incorporate other aspects of her personality.

Q: Following up on what you said about incorporating the different aspects of her personality, where do you find your inspiration to portray a character that is in some senses somewhat of an unlikeable character, but she has that other you know, really human side to her? Where do you find your inspiration to bring out some of that from?

Nikki: I think, I guess years of exploring my own personality in terms of understanding that most of the time anger is actually just a way to hide insecurities or you know, fear or sadness. And so I knew, I knew immediately sort of where Rosalie was coming from and I also have two siblings that I’m very protective of, two brothers. So I guess it sort of stems from that.

Q: Can you tell me how much the atmosphere, the overall atmosphere and work style has changed from Catherine Hardwicke to Chris Weitz?

Kellan: I think they’re very much just different directors. And Catherine’s energy was very prominent and needed in a way to start the ‘Twilight’ franchise and get it off the ground. And with New Moon it’s a different type of style in the book, which means the movie’s got to be a different style. And Chris was, had it all just prepared for us actors to step in there, he made us a packet of pages and papers on how he saw the scenes, and just really had everything organized. So when we had questions as actors he had the answers ready and it was very just in both cases just different. It was just such a well oiled machine with New Moon and just very easy.

Q: What was your favorite scene to film in New Moon?

Jackson: I’ve got to say my favorite scene to film was in the trailer and you got to see a glimpse of it. And that wasn’t even quite the entire scene so hopefully you know, people are still going to be surprised by the scene of the birthday party whenever. In my mind it’s kind of the catalyst for the entire idea of New Moon, and the Cullens kind of getting out of Dodge, if you excuse my tongue there. It’s kind of the idea that you know, finally Bella is really having to face the idea of what it is to be in a relationship with a vampire and the downside of it you know, what happens when you get something as simple as a paper cut and how that can screw everything up. And suddenly the Cullens are gone and we take off in order to protect Bella and it’s one of those things where she doesn’t really feel protected, she feels abandoned, but luckily she’s got her good friend, Jacob Black, who starts to become a little bit more than just a good friend. You see that whole side of things, the wolf boys.

Q: As many of the cast members are musicians yourselves, what sort of role do you think music plays in both Twilight and New Moon, both the songs from the soundtrack and those from the score?
Nikki: That’s for you Jay.
Jackson: I’m sorry, can you repeat the question?
Q: Sure, since so many of you are musicians yourselves outside of acting I was wondering what sort of role you think the music plays in the movies. There was so much emphasis placed on the soundtrack and the score in both Twilight and New Moon, I just wanted to kind of get your perspective.
Jackson: Ah, yeah as a musician myself, I’ve done soundtrack work, it’s one of those issues where the music has to be really closely tied to the movie you’re watching. It’s one of those things where music can really draw an emotion; it can really evoke a certain feeling within you like you know sadness or despondency. I mean how many times have you heard a song on the radio that makes you cry. I mean it happens, there’s a lot of emotion in music, it can be used really well and I think Twilight did that extremely well. After watching New Moon I mean….
Nikki: Yeah I think more so in New Moon, only because I think in ‘New Moon’ there are a lot of moments, there are a lot of long, I don’t want to say long dramatic pauses, but moments where you sort of need the music to communicate with you because of the subject matter and really to bring it all together with Bella’s traumatic emotional journey.
Kellan: Yeah I definitely agree. I mean when I read New Moon, being a male, you know it kind of was a little slower for me because I really couldn’t grasp what a female would go through in a way. And I know, I’m not trying to talk for most men but I feel like Bella did go through some characteristics that a lot of females do. And kind of on a relationship-basis you know, with growing up and there are parts of the book where there are a lot of pages of that, and watching New Moon, Chris found a brilliant way to captivate that and make it; I mean there’s a lot of pages say he made thirty pages of just sitting there as Bella did and showed it within like a minute of film. It was really cool and I think music really you know, is an important part to when you do see those beats in the movie where you don’t need dialogue. You can express a lot just with expressions and not words that the music helps motivate those feelings with the audience.
Nikki: Just helps you feel it.
Q: These movies have been made and put out pretty quickly so far, and have you guys been able to just really step back and enjoy it all of the hype that’s going along with it, or do you feel that you’re kind of just caught up in a whirlwind?
Nikki: Wow that’s very, that’s very loaded, that question. I guess a little bit of both. We’ve certainly felt, I think, you know the push and the exposure from the series and I think we’re all really grateful to be a part of it, but I guess things are moving quite quickly. We’re turning around and pumping these, I mean it’s only like four months ago that we wrapped New Moon or less than that actually three months ago. We’re already here training and getting ready for the next, two weeks into the next. So there isn’t a lot of time to reflect I would say. I spent a lot of this year traveling and the end of last year just because I grew up really fast and I spent most of my childhood being really concerned about like what the next job was going to be and working and working and working. And so when I sort of recognized that that’s what was going to happen with this series, we were going to have just a few months in-between to do whatever we wanted, whether that be like work and focus on another project or take a break, I chose to take a break. So I did a lot of traveling and writing and stuff.
Kellan: I think it’s very cool. It’s kind of a happy medium. I couldn’t imagine being you know, the guys on say Lord of the Rings spend a couple of years in New Zealand you know pumping those bad boys out, that’s a whole other life. Where we’re blessed enough to be a part of this magic carpet ride in this fantastic roller coaster thanks to the fans with all the love and support. But that we do, we are allowed to have breaks in-between and you know really do other films or take a break and go see family or travel the world and then come back and do the next one. And you know it’s kind of sad knowing that there is an end, unlike, you know, Harry Potter in which I mean there was an end but they had so many books to look forward to and to grow with. I mean we are pumping these out quite quickly and to know that Breaking Dawn. But yeah again to reiterate, just knowing and praying that we get to do Breaking Dawn. And we all you know would wish that she would make more books because this is a part of our lives as actors and us as individuals being a part of this. It will be sad when that day comes to close a chapter on it, and it’s not really closing a chapter because we’ll still have the memories and friendships. But you know it’s tough and I really compare it to my football years when your coach says this is your last football game for most of you guys who played high school football and you kind of laugh at it and just want to do it, but then you look back at all the good times that you spent with those other, those players and those friends that you made and it’s never the same.