Twilight Saga Stars: Typecasting Ahead

The Deadbolt discusses the possibility of the Twilight stars being typecasted.

As the Twilight film franchise continues to harvest tons of New Moon media attention, Twilight Saga stars Robert Pattinson, Kristin Stewart, and Taylor Lautner are now at the center of one of the decade’s biggest film phenomenons. In Vancouver, B.C. where the Twilight sequel New Moon is being shot, Twilight mania has reached a new high as both fans and press have converged to eagerly await the daily personal or professional moves of Pattinson, Stewart, and Lautner. However, with the rising success of the Twilight Saga, as well as the target audience of young female fans that continues to escalate, are the Twilight actors being swallowed up in the enormity of attention? When the cinematic sun eventually sets on the Stephenie Meyer based Twilight Saga, will the actors be forever hemmed in by their own Twilight success, or will they be able to shake their Twilight image to avoid a professional stereotype?

Kristin Stewart recently starred in Adventureland, playing an awkward adolescent in suburban America. The role was much more demanding for Stewart but the movie was nowhere near the financial windfall that Twilight has proven to be. Stewart, however, has risen through the acting ranks with upwards of 15 credits to her name pre-Twilight, which have all helped Stewart in being known before playing Bella Swan. Kristen is currently involved in three other projects away from the Twilight Saga, including the recently announced Runaways, so she’s certainly keeping busy out of the shoes of Bella.

Robert Pattinson, the heartthrob and personification of perfection for many fans, is also working to stay busy beyond Twilight and New Moon. Pattinson recently landed the lead role in Hollywoodland director, Allen Coulter’s Remember Me, which tells the tale of two lovers who try to keep their relationship together amid family tragedy. Like I mentioned, if you’re successful in the entertainment world in one area, it’s easy to become pigeonholed and known for one thing.

Taylor Lautner, however, the youngest of the three Twilight and New Moon stars, may be the one to come out of the Twilight Saga no worse for wear in the end. If you look at the trajectory of Lautner in the first two Twilight films, Taylor’s star is just beginning to rise since his New Moon character, Jacob Black, steps to center stage in the Twilight sequel. For the past two years, much of the rabid hype and attention has been focused on Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. When the green light was given to New Moon, and it was announced that Lautner would be back as Jacob Black, it was only over the past six to eight months that Taylor truly became a household name to even more fans.