Taylor Lautner was affected by ‘Twilight’ fan reaction to Edward and Jacob rivalry

“There wasn’t a competitiveness between me and Rob, but having that constant reminder, it definitely had an impact.”

Taylor Lautner is opening up about how the fervor surrounding the now-infamous “Team Edward versus Team Jacob” debate at the height of the Twilight craze affected him and his relationship with his vampiric costar Robert Pattinson. 

The actor said he’d “be lying” if he didn’t admit that the intense fan reaction over which character deserved to date Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) didn’t impact him personally while visiting The Toast podcast Thursday with his wife — who is also named Taylor Lautner.

He explained that the adamant response from Twihards was a “very strange” experience, especially since he often traveled the world in support of the franchise, only to suddenly find himself “being in different cities and having thousands of screaming fans either take your side or the other guy’s side.”

“I was so young,” Lautner said. “I was 16 when Twilight came out, 17 for New Moon and Eclipse. I finished the franchise by the time I was 19.”

The actor added that he wished everyone could have just let the rivalry play out on screen and not in real life. “Like, we’re a team. We’re both just trying to make the best movies,” Lautner said. “But it was a little bizarre, the competitiveness. There wasn’t a competitiveness between me and Rob, but having that constant reminder, it definitely had an impact.”

And, if he’s really being honest, Lautner now understands why some fans preferred Edward (Pattinson). The actor said he’s gained a slightly different perspective on his character, Jacob, after having rewatched a few of the films while bored in a hotel room last year.

“As I was watching it, I was like, ‘I kind of get it. Jacob’s a little annoying,'” he admitted. “Like, I love Jacob and his heart, but he’s a little annoying.” 

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