How did you get involved in the Twilight Saga?
A friend of mine called me up from Los Angeles and I had just come back from camping and she said there’s this project going on and they’re looking for native actors and I think you’d be perfect for it. So I called my agent up and I had just turned my phone back on and he’s like, ‘I was trying to get a hold of you! I know you were camping but there’s this project and I want you to go audition for it.’ So I went for the audition and I did it, it was good, I went for Embry and then I got a call back so I was doing a lot of homework and research about it and I find out it’s a huge, huge project, like Twilight, you know, the Twilight Saga: New Moon. And I do the audition and I was a little bit nervous at this point now because you know, I’m meeting like the director, producers and what not and then I got a call back three weeks later and I got the part. And then two weeks before we started filming I got the script and [I realized] I had [gotten the role of] Jared rather than Embry or Quil and those were the two I read for. So I was pretty pumped because you know, Jared’s like Sam Uley’s right hand man so I was pretty hyped.
How did you prepare for the role? Did you read the books?
Yeah, I read the books and I was in my hotel room and I was jumping around like a wolf (laughs). No, pretty much in preparation what we had to do was, we had to go to the gym. A lot it was hitting the gym and eating right. We did strength training, conditioning, muscle confusion, all these ridiculous things. It was crazy, crazy intense, like, four or five times a week. Eating every two hours. That was the main preparation to become the wolf pack.
Was that the hardest part?
Yeah, totally. It was intense.
So you’ve finished filming Eclipse now and you finished shooting New Moon. What movie did you enjoy shooting more?
Well, I really enjoyed shooting Eclipse, but I’d have to go with New Moon because in New Moon I got to do my own stunts. I got thrown off this huge 50-foot scaffolding off this little mat kind of thing and it was pretty high up there and I’m a little bit afraid of heights so that was definitely a bit of a challenge. I love to jump off high things but every time I do it I get the butterflies in the beginning. I was in New Zealand, I jumped off the Sky Tower in New Zealand, kind of bungeed right off it.
What was your favorite scene to film in the movies?
I don’t want to talk too much about Eclipse, so we’ll say New Moon. My favorite scene to shoot was probably the scaffolding scene. Or no, wait, it’s kind of a toss-up between being thrown off the scaffolding or, I have this scene with Kristen where it was like this muffin scene where I’m like, it’s a pretty good scene…
In the kitchen?
Yeah, yeah, the kitchen. That was pretty good. I’m looking forward to seeing it because I haven’t seen the movie yet. I know Taylor’s seen it, but the rest of us, we’re kind of just, we’re waiting until the premiere.
How do you guys get along? What was the dynamic on set?
Oh wow, it was great. I’ve been on sets before where you know you have to have chemistry with somebody and it kind of feels a little bit forced but with these guys it wasn’t forced at all. It was totally organic and it was just like, it was real. I clicked with these guys right away. These guys are like my brothers now, you know. It was great.
Did you hang out before, to get the whole wolf pack thing going on?
Well, we all worked out together so that definitely built a lot of the camaraderie. Right off the bat, like an hour into working out, we were already teasing each other and bugging each other already and feeling like a bunch of bro’s, just chilling out.
How has your life changed since you’ve gotten the role of Jared?
Wow, it’s changed quite dramatically, like I’m traveling the world and I’m getting noticed places here and there. The fans are pretty wild, they’re dedicated, it’s great and yeah, it’s definitely changed a lot. Opening a lot of doors, that’s for sure.
Do you have any plans for after Eclipse?
Well, I don’t want to say anything in particular right now but I’m reading a script right now that these producers brought from Los Angeles so we’ll see what happens with that.
So you’ve read all the books and all the fans are in love with the whole saga. What part of New Moon did you find most compelling?
Honestly, I don’t know. I love the fact that the wolf pack is introduced in New Moon and the thing that I loved most about it what the directing from Chris Weitz. Getting to work with such a phenomenal director, that was the most compelling thing for me.
If you didn’t play Jared, out of all the other characters, who would you like to play and why?
Uh, I’d go with Bella. (laughs) No, honestly, I don’t know. I think I’d love to play one of the Volturi. I love their whole costume. They had that whole, that old school kind of costume, that’s really inviting to me.
Just because of their costumes?
Yeah, their costumes are so bad-ass. Pardon my language, but the origin of the whole vampire, it’s so old school and I love it. Plus they’re really powerful too, like the wolf pack.
Do you see similarities between your character and Jared?
From what I’ve learned so far, and mind you I’m still a young actor, I’ve only been acting for eight years so I try to bring a little bit of myself to each character I portray. I’m definitely bringing a lot of similar stuff to Jared just like in other TV series I brought a lot of my stuff to Kit Whitefeather and Jack Sinclair.
Oh, Renegadepress?
Yeah, Renegadepress, baby.
Did you learn anything from Renegadepress that has helped you?
Yeah, you learn a lot more on set. I didn’t do too much acting training, but most of the stuff that I know now, I learned on set. Hands-on training is the best training you can get. They don’t tell you in acting school about marks and all the technical side to it and working on a TV series like Renegade I started off very green, and I progressed through the last fifth season, fourth season, third season, whatever, I started really finding myself as an actor and started to craft my skills. Hands on training is the best possible training possible. Possible.
The Video of the interview is on tribute.ca website
"Renegadepress baby!" gosh I love ya Bronson!
