Taylor Lautner grateful for 'Twihard' fans, 'Twilight' opportunities

Bonding with a supernatural, fast-growing baby wasn't the only awkward “wolf thing” the Michigan native had to do in the course of the fifth film. As with the previous “Twilight” movies, preparing to transform into Jacob's werewolf form required Lautner to strip off various articles of clothing.

“It's always uncomfortable when I have to take my shirt off or something because I'm always the only one doing it. The weather conditions, we film in (in Vancouver), everybody is bundled up in like seven layers, and I'm the only one in jean shorts,” he said with a wry grin.

Fervent fans

The success of “The Twilight Saga” has transformed Lautner into a movie star and led to some unusual encounters with the famously fervent “Twihard” fan base.

In particular, he remembers signing a fan's arm and learning later that she had his signature tattooed where he'd scrawled it.

“These fans are passionate, and they continue to blow my mind every single day,” he said.

He is particularly grateful for the fans who supported keeping him in the role of Jacob. Prior to filming of the second movie, “New Moon,” recasting was considered since the character grows tall and muscular as he develops into a werewolf. Lautner packed on 30 pounds of muscle to ensure he remained part of the “Twilight” universe.

“Thinking back to every day in that gym, every burger patty shoved down my throat, every protein shake, all that stuff; it was worth it,” he said.

“Moving forward, I can't be more thankful for this franchise and everything it's given all of us. It's given us the opportunity to do things that we love, and be able to pick and choose to a certain extent certain ways that we want to challenge ourselves, and I wouldn't be able to do that without this.”

Travel and accommodations provided by Summit Entertainment.