As the final movie in the "Twilight" franchise nears release, the entire world has witnessed the development of Taylor Lautner from a boy into a man. When he appeared in "Twilight," Lautner was a fresh-faced 16-year-old. By the time "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" hits theaters, Lautner will be 20 years old.
Pre-"Twilight" Days
Before "Twilight," Lautner starred in two mainstream releases in 2005 but remained a relative unknown. One of his biggest cheerleaders before the "Twilight Saga" was director Robert Rodriguez, who cast Lautner in his first major film role.
"He was the first actor who came in, and we knew he was the guy," Rodriguez told MTV News. "He had so much personality. Athletic. Smart."
The baby-faced Lautner also had a lot to do to prepare for his role as a werewolf in "Twilight," telling Us Weekly that he had to gain 30 pounds of muscle to transform into the character of Jacob. It was a major transformation for the young talent, from a child star into a national heartthrob.
His Romantic Life
As a heartthrob, a young actor is set up for romantic controversy. As his co-stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart learned the hard way, every step of a romantic relationship is highly scrutinized. Luckily for Lautner, while his relationships have not been out of the public eye, he has never had to go through the trials of his mercurial co-stars.
The closest Lautner came was when he dated pop star Taylor Swift in 2009, the year that "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" hit theaters. While the drama loving Swift writes songs about her failed relationships, Hollywood Life reported that the one person Swift never got over was Lautner, despite the fact they only dated for three months. Lautner was 17 and Swift 19 at the time.
Outside of dating someone who makes all your problems public in her songs, Lautner's personal romantic life has been quiet. It is a refreshing change of pace when looking at Hollywood's notorious child stars.
His Post-"Twilight" Days
Once "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" hits theaters, it will mark a change for the actors involved. While both Stewart and Pattinson have begun their exit strategies, moving into other genres, Lautner has found trouble finding his feet. He has kept his nose clean, but it is now time to find where he fits into the adult Hollywood world. With the transformation he underwent to win over the world as Jacob, that shouldn't be a problem for the young superstar.
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