Taylor Lautner Struggled To Gain Weight For 'New Moon'
Anyone who's seen both [movie id="369195"]"Twilight"[/movie] and a trailer for [movie id="414921"]"New Moon"[/movie] can see that [movieperson id="373803"]Taylor Lautner[/movieperson] has undergone a serious transformation, from scrawny teen to pumped-up Hollywood star. But how'd he achieve that full-body makeover? As he told MTV News in a recent interview, the whole process required serious dedication -- at the gym as well as the kitchen table.
"[I was] doubling the amount of calorie intake I had before, which was just really tough, eating every two hours," he explained. "It was the hardest part for sure."
The actor cut out junk food as much as possible, hit the gym four to five days a week ("It's important to get your rest days," he said), and sometimes even had to wake up at the crack of dawn just to guzzle some extra calories before the start of filming on the Vancouver set.
"Sometimes my trainer, when we were filming -- because he was up filming 'New Moon' with us -- he'd wake me up at six in the morning and be like, 'Hey, have a protein shake,' " Lautner said. "And then I'd go back to sleep for a couple hours."
The result of all this hard work was 30 extra pounds on his frame and the distinction of being the true breakout star of "New Moon," following on the heels of [movieperson id="365131"]Robert Pattinson[/movieperson] and [movieperson id="262629"]Kristen Stewart[/movieperson]'s explosive, post-"Twilight" popularity.
But it almost didn't happen for Lautner, who once came close to being [article id="1626538"]replaced as werewolf Jacob Black[/article]. His new physique, however, helped him retain the role. And once on-set, the cast pushed aside any distractions -- from the casting rumors to the gossip about a possible relationship between RPattz and KStew.
"We try and keep that stuff as outside as possible because if we let it get to us, it'll affect our work, and that's all we need to stay focused on," Lautner said.
For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.
