New Face Fridays: Mackenzie Foy Interview!

This Fridays New Face Friday introduced Mackenzie Foy, AKA Renesmee Cullen, Bella and Edward's half human half vampire hybrid daughter. This interview took place during Comic Con this year on July 12th in the Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego.

Question: I’d really like to know what you learned about acting from the other cast members that you got to work with?

Mackenzie: Well, I learned the most by watching them because they would be themselves and then they would become the character that they become.

Q: Is there one thing that you learned by watching one person in particular, that you took in and thought “I want to be able to do that”?

M: There’s some cool stunts that everyone did, there’s a couple of flips and I thought that was very cool.

Q: Now do you want to do gymnastics?

M: (Laughs) No…

Q: You mentioned stunts in the panel… That you got to ride on the back of the ‘wolf Jacob’. Was that a stunt? Were you on a harness or something?

M: I was on a harness… It was really cool.

Q: You can’t tell us anything more?
M: No!
Q: They’ve got you trained!

M: (Laughs)

Q: Now, on the press conference you mentioned the swear jar… Who was the biggest offender?

M: Like I said, I don’t want anybody else to get in trouble! (laughs)

Q: Is there anybody who didn’t have to put any quarters in the swear jar?

M: Um… Stephenie (Meyer), Taylor (Lautner), Noel (Fisher), Dr. Guri (Weinberg), and there were some other people like Miss Tracey (Heggins), Miss Judi (Shekoni). Most of the Cullen guys. They didn't say any swear words. Oh! And Miss Ashley (Greene). She didn't say any.

Q: So, how much about Twilight did you know before you were cast for the part?

M: I knew about the first movie and the second movie.

Q: So you didn't know they had a vampire hybrid baby?

M: I did kind of know because my friends would talk about it at Tae Kwon Do, and they would talk about the books and stuff to me.

Q: Have you since then read any of the books?

M: No, I'm not allowed to read them yet.

Q: So how did you respond to being cast for the part?

M: I was really, really, really excited.

Q: And what about your friends?

M: They were really excited too, they were really sweet and very supportive.

Q: How did you enjoy meeting the fans last night outside in the line?

M: I was happy because they were all really excited to see me and my friends. When I'd take a picture with somebody and sign an autograph they'd be really excited and that makes me really happy.

Q: Is there anything from the set, outfits or mementos that you got to take home or wanted to take home?

M: I got to keep a clip for my hair. It had a pretty little dragonfly on it and I got to keep it.

Q: Did they just use your hair or did they use some enhancements on your hair?

M: I had like half a wig, and it was shaped around my head and that way I could have super long curly hair. And they would have my hair over it (gestures to top layer of hair) and they would curl it and stuff.

Q: How long did it take you to get into your makeup and hair?

M: About, like, 20 minutes or something?
Q: You had it easy!
M: (Laughs).

Q: Since you’re not allowed to read the books, were you allowed to watched the first Twilight movie?

M: I did. I watched the first and the second one, and I saw bits and pieces of Part 1.

Q: You were not allowed to watch the honeymoon, right?

M: No!

Q: You have good parents! You have very good parents!

M: I got to watch the wedding, and I sat through the birth scene.

Q: So what was your favorite part in the movies that you've seen?

M: I think they’re all really good. I like in the first one, how… I just like the first one. And I like the second one too, and all the parts I saw of Part 1.

Q: Did you like the wedding scene?

M: I thought it was really, really good.

Q: What was your first time meeting, Taylor, Kristen and Rob like?

M: Well I met Kristen and Rob in the hair and makeup trailer, and I think the first time I met Taylor was… in the first scene actually.

Q: Really? And you didn’t meet him before?

M: I don't think I did! (long pause…)

Q: Was that awkward?

M: (laughs) No…

Q: Was he just like a big brother?

M: He was like a good friend.

Q: Did you have to go through any CGI work on the computer and make really cool stuff happen?

M: I did. I had to get a face scan, a body scan, and then I would have to sit on this chair that was like, surrounded by lights and cameras, and I had to sit and couldn't move my head. I had to make facial expressions, and move my body without moving my head.

Q: Was Bill Condon there? Did he direct you?

M: He was there for most… I think he missed two? Because he was busy with other stuff.

Q: Did you like Bill?

M: I did, he was really sweet.

Q: Were there any interesting conversations that you had with Stephenie about the character?

M: No.

Q: Are you hoping for Renesmee to get her own spin off?

M: That would be fun!

Q: Would you be up for it?

M: Totally!

Q: How do you feel about the name Renesmee and the nickname Nessie?

M: I like it. I think it’s a really cool name because it’s like Renee and Esme. And I like the character that I play and that they call her Nessie, I think it’s cute.

Q: Did you get a chance to interact with the other actors who play the Cullens?

M: I did! With Miss Nikki, we had American Idol night, and I played football with Taylor. I'm not very good at it (laughs).

Q: When you wrapped up did they show up for your last scene?

M: Yeah, it was just me and Kristen.

Q: You were the final two?

M: Yes.

Q: But the rest of the crew probably showed up right? “That’s a wrap on Mackenzie”!

M: The crew was there and the visual effects guy and all that stuff, because it had to do with the wolves. All the other cast, they weren't wrapped yet, they just had the day off so it was just me and Kristen. It was nice.

Q: Did you have to act younger than you are now?

M: Um, I did. But it was like a body double, that way I have different bodies (in the movie) and they would have to put my face on their bodies. It’s kinda cool.

Q: If you came to Comic-Con, and not as a part of Twilight, what would you dress up as?

M: A traffic cone.

Q: Do you think you're going to enjoy any of Comic-Con after today’s over?

M: I don’t know. But my dad is checking it out right now. I’m like “There’s an incredible Hulk t-shirt, you should get me one!”

Q: Have you had any encounters where you've been spotted outside of events like these, where someone has recognized you?

M: Yes, I got noticed at the mall once.

Q: And did you have to take a picture or sign an autograph?

M: I took a picture with her.

Q: While they were filming, they filmed both movies at the same time, did you ever have one of the cast members come and be confused about shooting a film or a part for part 1 or part 2, was that confusing for anybody?

M: No, because we had two different films but we shot them simultaneously. So you get a mini-script where you get the scenes for the day, and it says if it’s for part 1 or part 2, and what the scene is.

Q: Right, and you didn't have to worry too much about it because you were only on part two.

M: (laughs).

Q: Who was the biggest prankster on set? Or the biggest jokester?

M: Rob was pretty funny. He had some pretty funny jokes.

Q: He made you laugh a lot?

M: Yes. And Mr. Guri, he was really funny too.

Q: He is very funny.

M: He was, like, “ Don't call me Mr. Guri!” and then I said “Ok, Dr. Guri”. and now I call him Dr Guri.

Q: What’s your favorite part of being Renesmee?

M: I like all of it. It was my first movie character, and she’s a really good character to play because there’s just so many things involved in the character.

Q: Do you have new things coming out?

M: I do. I have a new film coming out called The Warren Files, and a new independent film called Plastic Jesus.

Q: I have to ask, do you like cats or dogs better?

M: I love dogs and cats, because I have two dogs and one cat.

Q: Well, that is probably better for Jacob in the long run.

M: (Laughs). I like dogs, they're really cute. And I love kittens, they're so soft.

Q: They were talking about how you lost a tooth during the filming?

M: I lost like five.

Q: So did you have, like, one of those bridges in?

M: I think I had like four flippers. And I lost a molar, but it was ok with that one.

Q: And now you have all your teeth.

M: Yes, I do. I have all my big girl teeth. I am growing new molars in the back.

Q: So did you have to go to the dentist and get the flippers set several different times?

M: I had to go to the flipper Doctor. I usually go to one here, well not here-here but in LA. Dr. Smith, he’s the flipper Doctor. And I had another flipper Doctor in Vancouver.

Q: Did you film primarily just in Vancouver, or were you able to go to New Orleans also?

M: We had to shoot some of it in North Carolina, not North Carolina, Louisiana (laughs) and then we did in Vancouver.

Q: Awesome. Did you get to visit any cool places on your days off?

M: I did. We went to like this swampy kind of thing? (laughs). And we went to Cafe Du Monde.

Q: And are you looking forward to being part of the movie promo worldwide? And is there a country that you would like to visit?

M: I would like to visit China, I would like to visit London and Italy. I like Italy.

Q: Do you think you’ll get to go on something like The Tonight Show or David Letterman?

M: I don’t know!

Q: Have you thought about that?

M: I haven’t! (nervously).

Q: Oh, no, now I scared her! She’s going to panic, oh, no! Would you like to do something like that?

M: It would be fun! I’d like to go on The Ellen Show.

Q: You can show Ellen some of your Tae Kwon Do. That would be a great episode.

M: Yes!

via

New Face Friday: Erik Odom talks 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2'

Twilight Examiner got to interview Erik Odom, who portrays Peter the nomad in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 for this week’s New Face Friday.
Enjoy this exclusive new interview with Odom, along with this never-before-seen character art and quote from the film!

Peter, the vampire who was spared by his best friend Jasper Hale during the vicious Southern Wars, wanders the continent with his mate Charlotte and descends upon Forks, Washington in the Cullen family’s time of need.
In Breaking Dawn - Part 2 Bella notes, “The nomads Rosalie and Emmett sent were even more unpredictable -- especially Peter, who had fought alongside Jasper as a newborn.”

Erik Odom has quickly become a Twilight fan favorite and uses his Twitter and Facebook pages to communicate with fans on a regular basis.
You’ll see him next in Rogue Machine Theater's A Bright New Boise, which kicks off next weekend in Los Angeles!

Q: When you walked into Comic-Con [at the end of the Breaking Dawn – Part 2 cast panel], you got some of the biggest shouts out of all the newcomers. How did that feel?

Erik: It was unbelievable. The only thing I could say it compared to was the Part 1 premiere when I walked down the red carpet. It’s just, you try to prepare yourself for it as much as you can, you know maybe the response will be big but maybe it won’t, you try to be ready for everything … but when it hits you, your knees buckle. I mean my knees buckled. It’s one of the craziest, craziest things. But the fanbase has always been so enthusiastic, so passionate. And I think part of it has always been a combination of people loving the character Peter and just also being on Twitter and being on Facebook and having fans reach out, just trying to interact as much as possible and including the fans as much as you can, you know. Because the fans are what make the fandom what it is.

Q: People love Peter, but they also love Peter with Charlotte. Their relationship’s really special, and I know that that’s something we hope to see on-screen, and I was wondering how far in advance did you meet Valorie [Curry], and you know make it into a rhythm with her and feel like you could portray that on-screen?

Erik: What was great about Valorie, even more so than a lot of the other vampires who I met once we went to Louisiana together, I actually – I didn’t know her personally, but we had a lot of mutual friends in Los Angeles – so through the small world of Facebook, we were able to link up after the whole casting announcement came up, and we actually grabbed lunch before we even started filming, before we left. So, we went to a place in L.A., sat down for about two hours, and after the initial twenty minutes of ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m a part of this; Oh my God I can’t believe I’m a part of this!’ After twenty minutes of us geeking out together about how cool it was, we really dug in and talked about Peter and Charlotte’s relationship and their relationship to the other vampires. You know, because the covens are such an interesting thing, they call the nomads a coven but really it’s Peter and Charlotte versus the world. You know, so we talked about really diving into the relationship, back to Maria [in Eclipse] and back to the newborn army and their relationship with Alice and Jasper, and it was just nice that by the time we got to Louisiana together, we already had the seeds of this relationship planted, you know? It was really nice. I love Valorie. 

Q: How much of that backstory do you think will make it onto the film?

Erik: That’s tough because there’s … we shot a lot of stuff, and you just don’t know how much will make it into the movie because there’s so many vampires that are in there. So, you take what you can from the script, and you take what you can from Stephenie [Meyer]’s universe and what’s in the book, and you try to fill up your piece and your moments on-screen as much as you can. So, I’m not sure exactly how much’ll actually end up in the film, but Val and I really worked to get across as much as we could in the limited time that we had.

Q: Did you get to talk to Stephenie about the backstory of Peter too?

Erik: Yeah, well what’s great is Stephenie’s a producer on the film, so she was on set every day, and she was insanely busy so I picked my spots with her. There were a couple of times, you know, especially at the beginning where if I saw an opportunity to go over and have a word with her just shortly I would. We would talk a little bit about it, just to fill in the blanks, because Peter he’s a big character in the book … So, it’s just kind of trying to fill in those blanks and also I had read Midnight Sun before we started filming and wanted to connect Midnight Sun over to the main four books and create this cohesive character, you know, that is linked together and is consistent with what she intended when she wrote Peter. 

Q: Do you think you felt more pressure for getting Peter right for the fans because he is such a popular character than some of the other castmembers that might not have a character that is so well-loved? There’s so much fanfiction for Peter and Charlotte. The fanbase is so big for Peter and Charlotte.

Erik: Yeah, well I think it’s an interesting thing. I don’t know that ‘pressure’ is necessarily the right word, because pressure has somewhat of a negative connotation to it. I think more of a responsibility to the fans because of the expectations that they have for the character. And responsibility is more like opportunity, so you embrace it and really, you do your due diligence, you do your character work, you try to integrate parts of yourself and make it your own, and hopefully you make something that is true to what the fans want. So, there was a lot of going back through and just making sure that all the research was there. And then also, a big thing for me and what I found most interesting about the character was his relationship to Jasper, which is such a big thing, so going back over and watching the films over again and watching what Jackson [Rathbone] did with the character. You know, the thing about Jasper is he had the military thing, you know, very proper posture and always shoulders pulled back, very official, and what’s interesting is knowing he and Peter were best friends and then they split off when Peter and Charlotte got away … so what I thought about was what has Peter gone through since they split. You know, he was Jasper’s right hand man, and then once he went off on his own what did living off the land and being a nomad, how did that change him? So, I wanted to try and find ways to make him connected to Jasper while also showing the change that has occurred since they’ve been apart from each other. So, it was a fun thing to explore, I hope it resonates with the fans. I hope they’re able to pick up on what I was trying to do there. I think it is interesting with the character.

Q: Do you know how soon we’re going to get a good close-up image of Peter and Charlotte?

Erik: I don’t. I’m waiting as much as you guys are. I’m dying to see us, but I’m not sure. 

Q: There was that long shot from the trailer …

Erik: Yeah, there’s a long shot where you can pick out my belt buckle a little bit more than you can pick out the rest of my costume but I’m there! So, hopefully something’ll come through before too long, but I think they’re working on it. I think we’ll see it before too long.

Q: When you found out you were cast in this – I know you had known Jack Morrissey, so you had a relationship with Bill Condon – but aside from him, who were you most excited to get to work with in this film?

Erik: Oh, there’s a lot of them for a lot of different reasons. For one, I’m a huge fan of Kristen [Stewart]’s. I think Kristen is just a really great performer. Michael Sheen’s another one. There were little moments here and there with Michael where it was just fun to watch him work, you know? And really just watching these actors at the top of their game just going back and forth and sparring with each other during these scenes really going for it. There are a lot of them. I’d say Kristen, Michael, Noel Fisher’s another guy who I was a big fan of before we started filming, and he’s really great. And then to be completely honest, I’ve probably been crushing on Ashley Greene since day one, so that was … it was nice to work with her too, she’s a sweetheart. 

Q: You’re from the south, and you’re playing Peter who’s southern … will he have any kind of accent?

Erik: Well, I have my normal accent … What’s nice about Peter is there are so many parallel things with me. You know, I’m a southern boy – I’m from Virginia – and I moved around a lot as a kid, I’m a nomad. There’s a lot of things that connect with him … Whether it’s wardrobe or the way he carries himself, it’s all very southern. I think it’ll definitely come across. There’s some really nice touches that Michael Wilkinson the costume designer put on us that I think fans are really going to like it. I know I did. I had a freak-out moment the first time I saw myself all decked out. 

Q: What kinds of stuff are you auditioning for now? I mean, a lot of fans are like putting you out there for Finnick [in Catching Fire] or these leads in these other YA series; what kind of stuff are you going for at the moment?

Erik: What’s great about being a part of the [Twilight] universe is that it really is like a family. The Twilight family really embraces you and they do, they throw your name in the hat for all sorts of stuff, and I was a huge fan of The Hunger Games … So, I was really flattered for the fans to mention me in the same league as these other actors that were up for Finnick. But it’s just been auditioning for a lot of different things. You know, I’m also working on something that I’m helping to create. There’s a movie I can’t say too much about but hopefully we’re going to shoot next summer. It’s a fun little project that has some interesting Twilight connections as far as the people that are working on it, and that’s pretty much all I can say now, but it’s going to be really exciting. But yeah it’s just going out there and continuing to audition and build relationships and keep working.

Q: What’s been the biggest surprise or the biggest eye-opening moment for you on this journey, in all the interactions you’ve had – from the premiere to Comic-Con – what really stood out to you the most?

Erik: What’s been probably the biggest thing to me is going to these events - and you know whether it’s the premiere or whether it’s Comic-Con, or whether it’s a party here or a party there related to Twilight - is you see the same fans. You see the real, real hardcore fans. You see them over and over again at these events, and it’s so many people that you think, there’s no way that you’re going to remember these people by name or remember your relationship with them, but I’ve made so many relationships with these fans that you know I come to these events now and I know them on a first-name basis, I’m asking them how their kids are doing, ya know? It’s a really funny thing to be able to develop these personal relationships in the middle of this humongous thing. 

Q: Do you think Twitter plays a big part in that too?

Erik: Twitter definitely does. There’s a really big community on there and I try to be as active as I can, just because I understand what it’s like to be such a huge fan of something and so passionate about something, and I think it goes back to that responsibility thing of knowing it's bigger than just Twilight. It’s a community of these people who are so passionate about the same thing, and I think that’s so great. I want to encourage that as much as possible, so for me if that means jumping on and talking to all the fans and building relationships with them, it’s as much if not more fun for me to get to meet people so excited about something. You see a lot of cynicism and people really getting negative towards Twilight and the fans and everything, and I just don’t get it! Everybody should be this passionate about something. You know, so for this fandom it happens to be Twilight, and I think it’s great.

Q: You said that you know what it’s like to be a big fan of something; what is that thing that you love?

Erik: Oh, I’m a huge basketball fan. And I apologize to all of my Twitter followers, I’m a huge basketball fan and I’m a huge college football fan, and I know it doesn’t necessarily run right alongside Twilight, so I have a lot of followers who are huge Twilight fans and during football season and basketball season I kill ‘em with my basketball and football tweets … I’m not playing to the right audience with that at all! Except for you Amanda!

Amanda: I was about to say, you know better.

Patty: I’m from Kentucky, so you can tweet about Kentucky all you want.

Erik: There ya go. Kentucky, yeah! I know the Wildcats. I don’t know the University of Kentucky … I used to live in Kentucky, when I was ten I used to live right there in Fort Campbell, Kentucky right on the border by Clarksville, Tennessee. That’s a big part of where my accent came from, actually. Gave me a big accent during my formative years there!

Q: What’s your dream project?

Erik: Oh… I don’t even know that’s such a hard question … What is so lucky - and this is such a cornball answer, but it’s really true – is I have a group of directors that are on the bucket list, and there’s a bunch of them … but one of the guys that is near the top of that list is Bill. So, I don’t know, I’m still kind of riding off this high of oh my God, this is the first major film … and this is a major, major, major film … that I've ever worked on. This is my first huge feature, and the fact that it's with Bill Condon, the fact that I can cross that name off my list of directors, and that’s the first one that I’m really crossing off, it’s pretty incredible.

New Face Friday: Guri Weinberg talks 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2'

Twilightish hosted this week's "New Face Friday" interview, which introduces Guri Weinberg, who portrays Stefan of Romanian Coven!

Question: What did you think of your costume and your makeup the very first time you saw yourself fully decked out as your character?

Guri: Well I loved it. I mean it was a little freaky but I loved it. It was exactly what Michael, who is the head wardrobe guy wanted when we first met and we put on the wardrobe. The eyes were a little weird, cause I don’t wear contact lenses, so it took them half an hour to put them in and then it took me another good half an hour to see through them. So when I actually figured out what I looked like, I was pretty happy with it.

Question: You had never worn contacts before? That’s got to be a crazy situation.

Guri: Ya, it was awful. But because we had a whole department of people that handled the contacts and put them in our eyes. The first two weeks it would drive them crazy because it would take them a good half hour to put them in my eyes and they said you know we are never going to get through this and I said well you should try to be me.

Question: You had posted a lot on your blog about working on set with cast and your experiences from the set and since then. What kind of fan interaction have you had a result of that?

Guri: What kind of fan interaction did I what?

Question: I am just curious what kind of fan interaction you have had as a result. A lot of people don’t get into stories about the set. That’s kind of given us an inside look. So I was just curious if you had any fan reaction from that.

Guri: I always get, oh hey no disrespect but Go Fuck Yourself and it’s like how is that no disrespect?

Question: On your blog you made a mention that you got the twitter account and bought the blog and you started all the social media after you were cast. So do you think that Social Media has changed acting in a sense because of the way that you can interact with fans?

Guri: Well it hasn’t changed acting it’s more changed how actors interact with fans. It almost feels like a second job which I kinda don’t appreciate cause I don’t get paid for it. But it’s been really cool cause, joking aside, cause you get to know the fans, the fans get to know you. What I found most great about it is I got to know more about my character then I ever knew just reading the book, from the fans.

Question: What sort of things did you learn?

Guri: I’ve learned his past about losing his family, and this is where it wasn’t even in the book. Which is interesting because that’s part of one of the things that I came up with before I found out all of the rest of that information. As an actor you gotta take a character and sorta build their past, present, and how their past affected them in todays time. How they react to things. So it was very interesting to hear fans perspective, about my character and how they felt about it. And knowing about what we did in the movie makes me giggle cause a lot of it they got right and some that they didn’t.

Question: Did you do a lot of that character building before hand with Noel Fisher or did you build on your own and tell him “Hey this is what I came up with?”

Guri: I don’t want to speak for Noel, but I will speak for myself, I did it by myself at first. Noel and I met briefly in wardrobe fitting in LA, and then in October we had to go to Baton Rogue to camera, lighting tests, makeup tests, you know with Bill Condon, with everyone else. And so what happened was we had a meeting regarding our character. He wanted to hear what our ideas were and he wanted to let us know what his ideas were. And out of that meeting, really all three of us talked about what we wanted. We flushed it out and that’s how we came to be on the same page.

Question: We saw a still with you guys sitting around the campfire and it looks like they are looking at you and Noel as Vladimir, will we get to see some of that backstory looked upon? Like his war story that he’s talking about at the campfire?

Guri: I don’t know how much I am allowed to reveal, but Im just gonna put it more on the wide scope where we all talked about our experiences. You are not going to be able to pull it out of me.

Question: How much did you have to give Mackenzie in the swear jar. You are the one that kinda started it with her. How much did you have to give her?

Guri: Well I was lucky enough in the spirit that I didn’t have as much money as Rob and Kristen did, so she let me get away with it. But I was the one that told her to start a swear jar cause I felt that I was not a big help. She’s like a ninja, the way she comes up you don’t hear her. So at first you think it’s just us adults and then Mackenzie is there looking at you with that really disappointed look.

Question: How much did she charge?

Guri: I am not quite sure, because she never charged me. You are gonna have to ask her about that?

Question: We’ll have to save that for the next time we talk to her.

Guri: Exactly

Question: I know that you did a couple of conventions and then you ended up at Comic Con with all the rest of the new vampires. How was the experience been acting face to face with the fans? Have you found it overwhelming at all?

Guri: Ya it’s very overwhelming. Especially you think you aren't in the whole saga, no one knows who I am, they haven’t seen the whole movie yet, and it’s the opposite because they do feel that they know who you are because of the character that you are playing. They are so warm and open with you. It’s kind of overwhelming to step into that and, well you know I am just going to say love, cause it’s like “You haven’t seen the movie, give it a second, you might not like me so much.” It’s been great. I love it. I love the fans. I think Twilight fans are probably the most special fans that I have ever encountered.

Question: Ah, well thank you.

Guri: No, well thank you. I didn’t do anything, you guys did it.

Question: Do you think that you could spend thousands of years with Noel Fisher like Vladimir and

Stefan do together?

Guri: I don’t think I can spend thousands of years with myself, let alone someone else for thousands of

years. So no. The answer to that is no.

Question: How did you wrap your head around someone that lived for like 3000 years or something else like that? Not only that, everyone else is coming to defend the Cullens and Renesmee and you have someone who is just really bent on revenge more then anything else. How do you build that character that is so old and his this burning desire to have revenge?

Guri: For me it was actually a pretty interesting road to get there. When I got the part, well before I got the part I did some research about how did Romanians live 3000 years ago and then I found out that the Romans were in charge 3000 years ago and everyone hated the Romans because they were viscious. So my whole thing was, when he was a human, when he fought the romans, he lost his family to the Romans, he died, and became a vampire. That’s why the Romanians took over. For him it was a show of power against the Romans, but next thing you know the Volturi come again, and to him it’s like the Romans again. The Romans destroyed everything he had once again. For him it happened twice in a row. Anyone can understand when you have had everything that you love taken away from you, it’s just instinctual to have rage and want revenge. So it consumes you.

Question: Did you get a chance to talk to Stephanie Meyer about the history or the background of your character at all?

Guri: Stephenie and I never talked about that. Stephenie and I when we were hanging out and talking, we talked and joked about everything else. The cool thing about Stephenie is that she trusted the actors and Bill Condon to do our jobs. And our jobs as professionals is to come up with the characters, understand she wrote and bring it to life.

New Face Friday: Noel Fisher talks 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2'

Team-Twilight interviewed Noel Fisher this week, as part of "New Face Friday". Noel plays Vladimir of Romanian Coven, and in this interview, he talks about his experience on Breaking Dawn, Part 2, palling around with Stephenie Meyer, what he goes fanboy crazy for and more!

Check it out below:

It’s been a really good year for you professionally, with playing a great character on Shameless, and then the role of Cotton Top on Hatfields & McCoys. What made you pick a 3000 year old grumpy vampire? Why did you want that role?

I actually booked Twilight before Shameless or Hatfields & McCoys, but obviously the Twilight franchise is in a world of its own, a class of its own. It’s really really different from anything else I’ve ever done. And that’s something that I try and do with my parts, kind of pick parts that are really different from one another and I’m also just a huge geek at heart, too. I love vampire stuff, I love fantasy/sci-fi, and all that kind of stuff so it’s right up my alley. That was another lucky thing. I get to play like a 3000 year old bad-ass vampire. That’s awesome!

You filmed Hatfields & McCoys in Romania and you played a Romanian vampire inBreaking Dawn. Did you feel a special bond with the country when you were there filming?

I don’t know, I basically thought it was a really funny coincidence that I was going there just a few months after Twilight wrapped. I thought that was quite funny. We shot near Vlad the Impaler’s actual castle, which isn’t really a castle anymore. It’s basically a bunch of rubble now, but some of the drivers in Romania were telling us that just a few miles from where we were was a pile of rubble that was actually Vlad the Impaler’s old spot. So I thought that was kind of cool.

Can you tell us what it was like when you saw yourself fully decked out in your vampire gear with the red eyes for the first time?

In a word: Amazing. I thought that all the artistic stuff we did with this movie, in terms of wardrobe and makeup and hair and everything, really I thought it was very top notch. There’s something really special and transformative to put on all these really specific pieces of clothing and to have the eyes in, it really helped me with that very regal kind of attitude that the Romanians have from being that kind of royal group.

What was it like joining such an established franchise? Did you feel like the new kid on set?

I actually found it really welcoming. I think it was really wonderful because it was a really big group of newbies coming on. Basically, one of the really nice things about the set was that all the Cullens, and all the people that have been doing this for a long time, all they way up the ladder to Wyck, to everyone, everyone was very welcoming. It created a very warm kind of atmosphere on set, so that was kind of my experience, so I had a blast.

What was it like filming Breaking Dawn so close to home in Vancouver?

Actually, Twilight was the very first job that I’ve ever gone back to Vancouver to shoot since I moved to Los Angeles, which was really surprising. It was really cool. The hotel that we stayed at was literally three blocks away from my sister’s apartment. It was really wonderful to get to go home and see my sister, to see my family, to run around to all the little restaurants and cafes that I used to hang out at. It was really fun.

If you could create your own fan site, what would it be about? What are you really passionate about?

Oh, man, there’s a lot of stuff. I’m kind of all over the place with it. It depends on what I am currently obsessed with. Like right now I am really obsessed with a Showtime series called Homeland that I’m just totally falling for. Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead. Anything that’s fantasy is right up my alley. So anything involving that stuff would be pretty sweet. Breaking Bad is not exactly fantasy, but is another one that I’m pretty into.

Could you share some of your jokes, pranks or experiences with you and Guri [Weinberg] on the set?

The story that comes to mind a lot of the time for me, I was doing a scene where I had to — well, it’s not so much a prank because it wasn’t done on purpose, but I had a scene where I had to kind of squat down for a moment and it was right at the end of the day, and it was literally the last shot of the day and we were trying to wrap and everything. I remember they called, “Rolling!” and then, “Action!” and we started doing our stuff, and I do a squat and I just heard this big rip. I had basically ripped the back of my pants completely open, so everybody got a nice shot of my underwear. So I had to go over to the wardrobe lady and she literally sewed it back up while I was still wearing the pants in between takes. I had to run back out and get it one more time, and it ripped again. That was a good moment!

Did you and Guri try to work together to come up with the Romanian accent, or how did you guys work to make a cohesive Romanian coven?

We both sat down with Bill. That was something — I was just constantly impressed with Bill Condon because he sat down with all of the new covens and new vampires, including the Romanians, and he basically just sat us down and asked us what were we thinking? What were our thoughts on the characters? It was obviously something that we both wanted was to be able to do the accent and to do that in a way that was going to be really interesting and kind of unique. He was totally down for that and we got this dialect coach and came up with this — not a modern Romanian accent because they are so old, it had to be like an amalgamation of ancient Romanion and a lot of influence from the surrounding areas around Romania because they’d been around for so long and you add all of that into it. So we just created our own unique dialect. That was one of the really cool parts about doing the character, something that really helped me fall into the character, getting to put on that accent. I’m really glad that we got to do that.

When you learned that you were cast, who were you most excited to get to work with on this project?

Well, off the top, I’ve been a big fan of Bill Condon’s for a while. But the thing that’s really interesting about these movies is that you kind of know everyone. Like Peter Facinelli — his show on Showtime, Nurse Jackie, is great. There are so many aspects like Kristen’s been doing movies for obviously a very long time. And she’s been fantastic in everything she’s done, so like it’s really nice to get to work with people who are really experienced. It’s like a learning opportunity.

Marlane [Barnes, in a previous interview] told us that she was really impressed with your dancing skills in the flash mob that you guys did. Can you tell us a bit about your experience that day?

That was orchestrated by some of the new vampires and Toni Trucks rounded us up and brought us into a back room and, they had a little stereo and played this song and they walked us through the steps. We all just sort of fumbled around it until we sort of got it, and then tried to keep it hidden from the people we were going to serve.

We hear you’ve got the moves.

I’m glad somebody thinks so!

Did you have any conversations with Stephenie about your character?

Not a lot, actually. I had a few brief talks with her about the history and stuff, but it actually was brought up in the Illustrated Guide that she came out with a little while ago. But no for the most part, Stephenie and I talked a lot about — one of our favorite authors is Orson Scott Card and we had this big discussion. Actually, I think Summit is doing one of his books into a movie. It’s called Ender’s Game, one of my all time favorite books ever, and also one of Stephenie’s. We had a lot of conversations about book recommendations. In fact, she still owes me a book list of stuff that I’m supposed to read.

Are you trying out for a part in Ender’s Game?

No, I’m too old for anything in that, I think. But I’m super stoked about that. It’s going to be awesome. It’s such a good story, I can’t wait to see the movie.

New Face Friday: Marlane Barnes talks 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2'

The latest "New Face Friday" interview was held over at Twilight Facebook, and focused on Marlene Barnes, who portrays Maggie in the Irish Coven!
Check out the interview below!

 

Q: Your character Maggie knows when people are telling lies. Are you good at telling when people are lying to you in real-life?
Marlane: I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of character now. I feel like that's one of the things that acting has done for me is you get to see when people are acting.

Q: Did Stephenie Meyer talk with you at all about your character?
Marlane: You know, I actually didn't talk much with Stephenie about my character on set, I know that Lisa [Howard] did, but yeah I didn't really get a chance to do that. I was interested that when I read the - cause you know she put out that comprehensive fan book - and I was interested to see that a lot of the choices I had made for Maggie were pretty similar to what she already had in mind, so I feel like we just kind of both knew... that we were on the same page.

Q: So did you fan-girl on her a little bit?
Marlane: You know, I actually had not read the books before I was cast. I read them once I was going to take the part in the film, so for me ... Yeah, I don't know, I guess I was a little afraid of her. She's like this reigning queen of this huge world, and she's very busy and was on set a lot doing very important things, so I just kind of had my brush-ins when I did and tried not to interfere the rest of the time. But yeah she's really lovely and very sweet to everybody and very involved in the film, I think probably just as much as anybody else.

Q: What was it like to see yourself in your full costume and makeup and the vampire eyes for the first time?
Marlane: It's pretty amazing, actually. You know, cause the costume designer Michael [Wilkinson] was really open with us about like 'Oh, do you like this? Do you like that?' and I remember just kind of being like, 'Oh yes, yes, yes, all of that.' It wasn't until later that I was like why did I agree to these high-heeled boots? You know, everything came together in this way that really I feel like gave the Irish Coven a sense of time and place, and you know the eyes do a lot of the work for you. You put those red vampire eyes in and you don't even really have to do any acting because you just are cool. I think that was pretty awesome.

Q: What was your favorite day on set?
Marlane: My favorite day on the set was probably the day we put together the flash mob for Bill Condon. That was the same day that we were doing the press kit, and getting together to try and do our posters, so we were doing the photography for those. And we were also shooting, and then also Lee Pace and Mia Maestro came up with this idea to do this flash mob, and Toni Trucks got on board, and she kind of dance-captained the whole thing, and everybody, actually met at lunch which is like 6:00 on set time, and we got together and learned this dance and it was kind of a last day of summer camp kind of feel to it... I mean, I know a lot of people compare making  the Twilight movies to camp, but I think there's a lot of truth to that, and everybody did it and no one was too cool for school and we got out there and they had the Assistant Director and the DP [Director of Production] and the sound guy all in on this joke, and the only person who didn't know was Bill, and I think some of the crew knew kind of something was going on, and the Volturi kind of knew something was going on. So getting out on the field and just kind of busting into this dance was a really amazing experience. I don't think it's something you can ever recreate.

Q: Any talk of this dance-off or flash mob making it onto the DVD?
Marlane: You know, we did have a guy on set who was doing behind-the-scenes footage, and I know that he was forewarned about it and got some footage of it, but I also know that because we did it to 'Sweet Dreams Are Made of These' and you know they don't have the rights to that song, so there's a lot of confusion as to whether or not they could actually put it on the DvD... So, I'm excited myself to see if it shows up there because it was a really fun thing to do.

Q: Can you share with us who was the best dancer?
Marlane: Oh goodness... I mean, Guri [Weinberg] and Noel [Fisher] are probably the funniest men I know. Together, they are the quite dynamic duo, and I seem to remember their involvement being pretty comical. So, I'm going to go ahead and vote or Team Romanians on that.

Q: Speaking of other castmates, were you surprised when you saw anybody else's costume?
Marlane: I was really surprised at how beautiful the Denalis' were, frankly. I don't think I had thought very much about what an Alaskan coven would look like, and all the fur and the leather, I just thought they looked really beautiful and it all looked great together. So, I'm going to vote for them, especially Casey [LaBow]'s outfit. I don't wear fur myself, but I thought it really looked good, you know? It really looked authentic.

Q: What did it feel like coming into an established franchise? You know, did you feel like the new kid?
What was it like joining the cast?
Marlane: Right, well, because there were so many of us that were new, and because the production crew really took us by the hand and we never had to worry like where we had to be and that kind of thing, and just the sheer number of us that walked in together... I don't know, it wasn't as awkward as it seems like it should've been. Because there was so many of us, it was not like being the new kid in school because you know there were twenty-five new kids and we outnumbered the school. So, you know, it was new for everybody and I think that made it easier, but I feel like the cast that were already there were really welcoming and you know excited to have new people on-board, so yeah it was a good experience, really.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about how long you had to keep it a secret that you were cast and when you could finally tell, who was the first person you told that you got cast in a Twilight movie?
Marlane: Oh, sure, well they did not tell me that I had to keep it a secret, so I told my mom right away and most of my family and close friends, but then it kind of came down that 'Oh, you know, if you put anything online,' and I have a pretty private Facebook account anyway, so I feel like it was only close friends that knew about it for quite a few months, 'cause I got cast in September [2010], and I don't think they came out with the cast list until maybe October of that year, and they were kind of releasing certain names here and there and it kind of took a while for my coven to come out. So, this whole process has been like... You know, you have to keep like little things to yourself to keep it fun for everyone and exciting, so that's definitely part of it.

Q: Any Twi-hards in that list of friends who were especially excited?
Marlane: Yeah! You know, one of my very closest friends from school was really into Twilight while we were in school. She used to watch it all the time. She and her roommate would just sit and watch it all day together... I don't know how... they would just get all the movies that have come out so far and watch them over and over again, so she was pretty excited about that and pretty shocked I think. And it was surreal for me because I remembered her watching them, but I was never over there when she did it, so it was 'Oh yeah, I remember you were really big into that.' Yeah, so that was neat. And I have some cousins that are in high school, so that was pretty exciting for them as well.

Q: I was wondering, you play an Irish character, how do you prepare for that?
Marlane: Well, I actually got an MF [Master of Fine Arts] in acting and a lot of my training was in voice and dialect. So, I actually had already had an Irish dialect before I was cast, so I didn't have to worry about that, and then the rest of the work was just about brushing up on my Irish history and choosing my time period for Maggie and deciding for myself how she and Siobhan and Liam had come together, and that was the thing that I was most surprised about with what Stephenie Meyer put out in that companion book, that Siobhan and Liam had been together first and then they added me into it, and that first she and Liam didn't get along very well but then they all do, and I sort of thought like 'Oh, that's exactly how I think of it,' so I was pretty impressed that... I feel like her - and I've said this to someone else - I feel like the way that Stephenie writes, even if she doesn't specifically say all of the details she has in her head about these characters, I think it comes out in the writing anyway. Just the way that she envisions them and how they interact with one another. I feel like it's all there, you know?

Q: What was it like working with Patrick [Brennan] and Lisa on set?
Marlane: Oh, it was great working with Patrick and Lisa. Lisa is so much fun. She's a Broadway musical theater actress, so she's very jolly and we joked around a lot and sang a lot of songs, and Patrick is really just the perfect example of a gentleman giant. He's tall, he's sweet, and he's softspoken. You know, he's very heartfelt, so I couldn't have asked for a better couple of people to spend all that time with.

Patrick Brennan (Liam from the Irish Coven) on Breaking Dawn - Part 2.

Patrick Brennan as "Liam" in Breaking Dawn Part 2

Letters to Twilight got to interview Patrick Brennan, the actor who plays 'Liam' from the Irish Coven in Breaking dawn Part 2.

Check out his interview below!

You’re one of the new vampires who has gotten a chance to interact with the fans at some Twilight conventions. Can you talk a little bit about what your experience has been with the Twilight fans so far?

Sure yeah. It’s been absolutely amazing. When I got involved in Twilight I knew it was a big deal, but I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was. And then you get to these conventions & you see these people who have formed a community, and they all support one another and are there for one another. And the way they support us– it’s almost a little— it’s a little crazy at first. But the way they support you and show you so much love it’s a great thing. I’m always humbled by it, and not to be corny or anything but I’m really touched by it.

When you found out you were going to work on this movie, who were you most excited to work with?

You know I have a scene with all the guys- Robert Pattinson – the 3 of those guys- and Kristen- I found them to be so… I was looking forward to meeting those three – I found them to be so welcoming and down to earth and normal. I don’t know what I was expecting but I wasn’t expecting that. I found them all to be really really great people. And funny and weird and cool. And when I did my scene with Jacob I was stumbling over lines and thought “wow—it’s too odd. I’m sitting across from these Twilight stars.” It took me awhile to get in my body & get in the scenes. I was nervous. And Michael Sheen- I’ve always admired him as an actor. And I didn’t get to do much with him, but I got to know him a little bit on set. I’ve always admired his work as an actor.

Your character is steeped in the history of Ireland and I was wondering if you brought any of that heritage to bear on how your portrayed the character?

I’m Irish. I come from Irish ancestors and my wife is from a section in Manhattan called Hells Kitchen which is all Irish. I have a lot of good friends that live in that area. So I find the Irish are my favorite kind of people. They’re a little crazy — have lived some tragic lives, but they still have their humor and they’re as tough as nails. They might drink a little too much, but that Irish thing runs pretty deep in me. I’m an Irishman myself. I have a clover tattooed on my arm. I’ve always had a connection to Irish people, ya know? When I was out at the convention in England I got to go to Dublin for the first time and hang out in the pubs and talk with the locals. It was a great experience. I had never been to Ireland before. And I got to sip some Guinness and sing some songs with REAL Irishman.

Do you have any fun stories you can share from filming? We love to hear stuff that you did on your off time!

Actors together are like overgrown children. We did a lot of silly little pranks on set. But we all as a group bonded instantly and we’d take trips into New Orleans every chance we could and enjoy the jazz- that was fun.

Who were you hanging out with?

Well Billy Tancredi and I became really close friends. Billy is actually the Godfather of my newborn daughter. We became really close. Rami Malek & I became close. Omar Metwally is a good friend. I met a lot of good people. That was my crew: Omar, Rami and Billy.

What was it like coming into such an established franchise. Did you feel like the new kid? What were your feelings joining everyone?

Well i was nervous- extremely nervous. Like I said Bill Condon and all those people and the guys that have been there through the whole thing- Robert and all those guys- they did have a way of putting you at ease. And I found them to be so normal. Maybe I was expecting them to be movie stars who were stand-offish, but they weren’t like that. I knew it was a big deal, but once you go to the conventions and see how big it is, it is pretty awesome.

I was just nervous. I did my scene the 2nd night there. And Bill [Condon] had to just calm me down. It was the biggest thing I’ve never been involved in- my big break, so I was extremely nervous. The people were so great from top to bottom- Bill Condon- I can’t say enough about him! What a decent, kind, artistic, gentle cool dude. He has a way of making you feel real involved- makes you feel like you mattered. He helped me with my nerves.

Tell us what you are taking away from being part of the last film and this fandom

That’s kind of deep! When this job came along I was really kind of at a low point in my life. [I was] really struggling as an actor & supporting myself and [my family]. And this job came along and I have nothing but gratitude for it. It just really saved my life- and I don’t know how to really put it. It’s given me confidence & self esteem and helped me make some strides in the business and I have nothing but gratitude for the whole thing. I feel very lucky, and I’m sure there were hundreds of people who came out to play Liam and it’s very humbling and I feel lucky. I feel lucky.

What were some of the things you did to bond with the other cast members on set?

You know it’s weird. you think there would be a couple people here and there you don’t get along with, but when you’re staying at the same hotel and you’re kinda on top of one another working all day, together you form all these great friendships and there was not one bad seed in the whole bunch. I think the people out there are gonna really love this new group of vampires. They are really good people. And it was kinda interesting- we got to the hotel and had dinner and I think we all really liked each other which is important because sometimes we’d spend sometimes 15 hours together on set and it was pretty instant! We really liked each other and spent time together outside of– even when we weren’t working- nobody holed up in their room. We all got together and did things together because we all genuinely liked each other. That was the cool thing. It was a great experience. People were so great!

What did you think of your costume and who else’s costume really surprised you when you first saw them in it?

I loved my costume. I’m kinda a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy. I don’t pay attention to what I wear. I never looked so cool in my life. I really haven’t! I had the Irish thing going, but it was a hip Irish thing. I can honestly say I looked pretty darn cool.

Guri Weinberg and Noel Fisher had some pretty outrageous costumes and they had to get into them every day. They didn’t look too comfortable. They looked amazing, but… I just had a tweed jacket and vest, gloves with the fingers cut off- a great hat. You put that on & put those eyes on, and it’s not hard to pretend you’re an Irishman! I tried to steal them but it didn’t work out.

Could you tell us a little bit about the dance off that we’re hearing about- the thing everyone put together to surprise Bill Condon?

I’m not sure who came up with it- it might have been Mia Maestro, but I said to myself “we’re not going to be able to pull this one off” because we met just once before and got the whole routine down. And I thought- I don’t know- this might fail miserably, but it was one of those natural things that when it happened it came together so beautifully. It was one of the real highlights for me. It was a lot of fun.