For many, the “Twilight” series holds a special place, immortalized by its striking red vampire eyes and the unique concept of wolf shifters imprinting on anyone, regardless of their age. Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, captured the hearts of both readers and viewers with her romantic journey. Her persistent requests for Edward Cullen, portrayed by Robert Pattinson, to transform her into a vampire were met with refusal until she agreed to marry him, leading to a host of new challenges for the pair.

The other key player in Bella’s romantic life, Jacob Black, portrayed by Taylor Lautner, left a significant mark on the audience as well. Opinions were divided over whether Bella should choose Edward or Jacob, especially during “New Moon.” Edward was the intriguing new face at school, whereas Jacob was the familiar friend from Bella’s past, offering a compelling childhood friends-to-romance storyline.

Unlike many actors who portray teen characters, Taylor Lautner was actually 16 years old when he was cast to play Jacob. This made him the same age as his character, allowing him to grow alongside Jacob as he took on more significant responsibilities within his pack. The rapid filming schedule through 2011 saw Lautner spending his late teenage years embodying the role of this wolf shifter.

By the time filming ended for the film saga in early 2011, Taylor Lautner was 19 years old, but that wasn’t without fighting to keep his role for all five films. The actor has been incredibly open about the fact that he was nearly recast after the first “Twilight” movie, and not because of his performance. Jacob goes through a significant physical transformation during “New Moon,” the second book and film, as his wolf gene activates and he gains the ability to shift. This process accelerates puberty, giving him a much more muscular appearance. It means instead of being the lanky young guy audiences are introduced to, he becomes more fit seemingly overnight.

“They called me and said, ‘Thank you for your participation, but we’re recasting you for the rest of the franchise,'” Lautner said in an episode of “Call Her Daddy.” “I was 16 at the time. And then they were going to cast like a mid-20s guy to carry on and be Jacob for the rest of the franchise. I had to fight for my role back.” He was told early on, so he was able to start working out and putting on the muscle he’d need for “New Moon” right after filming for “Twilight” ended. Within nine months, he put on between 20 and 25 pounds of muscle. This didn’t guarantee his return, though — he had to audition again.

Taylor Lautner became a bit of a sex symbol between his new physical appearance and the shedding of the wildly mocked Jacob wig. His character, along with the other Quileute wolf shifters, were known for walking around shirtless, wearing just denim cut offs or gym shorts. Many older “Twilight” fans were already sexualizing Edward with the first movie, and the depiction of Jacob post-transformation, along with Lautner’s physical appearance, caused many to sexualize the 17 year old as well.

This fed into the Team Edward vs. Team Jacob marketing, but also resulted in Lautner experiencing issues related to his body image. “When I was in it, when I was 16 through 20 years old, starring in this franchise where my character is known for taking his shirt off every other second, no, I did not know that it was affecting me or going to affect me in the future with body image,” the actor said on an episode of his podcast “The Squeeze.” After “Twilight,” people would compare his “Jacob body” to how he looked in other films. Lautner had a difficult relationship with the gym after the series because of how much it had dominated his life. The continued conversations around his body impacted his mental health, though he discusses in the podcast that his loved ones helped him at the time.

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