You probably remember the first time Jacob Black walked onto the screen in 2008. He was this scrawny, long-haired kid fixing a truck in Forks. Honestly, most of us didn't see him as a threat to Edward Cullen's "sparkle" back then. But that kid, played by Taylor Lautner, ended up becoming one of the biggest pop culture icons of the 2010s.
If you’re wondering who plays Jacob Twilight, the answer is Taylor Lautner. But there's a huge "but" attached to that. He almost didn't make it past the first movie. It’s a wild story involving 30 pounds of muscle, a baggie of cold meat patties, and a very public threat of being fired.
The Casting Drama: Why Taylor Lautner Almost Got Replaced
It’s hard to imagine anyone else as the Quileute werewolf now. However, when the producers were looking ahead to New Moon, they were seriously worried. In Stephenie Meyer’s books, Jacob goes through this massive supernatural growth spurt. He basically turns into a 25-year-old giant overnight.
At the time, Taylor was just a 16-year-old kid. The studio, Summit Entertainment, wanted to cast an older, naturally bigger actor to take over for the rest of the franchise. They were looking for someone who looked like a "built, muscular man." Michael Copon, who was in One Tree Hill, was even publicly campaigning for the part.
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Taylor didn’t just sit around. He knew the rumors. He basically lived in the gym for nine months. By the time they were ready to film the sequel, he had gained roughly 30 pounds of pure muscle. He forced them to keep him. He literally showed up and proved he could be the "New Moon" Jacob everyone expected.
That Insane Transformation Routine
How do you go from a skinny teenager to a "sex symbol" in less than a year? It wasn't pretty. Lautner has talked about this a lot lately on his podcast, The Good Guys. He had to double his calorie intake. He was eating every two hours.
- The Diet: He famously carried around a plastic baggie of plain burger patties.
- The Struggle: He’d eat them cold and gray between takes. Gross, right?
- The Sleep: His trainer would wake him up at 6:00 AM just to chug a protein shake, then he'd go back to sleep.
Getting to Know Taylor Lautner
Before he was the world's most famous werewolf, Taylor was a world-class martial artist. He started karate at six years old. By eight, he had a black belt. By twelve, he was winning Junior World Championships.
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You can actually see those skills in some of his other work. Remember The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl? That was him. He was doing his own stunts long before he was hanging out with vampires in the Pacific Northwest.
Life After the Wolf Pack
Twilight ended in 2012. After that, Taylor took a bit of a break. Fame at that level is exhausting. He’s been really honest about how the pressure to keep that "Jacob Black body" messed with his head for a long time.
He didn't just disappear, though. He did some comedy work in Cuckoo on the BBC and Scream Queens. He even starred in a Netflix movie called Home Team in 2022. Fast forward to 2026, and he’s leaning back into his roots with a meta-comedy series called Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter. It’s basically him playing a fictionalized version of himself who actually hunts werewolves. It’s pretty funny and shows he’s finally at peace with the role that defined his youth.
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Who is Jacob Black in the Books vs. The Movie?
If you've only seen the movies, you might miss some of the nuance Taylor brought to the role. Jacob isn't just a guy who likes to take his shirt off (though the movies definitely leaned into that).
- The Height: In the books, Jacob is supposed to be 6'7". Taylor is 5'10". The directors used a lot of camera tricks to make him look taller than Bella.
- The Temper: The movie Jacob is a bit more of a "nice guy" than the book version. Book Jacob can be pretty toxic and pushy, especially in Eclipse.
- The Heritage: Jacob is a member of the Quileute tribe. While Taylor has mentioned having distant Native American ancestry through his mother, he’s primarily of Dutch, French, and German descent. This has been a point of conversation and critique over the years regarding representation in Hollywood.
Where Can You See Taylor Lautner Now?
He’s very active on social media these days, often alongside his wife (who is also named Taylor Lautner—seriously). They have a podcast called The Squeeze where they talk about mental health. It’s a far cry from fighting vampires, but it’s cool to see him using his platform for something real.
If you want to revisit the "Team Jacob" days, you should check out the 4K editions of the Twilight Saga. Seeing that 2009 CGI wolf in high definition is... an experience.
Actionable Takeaways for Twilight Fans
- Watch the Evolution: Re-watch Twilight (2008) and then New Moon (2009) back-to-back. The physical change in Taylor Lautner is one of the most drastic in film history.
- Follow the Journey: Listen to Taylor’s podcast if you want to hear the behind-the-scenes stories of the "recasting" drama directly from him.
- Check Out the New Work: Look for Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter if you want a laugh and a nostalgic nod to his werewolf days.
Taylor Lautner proved he was more than just a placeholder actor. He fought for the role, changed his entire life to keep it, and ultimately became the heart of the "Team Jacob" movement. Whether you were Team Edward or Team Jacob, you have to respect the hustle.
To dive deeper into the franchise's history, research the Quileute Tribe's actual history and their relationship with the Twilight films, as the real-life tribe has worked hard to reclaim their narrative from the fictionalized version seen on screen.