Anna Kendrick reflects on the insane level of fame her Twilight co-stars received during the franchise’s peak years, and how that’s changed over time.
Anna Kendrick recalls the insane level of fame her Twilight co-stars received when the films first premiered. Debuting in 2008, the Twilight saga was a definitive aspect of the late 2000s, bringing to life author Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling series of vampire romance novels. Starring Kristen Stewart as 17-year-old Bella Swan, Twilight followed the misfit teenager as she moved from Phoenix, AZ to Forks, Washington to live with her divorced father. Robert Pattinson starred opposite Stewart as Edward Cullen, the mysterious vampire she falls in love with, and must contend with his family’s secrets. Kendrick also starred alongside the two as popular girl Jessica Stanley, Bella’s first unlikely friend in Forks. Followed by The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Twilight amassed over $3 billion worldwide, thrusting its actors into a whirlwind of fame and media attention.
Now, over a decade since the franchise concluded, Anna Kendrick is reflecting on the insane level of fame her co-stars experienced during Twilight’s peak years, per Rolling Stone. Speaking about her own experience first, Kendrick reveals she was able to go undercover in public for the most part, unlike her peers. However, Kendrick explains while she was mesmerized by her fellow actor’s star power, and believed they would be just as famous forever, that did not last. Read on to see what Kendrick had to say below:
At that time, I was this satellite figure in those movies…I could still walk down the street totally fine—though some of them did still recognize me from them. At the time, it felt like, ‘Oh, these people have become the most famous people on planet Earth, and it’s going to stay this way forever’…Then they became the butt of every joke. It’s very funny to me that that’s happening. That’s very wild.
What The Twilight Cast Has Been Up To Over The Years
Much of the media circus surrounding Twilight was centered around the franchise’s trio; Stewart, Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. Lautner portrayed Bella’s childhood friend, and werewolf, Jacob. He ultimately became teenage heartthrob of the late 2000s, gracing magazine covers and having a high-profile relationship with pop sensation Taylor Swift. Known for his six-pack abs, Lautner’s figure was perhaps more famous than Jacob himself. Aside from their mere existence, the media became obsessed with Stewart and Pattinson’s real-life romantic relationship, which only added to the movies’ popularity.
While Stewart’s performance as Bella Swan polarized viewers, with many criticizing her acting skills, over the years she has proven herself to be a multifaceted talent. Her role as Princess Diana in 2021’s Spencer earned her critical acclaim, garnering a Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and Academy Award nomination. Before Spencer, Stewart had starred in both independent features and blockbusters after Twilight, with roles in the lauded Clouds of Sils Maria (2014), but also such mainstream films as 2018’s Charlie’s Angels and the 2020 LGBTQ+ classic Happiest Season. Pattinson has also enjoyed a lucrative career, with his debut as a superhero in 2022’s The Batman a career high, seeing him lead a new franchise. He’s also starred in many critically-acclaimed indie movies throughout the years, including 2019’s The King alongside Timothée Chalamet.
For her part, Kendrick has made a name for herself outside Twilight, leading her own franchise in the musical-comedy Pitch Perfect series. She’s also proven to be a chameleon actor, with more dramatic roles in Up in the Air (2009) scoring her an Oscar nomination and A Simple Favor (2018) showing her impressive range. The same can’t be said of all the Twilight actors, though, with Lautner struggling to keep up with his peers. As Kendrick points out, the cast has become quite meme-ified over time, as millennials and Gen Z grow up and re-watch Twilight, realizing how hilarious it can also be. While not all the Twilight cast has had the same success in Hollywood, many still reflect on the series with love, which will keep its legacy alive for years to come.
