The Transformation Of Taylor Lautner From 6 To 31
Playing teen werewolf Jacob Black in the multi-billion dollar "Twilight" movie franchise put Michigan-born actor Taylor Lautner on the map. Of course, it was far from his first acting role, as he got his start in the early 2000s. And, although Lautner never set out to have a career in the entertainment industry — he was instead more focused on martial arts and playing sports as a kid – he's bagged role after role since and gracefully transformed from a child star into an adult actor.
After the release of the first "Twilight" film in 2008, 16-year-old Lautner quickly secured teen heartthrob status. And he even claimed second place on Glamour's list of "The 50 Sexiest Men of 2010" after bulking up for the sequel. Since his rise to fame, we've been obsessed with the actor's love life and watched as he's pursued relationships with other celebs like Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Lily Collins, and Billie Lourd. Of course, this was before he settled down with his now-wife Taylor "Tay" Lautner (formerly Dome).
From the outside looking in, it's easy to think Lautner's had a pretty easy life, but he's experienced some low points, too. For a long time, he struggled with the pressure of his "Twilight" fame, and he temporarily retreated from the spotlight. Lautner credits his family for helping him get through two decades in the entertainment industry while still maintaining his sense of self. It's evident the actor has experienced a lot in his life, so let's explore the full transformation of Taylor Lautner from the age of 6 to 31.
Acting wasn't Taylor Lautner's dream as a child
Taylor Lautner was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on February 11, 1992. For the early years of his childhood, he grew up in the nearby town of Hudsonville with his parents Dan and Deb, and his sister Makena. They have remained a close-knit family unit throughout Lautner's fame, and he shows off his bond with his sister on social media regularly, referring to her as one of his best friends — she even introduced him to his would-be-wife Taylor Dome at a family game night.
Lautner was pretty busy as a kid. By the age of 6, he was playing a variety of sports, including football and baseball. But it was karate that really piqued his interest and he proved how serious he was about it the following year when he won three first-place trophies at a tournament at age 7. While staying busy with family activities (like regularly attending Catholic Church), Lautner developed an interest in other martial arts. With the support of his dad, he attended a seminar at UCLA and met martial arts trainer to the stars Mike Chat, and he soon attended one of Chat's martial arts training camps.
What he hadn't known was that this training would pave the way for his acting career. Chat encouraged him and his family to come out and stay with him in L.A. for a month so he could go on a few auditions. "It scared us at first," Lautner recalled to Rolling Stone. "We were like, 'No, that's not for us.' I was like, 'I'm sticking to my sports.' But for some reason, this guy believed in me," he explained.
He moved to L.A. at the age of 9
Lautner got his first callback during the month he and his family lived with Mike Chat, and after this, he began making regular trips to L.A. for auditions. Soon after, the Hudsonville factory where his mom worked closed, so the Lautner family decided to make the move to L.A. in 2001. 9-year-old Lautner quickly secured acting work in commercials and had a small part in the sci-fi action movie "Shadow Fury." He then claimed a one-off role in the TV show "Summerland" and voiced multiple characters in the animated series "What's New, Scooby-Doo?"
In 2005, he secured two major roles — the titular Sharkboy in "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D," and Elliot Murtaugh in "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" — which were thought to be his big break. But, the movies failed to launch Lautner into stardom as he and his team hoped. So, in the meantime, he focused on his studies, though Lautner admitted that his middle school and pre-"Twilight" high school years weren't always the easiest. "When I was in school, there was a little bullying going on. Not physical bullying, but people making fun of what I do," he admitted to Rolling Stone.
But Lautner believed in what he was doing. "I just had to tell myself I can't let this get to me. This is what I love to do. And I'm going to continue doing it," he added. And, happily for "Twilight" fans, Lautner has the confidence to keep chasing his acting goals.
Taylor Lautner's Twilight transformation
As the entire world knows, Taylor Lautner's big break eventually came in 2008, when he starred alongside Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in the first installment of the "Twilight" franchise. His rise to fame was sudden and unexpected, and Lautner admitted he didn't know what he was getting himself into with the franchise. His fame only grew after he returned for "New Moon," the second film in the series, which saw him show off his incredibly buff body.
Lautner's physical transformation for "Twilight" is iconic. Not only because it happened in such a short space of time, but because his tenure in the fantasy film franchise depended on it. The plan was to have someone else play Jacob Black after he became a fully-fledged werewolf. But wanting to prove he could mirror the transformation Jacob has in the books, Lautner switched up his diet and fitness regime the minute he finished filming the 2008 movie. He turned to protein shakes to help him pack on 20 pounds of muscle. He secured his role by promising director Chris Weitz that he would increase that number by 10 before filming on "New Moon" began, which he did.
Lautner's impressive transformation won him the fourth spot on People's 2010 "Most Amazing Bodies" list and second place on Glamour's list of "The 50 Sexiest Men of 2010." However, he has since admitted on his wife's podcast "The Squeeze" that the pressure to maintain his physique caused him to have body image issues for years.
Taylor Lautner has won awards for his smile
Taylor Lautner might have worked hard to transform his body, but his award-winning smile is all-natural. And we can all agree that it's one of his best features. Of course, we're not the only ones to have noticed. In fact, he's won multiple awards for his smile, which basically makes him a real-life Gilderoy Lockhart.
According to the trivia section of Lautner's IMDb profile, the actor won the superlative 'Best Smile' as voted by his junior class. He also won Choice Smile at the Teen Choice Awards in 2010. He was nominated in the same category as Cory Monteith, Victoria Justice, Zac Efron, and Miranda Cosgrove, but ultimately came out on top.
Lautner regarded the whole thing as a bit of fun and went on to thank his orthodontist in his acceptance speech. "First of all it was just an honor to be in this category amongst so many amazing smiles — the best smiles on this planet — but to win this category is unbelievable ... I want to thank my smile coach and my smile trainer and my orthodontist. Without all that hard work, I wouldn't be standing here today," he said with a grin on his face.
Lautner pursued action roles after Twilight
After filming both the "Breaking Dawn" movies back to back, Taylor Lautner took a break from fantasy romance to pursue action roles. He starred as Nathan Price in the 2011 action thriller "Abduction," which was produced by his and his father's company "Tailor Made Entertainment." Although the movie, which also stars Lily Collins, Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello, Sigourney Weaver, Alfred Molina, and Dermot Mulroney, only scored 5% on the Tomatometer, Lautner loved getting to do something new. "[The] thing that attracted me to this was that it was different than anything I had ever done before, and I had a great experience with it," he told Collider at the time.
The stunt-heavy action film was a joy for Lautner, who convinced execs that he was capable of doing all his own stunts — including one where he slid down the glass-covered escalator at PNC Park, and another where he rides on the hood of a truck going around 55mph (although it's shown as 80mph in the film).
And in this film, Lautner finally got to use his martial arts training, which was definitely part of the appeal. "It was very exciting that I got to use it for the first time in a movie. It is different because it's all choreographed, but it was exciting. What was also exciting was being able to learn new things, like boxing, motorcycle riding and wrestling," Lautner explained. He also did his own stunts in "Tracers," but unfortunately the 2015 action crime drama didn't do much to impress critics either.
Taylor Lautner focused on TV roles
While werewolf Jacob Black will undoubtedly always be Taylor Lautner's career-defining role, the actor actually has a very varied filmography, as he's been keen to try new things so as not to pigeonhole himself into one stereotype. He starred in the ensemble rom-com "Valentine's Day" between "Twilight" movies and joined the Happy Madison family in 2013 when he cameoed in "Grown Ups 2." After two critically unsuccessful action movies, though, Lautner wanted to try something new again – this time venturing into the world of TV.
As his focus changed, so did the types of roles he chose, such as when he played the delusional Dr. Cassidy Cascade in Season 2 of "Scream Queens." At the same time, Lautner had a recurring role in the British comedy series "Cuckoo," playing Dale alongside the likes of Andy Samberg, Tyger Drew-Honey, Andie MacDowell, and Greg Davis.
It might seem like a bizarre trajectory for Lautner to swap big screen stardom for a BBC sitcom, but it made perfect sense to the actor. "My goal following the Twilight franchise was to challenge myself with a wide variety of roles and genres. 'Cuckoo' was unlike anything I'd done before and I knew I'd have the time of my life!" he told Radio Times.
Billie Lourd was Taylor Lautner's longest relationship before getting married
Taylor Lautner had a habit of dating his on-screen love interests, from Taylor Swift to Lily Collins to Marie Avgeropoulos. However, none of those relationships lasted more than a few months. His longest relationship before settling down was with third-generation Hollywood actor Billie Lourd, who he dated for just over a year. Unsurprisingly, the pair met on set while working on the second and final season of MTV's comedy horror series "Scream Queens."
Lautner and Lourd got together at the end of 2016, shortly before the "Star Wars" actor suffered two shocking tragedies: the deaths of her mother, Carrie Fisher, and her grandmother, Debbie Reynolds, just a day apart. The couple was notoriously private about their romance, but Lourd's uncle Todd Fisher issued a statement of approval to E! after observing how Lautner supported Lourd during that time — he was even at the hospital with her. "He's stepped up and acted like a husband would act. Not that that's what's going on, but it's just an amazing support system for her, and I'm glad he's in her life," Fisher said.
The couple ultimately split up in 2017, after which Lourd reunited with her now-husband Austen Rydell. But, while it didn't work out for the "Scream Queens" stars, this relationship paved the way for Lautner's eventual marriage to Taylor Dome.
Taylor Lautner followed up his 'intimate' proposal to Taylor Dome with the wedding of the year
Plenty of celebrity couples have opted for low-key proposals over a flashy public affair. Taylor Lautner is one of them. The actor told Access Hollywood that his now-wife Tay Lautner (formerly Dome) wanted a simple proposal and suggested he do it in the kitchen one night after dinner. Lautner followed her instructions but made sure it was a romantic moment she would never forget. "I did do it in the kitchen, but I did it big in the kitchen. She was away, and I got tons of flowers and candles and the sign and everything ... it was a lovely surprise," he revealed. Tay Lautner was so surprised that she started weeping before Lautner got to make his speech, but ultimately she said "yes" and he shared the news on Instagram.
However, the style of their wedding completely contrasted with their low-key proposal. The couple celebrated their wedding in a multi-day celebration at a luxurious California vineyard, exactly one year after the proposal. Tay Lautner broke down each part of their wedding celebration on social media. It began with an intimate rehearsal dinner on Thursday, November 10, 2022, which was followed by a big party as they welcomed the rest of their guests to the venue.
The following day on November 11, the couple tied the knot, exchanging personal vows in a sunset ceremony. "Looking around and seeing the faces of each and every single person there, really put into perspective what is most important in life. Love," she gushed on Instagram.
Taylor Lautner is very picky about the acting projects he chooses
Taylor Lautner took an extended break from acting after finishing "Cuckoo" in 2018. He wanted to take a step back from the industry to prioritize time with his family and friends. He even turned down a role in "We Can Be Heroes," the legacy sequel to "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D", in 2020 because of its timing. Lautner's break turned into a three-year absence from the entertainment industry and he came back with a new attitude. "I'm reading stuff and what I wanna be doing at this point is I only want to do something if it means something to me. Whether that means it's a story I'm passionate about or if it's working with somebody that I really want to work with," he explained to CNN.
Lautner found a project he wanted to work on enough to return to the screen in 2022. He starred in "Home Team," a biographical sports comedy feature co-starring Kevin James, Rob Schneider, Jackie Sandler, and Tait Blum. The Netflix film was produced by Happy Madison, which was a big selling point for Lautner, who'd previously worked with Adam Sandler on "Grown Ups 2." "I love Happy Madison, Sandler, the entire family. None of their projects feel like work. It's like Summer camp," he told Comingsoon.net.
Lautner's response to working on the film has given fans a glimpse at the kind of roles he might take on in the future too, as he added: "I'll say yes to a Happy Madison project for the rest of my life."
His relationship with Taylor Swift came full circle
If we didn't already know Taylor Lautner was the perfect gentleman, taking a look at what some of his exes have said about him confirms it. Selena Gomez, who he dated briefly in 2009, gushed about him after their breakup, telling Us Weekly he made her incredibly happy. Lautner's next relationship was with Taylor Swift, who he dated later that same year until their infamous December breakup. While promoting "Speak Now" the following year, Swift issued her ex similar praise, telling Glamour, "He's one of my best friends. He's wonderful, and we'll always be close. I'm so thankful for that." One of the songs on the album is called "Back to December," a positive song about their breakup.
It's been heartwarming to see these two exes remain close all these years, but their relationship really came full circle in 2023 when the actor introduced his wife Tay Lautner to the pop star, who she's a huge fan of. This was facilitated by the "Twilight" actor when he starred in Swift's "I Can See You" music video alongside "The Kissing Booth" actor Joey King.
While on set, the Lautners and Swift were joking around and even recreated the iconic Spider-Man meme (you know, since they're all named Taylor!) Gushing about the experience, Swift tweeted: "Taytay is INCREDIBLE in this (didn't have a stunt double!) and shout out to Tay Lautner for being so awesome to hang with on set. The Tale of 3 Taylors." The trio then reunited in Kansas City for Swift's Eras tour, where she premiered the video. We certainly love that the three Taylors are besties!
Taylor Lautner prefers a quiet life after his Twilight fame
There are very few actors who become famous overnight, but Taylor Lautner is one of them. Unprepared for his celebrity status, he often struggled to cope with it, and at times, he even hated it. He told Digital Spy that he would constantly have paparazzi following him, which made doing "normal" things like going for a walk feel impossible. In fact, it got to the point where he didn't leave his house unless it was to go to work.
Lautner also didn't have social media for a long time, but his break from acting has helped him balance his priorities. Now, not only is he carefully picking the roles he takes on, but he's also taking more time off from acting to better manage his mental health. During that time, Boy Tay and Girl Tay (as they refer to themselves) settled into their quiet home life. "I like a little bit of space. I like being able to come into town and do my thing when I want and also be able to get away when we want as well and have some peace and quiet," Lautner explained to CNN.
The actor happily seems to have found a good balance of which parts of his life to keep private and which to share, and now he and his wife show off their domestic bliss on social media, like in this sponsored post for Anthropologie. They also discuss their mental health and give fans even more of a glimpse into their lives on their podcast "The Squeeze."
He's passionate about animal welfare
If you follow Taylor Lautner and his wife, Tay Lautner, on social media, then you'll know they have two adorable fur babies named Lily and Remi. The dogs actually have their own Instagram page and the couple even staged a picture of the pooches together in their decorated kitchen after getting engaged. They posted the adorable snap with the caption, "OUR HOOMANS ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!!!!!"
It's clear these dogs have a very special place in the couple's hearts, but it's really thanks to Tay that the actor has such a strong bond with them. "She had Lily already when we met and Lily quickly became my best friend," Lautner explained to CNN, before adding that they went on to adopt Remi together. "Next thing I know, she sends me a photo of Remi and (tells me) how Remi and her seven siblings and mom were abandoned in a field." Well, who would be able to say no to that? Not Lautner, who happily brought Remi home. "Remi just has been a life changing dog for us over the last year," he gushed.
As a result, Lautner has increased his public support of animal welfare charities. He notably partnered with Hill's Pet Nutrition to promote the Clear The Shelters Campaign, which encourages people to follow in his and his wife's footsteps and adopt from local shelters.
Taylor Lautner has learned not to care what other people think of him
Taylor Lautner has previously touched on the body image issues he had as a result of his role in "Twilight," but he's rarely spoken about it on a deeper level. However, Lautner addressed it again in an Instagram video where he admitted there were times in the past when he wasn't feeling good in his body and he would actively avoid going anywhere he could be photographed.
Lautner opted to discuss this after he was bombarded with hate and criticism of his appearance on social media. After detailing the abuse he received, the 31-year-old actor admitted, "If this was 10 years ago, five years ago, maybe even two, three years ago, that really would have got under my skin." He added: "It would have caused me to want to just go in a hole and not go outside."
It's certainly a testament to the actor that he didn't let those comments take him back to a dark place. Now, he's learned not to put value into other people's negative opinions, which used to define him. "It doesn't make me question who I am, and it doesn't take anything away from me," he said triumphantly. He closed out the video with an important message for his followers: to spread kindness. "Let's spread love and positivity. It's that simple," he said.