'Eclipse' spawns a new star in Xavier Samuel

When Australian actor Xavier Samuel shipped off an audition tape to Twilight producers, insta-fame seemed oceans away.

"It's kind of strange because you send them off into oblivion and you don't know if anyone watches them," says Samuel, 26.

That was last year.

Fast-forward to the Eclipse premiere, where thousands of fans are not only screaming but are screaming for him. "It's kind of 360 degrees of hysteria," Samuel says just hours before the Los Angeles premiere of the third film installment of Stephenie Meyer's blockbuster series. "The sound (of Twilight's fans) does really knock you off your feet."

Samuel steals not only the first five minutes of one of most anticipated movies of the summer, but much of its finale. He plays newborn vampire Riley Biers, who, alongside vengeful vamp Victoria, leads a bloodthirsty army of young vampires with one goal: killing human Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and those who protect her.

Hailing from Adelaide, he now joins Hollywood's short list of hot young Aussie men in the spotlight, including brothers Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) and Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song), and Sam Worthington (Avatar).

There was only one problem en route to the Eclipse set.

"I was going through the book going, where's Riley?" says Samuel, whose character gets a major upgrade in the screenplay version of Eclipse. But director David Slade slipped him an early top-secret copy of Meyer's recent novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, in which Riley and Victoria's relationship is more deeply explained.

Joining the ranks of Robert Pattinson, Stewart and Taylor Lautner, "I ought to feel ostracized, but everyone was wonderfully down to earth," says Samuel, who found battling a CGI werewolf in the wilds of Canada more challenging than making friends. "You're just working with a piece of fur on the end of a stick just kind of poking you," he says with a laugh.

The son of parents who teach history and English, the dry-humored Samuel, whose younger brother Benedict is finishing up acting school and whose sister Bridget is an opera stage manager, cut his teeth playing Hamlet in college, later appearing in a smattering of movies on the film festival circuit, including Newcastle, September and The Loved Ones.

Mom Maree now keeps tabs on his Google status (a quick search for her son's name snags upward of 900,000 hits). "She's kind of made it her mission to monitor the info on me on the Internet, which is an impossible task," he says.

That includes the rumor that Samuel ditched his supposed band to follow his film career. "Completely untrue," he says, though he did tote his acoustic guitar to Vancouver to relax between shoots and workouts. "I don't have a burning ambition to be a rock star or anything," he says, instead listing other musical favorites: The National, the Very Best and the Magnetic Fields.

Fellow Eclipse newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard, 29, (who takes over the role of Victoria from Rachelle LeFevre) seduces young Riley in the film.

In real life, Samuel calls the two especially good friends. "She's so professional and she works harder than anyone I've ever met in my life," he says of Howard, who even offered the temporarily homeless actor her couch in L.A. once filming wrapped.

Samuel spent two weeks hanging out with Howard's young family, "really wonderful people," he says of her husband, Seth Gabel, and their young son, Theo. Although he's now renting in West Hollywood, he recently attended Theo's third birthday party and noshed on barbecue with Bryce's rather famous father, director Ron Howard.

Did he schmooze his way into a film? "I don't know if I'd be so lucky," he quips. "I haven't really broached the subject with Ron yet."

Famous friends aside, navigating a new career post-franchise can be tricky (read: Megan Fox), but so far, Samuel is taking the offers as they come, having just returned from shooting historical thriller Anonymous in Berlin, which decodes the true author of Shakespeare's works.

"I went from playing an evil vampire to an Elizabethan aristocrat, which is a great thing to do," he says.

And now? "I don't have a plan of action," he says. "I just want an experience that challenges me as an actor and pushes me to get better."

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Charlie Bewley and Xavier Samuel with the Fans in Today Show

Stephenie Meyer's Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Novella Now in Stores

A Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is now on sale in stores! Buy it on Amazon!

Video:Meet Jodelle Ferland as Bree Tanner in Twilight "Eclipse'

Young actress Jodelle Ferland introduces her character that she played as Bree Tanner the newborn vampire in Twilight Saga: Eclipse

'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' -- Meet Riley

There's a new Twi-guy in town, and ladies, he's quite the bad boy!

 "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" introduces new villain Riley (adorable Aussie Xavier Samuel). The character doesn't have a huge part in Stephenie Meyer's third novel, but it looks like he's getting a bigger part in the movie adaptation. Riley is spotted a handful of times in the film's second official trailer, and he was in one of only two character photos that director David Slade shared on  Twitter (in case you're wondering, the other photo was of Taylor Lautner as Jacob). Now Riley has his very own "Eclipse" poster. All this exposure for the character begs the question: Who exactly is Riley?

In the story of "Eclipse," Victoria's still bent out of shape over the death of her beau James in "Twilight," which she blames on Bella. All of her previous attempts to exact revenge upon Edward for killing her mate failed. Not easily deterred, Victoria travels to the Seattle area and creates an army of newborn bloodsuckers, hoping that with their aid she'll finally be able to defeat the Cullens and kill Bella. One of the first humans Victoria turns into a vampire is Riley Biers (the character didn't have a last name in the book), described as young, handsome, and (after being turned into a vampire) with bright red eyes.
As the more mature newborn, Riley is tasked to retrieve Bella's scent and later, corral the rest of the newborns to Forks for a showdown against the Cullens/La Push wolf pack alliance. "Audiences can expect a vicious battle," says Samuel, "And I think audiences can also expect a few surprises. Riley and his newborn army are an unstoppable force."
But there's more to this vampire baddie... he's in love!
Not only is Riley Victoria's right-hand vamp, he's also her puppet boy. He loves her and serves her faithfully, but of course she's still in love with James and is only using Riley to get him to do what she wants. "Remembering that Riley still has some human blood pumping through his veins was an important thing to consider when I was approaching the role," Samuel shares. "He's not a purely evil monster."

Come to think of it, maybe Riley's not a villain after all. Perhaps all the attention he's getting in the film will set up his story as one of betrayal, despair, and heartbreak. Whatever it's going to be, I'm excited and can't wait to see how it all pans out on the big screen.
What do you think? Are you more invested in the character of Riley?

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Xavier Samuel: Twilight's Eclipse New Vampire

When Xavier Samuel arrived in Vancouver last summer, he didn't make it far past baggage claim before he started making headlines. With just a few offbeat Australian flicks under his belt, the sandy-haired 26-year-old had been chosen to play newborn vampire Riley, the latest heartthrob in The Twilight Saga. Almost instantaneously he was being hailed as Robert Pattinson's doppelgänger and couldn't get coffee without seeing flashbulbs.

"It was all very sudden, not just with the paparazzi but also with being cast in general," says Xavier, who's been acting since high school. "I did an audition from Sydney on tape. Then I got word that it was down to four guys—and that I was one of them." (Rumor has it he beat out Channing Tatum and Harry Potter's Tom Felton for the part.)

But the role of Riley was a perfect fit—and Xavier had a blast hanging out on the set of Eclipse. An indie-rock aficionado who has recently been digging The Magnetic Fields and The xx, Xavier joined in on periodic jam sessions with fellow guitarists Robert and Jackson Rathbone. (Xavier travels everywhere with his old Yamaha C-40.) And he bonded with Bryce Dallas Howard—his on-screen love interest, vampire trainer Victoria—who thought she was helping him get acclimated with stateside pop culture when she bought him a DVD box set of Lost. "People think that there's, like, one public phone in Australia and that we all ride kangaroos to work," the Adelaide native jokes. "They're surprised we do actually get American TV and things there."

After a few months of couch surfing in Los Angeles post-Eclipse, Xavier took off for Berlin, where he's been filming the Roland Emmerich–directed Anonymous, an Elizabethan thriller that contests the authorship of Shakespeare's plays. "It's been lots of tights, pantaloons, and riding around on horses—definitely a change of speed," he says. "To go from Stephenie Meyer to Shakespeare? You can't really make a bigger jump than that."

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Jodelle Ferland talks about the Eclipse set, the Twilight effect on her life, and beauty secrets!

Jodelle Ferland may be 14 years old, but she is no newcomer to the acting world. With a hefty resume, including Silent Hill, The Messengers, and Good Luck Chuck, she is on her way to being one of the biggest stars of this generation. I caught up with Jodelle right before she left for the studio to begin production on the highly anticipated, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. In this interview, Jodelle explains the effect that Twilight has had on her life, her beauty regimen, and the outlook she has on her Eclipse role and acting.

I understand that right after the news broke that you had joined the Twilight family, fans went crazy and you got some intense reactions from your friends. Has the hype died down at all for you?

Yeah. I mean at first everybody was going crazy and everyone was congratulating me. They’re still all really excited and it hasn’t…no, they haven’t calmed down that much. *laughs* I have a Twitter account, and that hasn’t calmed down at all, I’m still getting the same amount of followers. Everyday. On the first couple of days I was getting A LOT, and now its not quite as many everyday. But it’s been about the same pace. My friends have calmed down a little bit, but they are still really really really excited.

I’m sure you are too

Yeah I am. I mean, I used to be just jumping up and down everyday. Every time somebody mentioned it, I was like “yay!”. But I’ve calmed down.

It’s been almost a month…do you feel more comfortable going into the role or are you still adjusting to its attached intensity?

I’ve gotten used to the idea. At first I was completely shocked and I couldn’t believe it. But when you think about it, it really is just like any other set. It’s just that it happens to be a very, very famous movie. But it’s not really any different than anything else.

So you’re approaching it the way you would any other role?

Yeah

Are you making any physical changes for your role in Eclipse?

Well, I was hoping that they were going to cut my hair, actually. *laughs* My hair is so long, and it’s nice. But it’s too long, and it drives me crazy all the time. I don’t think they are going to cut my hair, but oh well. I already do gymnastics class. I don’t have to do it for the movie, but I’m just doing it anyway.

How do you keep your skin so clear and flawless?

First of all, I wash my face in the morning and at night. That helps a lot. I moisturize it a lot with Olay Classic Moisturizing Lotion for Sensitive Skin because I have very sensitive skin and I have to be really careful with what I use. Some moisturizers are too heavy and it’s hard to find the right one. I also wash my face with Oxy Cleansing Pads which helps a lot.

What nationality are you?

I’m part Austrian and British and French.

Do you have any favorite beauty products?

I like using natural products, so my favorite shampoo is by Desert Essence Organics. It’s raspberry and it smells really good, and it makes my hair shiny, and I love it.

Who would you like to work with in the future?

I’ve always wanted to do a movie with Johnny Depp. I really like his acting, and it would be great to do a movie with him. I’ve done a movie with Renee Zellwegger before, and she is the nicest person on the planet and I would love to work with her again.

Who has been the most influential or inspiring person in your acting?

I just think that everyone who has been really supportive and helped me a lot. I don’t have one person. My friends and family.

Who is your beauty icon?

Hmm. I haven’t even thought about that. Queen Latifah. I think she’s really beautiful. She has such a nice smile.

3 beauty products you can’t live without?

*laughs* I don’t think I could live without the stuff I use on my hair. The brand is called K-pak, and it’s for shine. My hair can get pretty frizzy sometimes, so I don’t think I could live without that. If I didn’t have that my hair would be frizzy all of the time.

And number two. Lip Balm. Sometimes during the winter, my lips can get dry.

One more thing I use is a natural mineral powder. I don’t like wearing a lot of makeup. A lot of people who wear so much makeup when they are younger, get to the point where they can't go out, ever, without makeup. I try not to wear it very much so I don’t get used to the way I look like that. I think all of the natural mineral powder brands are good, but the brand I am using right now is Physicians Formula.

What has been your most interesting role been so far? Why?

Let’s see. One of the last things I did was a short film called “Everything’s Coming Up Rosie”, and I played an autistic girl, which is something I’ve never done before. It’s pretty different than everything else I’ve done.

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Jackson Rathbone Dives Into 'Jasper's Backstory' For 'Eclipse'

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'It's an interesting time to see when Jasper was actually human and what his human form was,' actor says.
We don't need to have our emotions influenced to know that Jasper Hale Whitlock is one of Stephenie Meyer's greatest creations. A 166-year-old Civil War veteran whose transformation and redemption is a key theme in the later "Twilight" novels, the character has long been a fan favorite. Which made it all the more appropriate when the franchise landed Jackson Rathbone, a 24-year-old actor/musician whose affable, easygoing charm has made him equally popular in Twilight Nation.

Recently, we caught up with Jackson as he was preparing to begin work on "Eclipse," the currently filming third chapter in the blockbuster saga. What follows are some major plot revelations from the next two films — including his fight scene with Kellan Lutz, exposing Japer's powers earlier than you might think and how to kill one of David Slade's newborn vampires.

MTV: Jackson, what are you most looking forward to shooting in the next film?

Jackson Rathbone: I'm really excited to start filming "Eclipse." I got a chance to read the script, and we get to go back into Jasper's backstory. They actually had to ask me about my equestrian experience. I told them I can gallop and trot and all that. I used to ride. It's been two or three years since I've been on a horse, but I'm excited to get back up on the saddle.

MTV: So we're going to get to Jasper's Civil War backstory?

Rathbone: Yes, I get to shoot some Civil War stuff, and I'm also going to shoot a lot of fighting scenes. Which is great, because I just came off [M. Night Shyamalan's] "The Last Airbender," and I've been doing fighting for the last six months. So I'm ready to keep it on.

MTV: What kind of moves will you be pulling off? Just shooting guns? Obviously, it won't be highly-stylized martial arts stuff.

Rathbone: No, it won't be karate, it won't be kung fu, like the stuff we're doing in "Airbender." But even in "Airbender," the fighting styles I was doing were a little bit more loose, like street fighting. And that's kind of what this is; it's about evading.

MTV: Why is that?

Rathbone: Well, we're talking about newborn vampires that can't control their urges — they can't really think very quickly. So if you just let them go to their instincts and evade and attack them from side to side, you could get them; but if you try and go after them through force, they're going to win every time. So it's all about evasion.

MTV: Are there training scenes in "Eclipse" along these lines?

Rathbone: It's interesting; there's a lot of cool scenes where Jasper trains the Cullen family on how to fight the newborns. He gets to train Emmett — and Emmett is a born fighter — so he's telling Emmett all these techniques, and Emmett thinks he could just best Jasper [during their sparring]. Jasper ends up getting the best of him, because it's a war mentality, not just a street brawl. It's about thinking ahead; it's a chess game.

MTV: Cool. Will we see the scene where Jasper gets bitten?

Rathbone: Oh yeah, we have to see that. It's going to be great. I've been studying up a lot on the Civil War and that era. It really was a crazy time. It was all-out war on our own turf and between countrymen. That's terrible. It's an interesting time to see when Jasper was actually human and what his human form was and, when he gets turned, how intense and how dark he is. Then [we'll see] his realization of what he's become, him finding Alice and being redeemed by love.

MTV: And is that the first time we'll see your powers?

Rathbone: Actually, in "New Moon," we get a little glimpse. Inside the school.

MTV: How was it to film scenes where you were influencing the emotions of those around you?

Rathbone: It was fun. I just played it very naturally, like, if you have these special powers — like Edward has the ability to read minds — it's not like he's going to [get overly dramatic] and go, "You're hungry!" No, it's a natural thing, like the human ability to smell or to hear is a natural ability. To affect the mental state of anyone around you [I depicted Jasper as] keeping it all right in the eyes. Just thinking it and transferring it through the eyes, which are the windows to the soul — even to the soulless.

MTV: And will it be clear to the audience that this emotion-manipulation is going on?

Rathbone: In "New Moon," when we see it? It's pretty obvious.

'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' barn scene revealed

Last night, on the set of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, many on-lookers snapped photographs and videos of the production crew setting up a big, red barn.

The consensus seems to be that the scene being shot involves two vampires in some sort of dream sequence. Most agree that this is probably related to Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) and his experience with the character Maria (which has been cast with Catalina Sandino Moreno).

About a month ago, Eclipse director David Slade used his Twitter to tease fans about potential filming locations for the newborn hideout and battlefield. While the recipe for those sequences might not call for a barn, it is indeed a possibility.

If it is Jasper's backstory that the barn is being used for, though, there are a few select sequences to choose from. Obviously, Jasper's transformation is a definite possibility, as Maria is responsible for that handiwork. Also, the Southern Wars - battle sequences in which Jasper learns to fight and winds up protecting Maria against her many newborns - are a potentiality. The fact that Rathbone has been taking horseback riding lessons, perhaps, might be the deal-sealer on that conclusion.

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Jodelle Ferland: Eclipse's Nameless Teen Vamp

Jodelle Ferland has been sworn to secrecy. She's not allowed to say much about the part she just landed in the third Twilight movie, Eclipse.

"I'm allowed to tell people that I play a vampire who has just been turned," the 14-year-old Canadian actress tells me. "In other words, I'm a newborn vampire. I'm not allowed to say the name of the character."

So if she won't say whether her character is Team Edward or Team Jacob, what's her pick in real life?

It's Team Edward all the way for Jodelle.

Keep reading to find out why...

"I just think if maybe Jacob had been introduced first then everybody would like him better," she said. "It just seems that since Edward was the first one to be with Bella, people want him to stay with her. So, you know, that's the character that you start to like first! And then Jacob comes into the picture and everybody's like, 'Oh, no! Stay with Edward.'"

Jodelle says she's "really, really excited to meet Robert Pattinson." As are her friends. "Every single person I've told has asked me if they could come to the set," she said, adding with a laugh, "I've said, 'I'll have to think about that.'"

How did Jodelle celebrate snagging a part in what's destined to be one of the most successful movie franchises ever?

"You know, I was just thinking about that yesterday," she said. "I was just thinking that I haven't done anything yet. I need to think of something. Basically, I just jumped up and down and then I went into my room and watched a movie on my mini-DVD player.

"Actually, it wasn't a movie," she continued. "I was watching The Addams Family—the old ones, not the movie."

That sounds like a suitably ghoulish celebration for what could be the start of a monster career.

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