Young Aussie actor Xavier Samuel is getting a lot of attention these days thanks to his casting in the currently shooting third installment of the "Twilight" franchise, "Eclipse". In an interview from the Toronto Film Festival just posted here on Dark Horizons, Samuel briefly discussed the casting, the film's director David Slade, and his exposure to the franchise. Here's an excerpt:
Question: Did you know anything about that [Twilight] particular franchise?
Samuel: To be honest, not really. Like, I watched the film on the plane. And at that stage, I hadn’t read the books, but I have now. I knew very little about it. I knew that it was extremely popular, and people kind of go crazy for it.
Question: Crazy is an understatement.
Samuel: Yeah. Like, you know, this notion of eternal love, and danger, and – you know, the thing that you love could kill you – that sort of stuff is, like – I guess it’s intoxicating for a lot of people.
Question: And you play a vampire in Eclipse?
Samuel: Newborn vampire.
Question: A newborn vampire. Do you do any research on something like this?
Samuel: Sleep in coffins at night, and stuff like that?
Question: Or look at classic horror films that explored vampire culture.
Samuel: I think that I’ve resisted that temptation, because the vampires, in Twilight, are very different. I think there’s a crucial element to portraying something like that is retaining some sort of humanity, and if you can do that, then hopefully it can work, in less of a stereotypical, clichéd kind of way.
Question: Do you have any kind of relationship with Kristen’s Bella? I mean, is there a bond of some kind that exists?
Samuel: That’s a tricky question to answer, without giving away the plot.
Question: There might be, or there might not be?
Samuel: That’s a valid statement. How am I doing evading it?
Question: You’re doing very well. David Slade is the third director associated with the franchise.
Samuel: Yeah, David’s astonishing.
Question: Now I was wondering whether or not he brings that kind of raw sensibility to this particular interpretation of "Twilight".
Samuel: Well, he’s such an intelligent, very down-to-earth director. And from what I can gather, the way that he’s approaching shooting the film is quite different to the previous two.
Question: Now, is your character in any other books?
Samuel: In Eclipse. Yeah.
Question: Are you prepared for the female adulation that will result from this gig?
Samuel: [LAUGHTER] Look, I don't know how you prepare for something like that. I bet you just sort of take it in stride, and try to manage to lead a reasonably normal life, even if people are following you around while you’re getting your coffee.
For the full interview, which deals mostly with his role in the upcoming horror flick "The Loved Ones", click here.
