Archives for August 2009

MTV has some great summaries up regarding the Q & A’s that the actors did. ( Gil and the Wolfpack) We were also fortunate enough to get our picture taken with the wolfpack. Originally we weren’t into the whole  picture thing, but we got talked into it…soooooooo worth it!

One of the key moments this weekend was when Gil Birmingham at each Q & A session talked about how much he feels a responsibility to represent those who are wheelchair bound accurately. He talked about how much more respect and admiration he has for people who have challenges in life, and realizes that often they can be left behind.

“I did have a scene when we were congregating to get the search party ready to go look for Kristen. And then all of the sudden Sam comes out of the woods and everybody runs to him and Kristen and I realize I can’t go,” he explained. “Everybody takes off and I go, ‘Hey, hey!'”

Gil realized that at emotional moments like that when you just want to rush and hug someone that the opportunity isn’t there and often you’d have to rely on others. He also said he is very touched by any fanmail he gets, but particularly from people who thank him for not portraying Billy Black as a stereotype.

The Q & A for the wolfpack: Kiowa Gordon, Chaske Spencer, and Alez Meraz was so much better in New Jersey than the one we saw two weeks ago in Phoenix largely because the questions were much better. Highlights were Kiowa breaking out into random howls whenever the mood struck him, all the guys talking about how much they feel like protective older brothers to Taylor Lautner, and if they were vampires instead of wolves which would they want to be: Chascke (Carlilse), Alex (James), Kiowa (Jasper).

Alex then had to reveal an embarrassing moment because Gil Birmingham ratted him out. The two of them have this friendly rivalry. Alex tipped people off that early on in Gils career he was in the Diana Ross video “Muscles” and was as, as Alex puts it, “wearing a thong and doing cartwheels in a video”. So to get even, Gil told the audience, “Be sure to ask Alex how he almost killed Kristen Stewart by choking her to death.” This is how Alex described the scene (while he was describing it Kiowa and Chaske were cracking up the whole time being sure to add in any little detail Alex left out):

“I decided, all right, the Wolf Pack stay up all night looking for who’s killing people on the res, so we don’t sleep very much. So I thought it would be a great idea if I stayed up for 10 days straight.” What should have been a simple scene — a confrontation between Bella (Stewart) and the Wolf Pack — became, in Meraz’s mind, his “Brando moment.” Wanting to try something different, the actor played the scene overly aggressive: screaming, grabbing Stewart by the throat, hurtling his line at her.

“[Director] Chris Weitz comes off-set like, ‘Yeah, I like the energy Alex, but just take it down a little,’ ” Spencer chimed in: “Meanwhile the producers are freaking out back there.”

” ‘Cause nobody touches Kristen Stewart,” joked Meraz.

Alex then said that he went to apologize to Kristen for scaring the heck out of her and Kristen was really cool about him talking that kind of risk as an actor and going for it. She said if Chris wants it that way I’ll defintiely do another take with you. Chris however thought it was a little over the top. Chaske said when they did do other takes of that scene it was really hard to keep a straight face because they all remebered Alex’s over the top explosion and all they could think of was the producer’s reactions.