From Henry Cavill to Dave Franco, these are some of the actors who auditioned to play Bella Swan’s love interest.
The Twilight franchise became a phenomenon among young audiences. With their roles as Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart left their mark on an entire generation, who never missed a moment of the torrid romance between a teenage human and a vampire. Soon, the franchise based on Stephenie Meyer’s novels would go down in history as one of the most popular, making tales of bloodsuckers and werewolves such as The Vampire Diaries and Teen Wolf popular.
What made Twilight perfect was the cast, and without them, it would be hard to imagine the saga having the same results. However, like Pattinson, many other Hollywood stars tried their hand at playing the film’s titular vampire, and although they didn’t manage to get the part, they have shared their experience competing for the coveted Edward Cullen spot. From Henry Cavill to Dave Franco, here are some of the actors who auditioned to play Bella Swan’s love interest.
Dave Franco
MovieWeb
Dave Franco tried to get the role of Edward Cullen, but he recalled in an interview that he felt from the beginning that he was not the right one because of the attitude the director had when she saw him. Franco would later appear in films such as 21 Jump Street and The Illusionists.
Jamie Campbell Bower
Netflix
Jamie Campbell Bower is one of the many actors who made the bid to be the most famous vampire of the 2000s, and even though they didn’t get it, they did get the chance to appear in the franchise. Since New Moon, Campbell has played Caius, a vampire member of the Volturi.
Michael Welch
Reel Talker
Michael Welch is another who appeared in the vampire saga, although not with his initial plans of playing Edward Cullen. Welch was Mike Newton in the Twilight franchise, one of Bella Swan’s human friends who goes to high school with her.
Jackson Rathbone
Vader News
Everyone remembers Jackson Rathbone for his role as Jasper Cullen in Twilight, the sweet Alice’s partner. The actor from The Last Airbender also auditioned for the lead role, and although he didn’t get it, he landed a very special place as a member of the Forks vampire family.
Ben Barnes
IMDb
Ben Barnes was one of the finalists considered to play Edward Cullen, however, his role as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia was an impediment. In addition, the producers thought he looked too old for a teenager.
Henry Cavill
People
Henry Cavill was the author’s favorite to play Edward Cullen himself. Unfortunately, director Catherine Hardwicke thought Cavill looked too old for the lead role, so he was eventually dropped.
