By: debbie lynn elias
When Taylor Lautner jumped out front and center as the top bill in John Singleton’s action flick, ABDUCTION, he co-starred with none other than one of Hollywood’s most beloved, original female action stars, Sigourney Weaver. During my Los Angeles press day for ABDUCTION, Weaver, who knows more than a thing or two about acting, the “business” and surviving it all, had these thoughts on Taylor Lautner:
Do you think Taylor has what it takes to be a “movie star” like yourself?
Whatever that is! I think what he brought to it [is], he worked so hard. He was really open to a lot of challenges that [his character] has as a person. He tells that story so well. He works beautifully with this wonderful ensemble. So, I think it’s a wonderful movie for him. To me, a career like mine, I look back and I realize how incredibly lucky I was as well. And I also feel so much of it is about the choices you make and the directors you work with. That’s something that you have to do. You have to constantly figure out. So I think that he has so much, a huge following, and a lot of talent and a lot of drive, and I think that he should have whatever he wants.
Most of your scenes in ABDUCTION are with Taylor Lautner and Rooney Mara. Do you think you are a role model or mentor to them in some way?
No. I don’t think so. I work with a lot of young actors at our theater in New York, The Flea. We have a young company of about 50 actors. A very diverse group. And what I find that’s wonderful is that we’re all equals and we all go out with our own passion, our own drive, whatever our experience is. And I feel like we’re all exactly the same. I don’t come on set and go, “Well, I’ve done 50 films.” I just come on and go “Gheesh. I don’t know if I can do this.” In my head I’m going, “I’ve never done this before.” I’m doing my thing. They’re all doing their thing and we all put it together so I don’t feel there’s that much of a difference between us, except I’ve just been doing it longer.
Can you compare the experience of the early career frenzy that happened for you with what Taylor is going through now?
I couldn’t have done what Taylor does. I could not have dealt with that. He’s so incredibly famous so young. I was mortified by being famous. I thought it was awful. I look back and I was on the cover of Newsweek and this and that, and I was just like “Yech.” I just wanted to be an obscure young actor. I wanted opportunity but I didn’t want fame. So, I don’t know how he does it, to be this famous this young. It’s such a distraction from the work. And more power to him that he can handle it so brilliantly and knows how to use it to get himself more challenges like this. I didn’t have that.
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