Photo: C Flanigan/FilmMagic
Taylor Lautneris recounting the tough time he faced as a teen in the spotlight.
In an interview withTodaythat aired Thursday, the 29-year-old actor admitted he struggled with fame and was “scared” to leave the house after the smash success ofTwilight.
Lautner played werewolf Jacob Black in all fiveTwilightSaga movies, rounding out the series' love triangle oppositeKristen Stewartas Bella Swan andRobert Pattinsonas Edward Cullen.
“Not many things in life can come and happen overnight. Fame can. It also can disappear overnight,” he explained on theshow. “When I was 16, 17, 18 years old, waking up and trying to just go out for a walk or go on a date and I had 12 cars waiting outside my house to follow me wherever I’m going or show up to an airport or anywhere, and you have thousands of fans screaming.”
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During his peak in the spotlight, Lautner said he feared being recognized in public so much that he spent 10 years avoiding simple tasks like going to the grocery store, mall or movie theater. However, he said it “felt like freedom " when he was finally comfortable enough to get out more.
“I went so many years either not leaving my house, or if I did, hat, sunglasses, and just like, scared,” the actor explained. “It built up something inside of me where, I didn’t know it, but I was scared to go out. I’d get super anxious to go out. So I just didn’t.”
After the finalTwilightfilm premiered in 2012, Lautner went on to star in a few films and two television shows —CuckooandScream Queens— but took a break from acting in 2016, and said the media attention slowly started to wane.
“In the moment, it got frustrating because you just wanted to live a normal life,” Lautner said. “But then when that’s taken away from you at all, you start to question yourself and start to be like ‘oh, do people not care about me anymore?’ When it goes away a little bit, you notice it, and that’s the dangerous part because that can mess with your mind.”
The actor admitted that he feels better today than he has in recent years, and is “thankful” for the perspective he has now.
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In this week’s issue of PEOPLE, Lautner (whose first broke out inThe Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirlin 2005) opened up aboutreturning to actinginAdam Sandler-produced Netflix sports comedyHome Team.
TheTwilightalum will star alongsideKevin James, who plays New Orleans Saints head coachSean Paytonin a story that touches on the team’s Bountygate scandal following their2010 Super Bowl win.
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Lautner told PEOPLE that coaching tweensin the movie feels “full circle,“explaining, “I did my first feature,Sharkboy and Lavagirl, when I was 12, and all the kids in this movie were about 12.”
“I remember everyone taking me in and supporting me on my first movie sets, and I wanted to do my best to provide that to these kids and just be their big brother,” he said.
Home Teamhits Netflix on Friday.
For more from Taylor Lautner, pick up this week’s issue ofPEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
source: people.com
