Photo:Emma McIntyre/Getty, Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty
Emma McIntyre/Getty, Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty
Jamie Lynn Spearsalmost went straight from Pacific Coast Academy to Forks, Washington.
In an interview withVariety,Spears, 32, discussed the trajectory of her career afterZoey 101, the Nickelodeon series that ran from 2005 to 2008.
Spears recalled wanting to jump to something bigger, like movies. That’s when her managers asked her to audition forTwilight— and she didn’t realize it would become a phenomenon.
“This was before vampires had really made their mark. Now we all love to watch stories about vampires, but I literally was like, ‘Vampires? Are you kidding me?’ ” Spears recalled. “I remember reading it and going, ‘Who is going to watch these vampires?’ Boy, was I wrong.”
TheTwilightfranchise became a hit, grossing more than $3 billion at the global box office over the course of five movies.Kristen Stewartstarred as Bella opposite costarsRobert PattinsonandTaylor Lautner.
In a 2020 interview withNylon,Spears touched on herTwilightaudition, saying, “They had to force me. Force me. I remember just thinking like, ‘Y’all are insane. I’m not playing a vampire. That is so stupid. Why would I do that?’ But I went and read for that role. I remember sitting in this little room, and I think Lily Collins was there, and I felt so sick. Little did I know, I was pregnant.”
Charley Gallay/Getty
For years, the new mother did just that, but never lost sight of building a career. She said, “I also wanted to show her that I could provide for her future and that I could continue on to be what I wanted to be. Bringing her into my life was not something that I regret or held me back.”
In 2011, Spears and her daughter Maddie moved to Nashville, where the actress began to write songs for country musicians likeJana Kramer— a way to reestablish herself in the industry.
“Acting is always something that feels really good. I love telling stories, whether that’s writing music for myself or for other people or playing a role. It’s something I feel really good and comfortable in — I think it was somewhat of my first love,” Spears said.
Now, theZoey 101star is returning to her roots as Zoey Brooks in the upcoming reboot filmZoey 102, premiering July 27 on Paramount+.
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in ‘Twilight’ (2008).Alamy
Spears isn’t the only actress who tried to sink her teeth into theTwilightsaga at the time. Last month,Jennifer Lawrencerecalled howshe was rejected for a rolein the beloved franchise. While appearing onThe Rewatchablespodcast, the actress, 32, told host Bill Simmons about her experience auditioning for the 2008 film.
“I auditioned forTwilight,” she said. “They turned me down immediately. I didn’t even get a callback, but my life would have been totally different.”
“That was just something I never had in mind,” Lawrence said of that “Twilight-level” fame. “I want to do indies and I wanted to do good films, but I didn’t want to be the most famous person on the planet. That’s a very different life than what I had pictured for myself.”
source: people.com
