14 Stars Who Almost Played Bella, Edward and Jacob in “Twilight”

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson playing Bella Swan and Edward Cullen in Twilight, but several stars almost did. 

Premiering in 2008, Twilight follows a teen girl who moves to a small town in the Pacific Northwest and falls in love with a vampire. The film was based on Stephanie Meyer’s book series of the same name and spawned four additional movies — New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn: Part 1 and Breaking Dawn: Part 2 — that grossed over $3 billion in total, per Variety. 

Other films in the saga, which are now all streaming on Netflix, focused on Bella’s romance with Edward as well as the infamous love triangle she falls into with friend and secret werewolf Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner. Like his costars, the film’s success launched him into superstardom — something director Catherine Hardwicke said nobody expected. 

“Nobody thought this is a big, blockbuster franchise,” she told The Daily Beast in 2018. “There were very low expectations for Twilight, because every other studio had turned it down.” 

So, who else was in the running to lead one of the most successful film franchises in Hollywood history? Here are 14 stars who almost played Bella Swan, Edward Cullen and Jacob Black in Twilight.

Bella 

Jennifer Lawrence

In a 2023 interview on The Rewatchables podcast, actress Jennifer Lawrence revealed that she auditioned for Twilight and was turned down “immediately.”

She also said that watching the massive fandom that came out of the vampire saga almost made her back out of The Hunger Games because she “never wanted to be the most famous person on the planet.” 

Michelle Trachtenberg

In 2011, the late Michelle Trachtenberg, who died of diabetes complications in 2025, told the Los Angeles Times that she was tapped to play Bella due to a longtime relationship with the film’s director.

She said scheduling conflicts were the only reason she wasn’t part of the film, and that she had no hard feelings because she’d “already done the vampire thing” in the long-running series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  

Emily Browning 

In a 2007 blog post, author Meyer named actress Emily Browning as her “favorite choice” to play Bella in the first Twilight film.

The A Series of Unfortunate Events star told IndieWire in 2011 that she “chose not to audition” because, at the time, she was reconsidering her career as an actress and didn’t want to sign onto a trilogy. 

Elliot Page

Meyer also listed Elliot Page — who came out as transgender in 2020 — as a potential to play Bella.

However, The Umbrella Academy actor never confirmed that he was considered for the role. 

Danielle Panabaker 

Another Bella option Meyer posed was Danielle Panabaker, who had risen to fame for Disney movies like Stuck in the Suburbs and Sky High.

However, the Flash star hasn’t confirmed if she auditioned for the part. 

Lily Collins 

In 2013, Lily Collins revealed that she auditioned for the role of Bella in the original Twilight movie, per E! Online.

The Emily in Paris star told the publication CraveOnline that she was new to Hollywood and the audition was “one of those anxious days” she often had as a young actor. 

Edward

Josh Peck

In a 2023 episode of the GOOD GUYS PODCAST with Lautner as a guest, co-host Josh Peck talked about how he sent in an audition tape to play Edward in Twilight — and was later told by his manager that it was down to him and three other guys.

“I hadn’t even had a tummy tuck yet,” the former Drake & Josh star joked. “I’m like, there’s no way. He’s got to be so shirtless … then seeing [Pattinson] playing this part, I’m like, in what f—— world.”   

Henry Cavill 

Though he never auditioned for the role, Meyer wrote on her blog that Henry Cavill was her “perfect Edward.”

The Witcher actor said in a 2022 episode on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he didn’t learn about the author’s wishes until much later and said that playing the vampire lead “would have been cool.” 

Shiloh Fernandez

In 2018, Hardwicke told Yahoo! that after they cast Stewart as Bella, they narrowed the choices for Edward down to four guys — one of whom was Evil Dead star Shiloh Fernandez.

The actor told Digital Spy in 2011 that while he was “disappointed” not to get the role, he was happy he later got to work with the director in the fantasy horror film Red Riding Hood. 

Ben Barnes

Also on the short list for Edward was actor Ben Barnes, who ended up playing a lead role in The Chronicles of Narnia franchise the same year Twilight was released.

Hardwicke told Yahoo! that though the guys she considered were “really cute,” most didn’t have that “otherworldly” look they wanted for the vampire heartthrob.  

Jackson Rathbone

Though he would go on to play vampire Jasper Hale in the Twilight saga, Jackson Rathbone told MTV in 2009 that he was initially considered for the role of Edward, per Business Insider. Hardwicke also confirmed that he was one of the four finalists for the role.

However, the Aim High actor had no hard feelings and said he “wouldn’t have another Edward Cullen than Robert Pattinson.”  

Jamie Campbell Bower

Another Twilight franchise cast member who almost got the lead role was Jamie Campbell Bower, who played Volturi leader Caius in New Moon and both Breaking Dawn films.

The Stranger Things star said during a 2022 interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that though filmmakers initially saw him as a “potential Edward,” he was too busy with his role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street to audition. 

Jacob

Tyler Posey

During a 2023 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Tyler Posey revealed that he was in the running to play Jacob in the first Twilight movie.

The actor, who went on to star in the hit series Teen Wolf, told Kelly Clarkson that he was happy Lautner got the role because he “wasn’t ready for the type of attention” the role received. 

Michael Copon

In 2008, Michael Copon told J-14 that he was interested in replacing Lautner as Jacob for the Twilight sequel, New Moon, as the character had a dramatic physical transformation in the books.

Though it’s unclear if the actor ever auditioned for the role, Lautner did confirm in a 2023 interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast that he had to “fight” for his role and was almost recast because of his appearance. 

Credit: dotdashmeredith.com