TV & Movies
Because there’s more to the franchise than R Patz and K Stew.
Between the Twilight movies hitting Netflix this month, and author Stephenie Meyer's long-awaited Midnight Sun finally hitting shelves last year, many former Twihards have found themselves dusting off their old books and reliving all the vampire glory of yesteryear. And while you're going down memory lane, you're probably wondering, what is the cast of Twilight up to now?
The Twilight Saga was a cultural phenomenon — no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Nearly 30 years after Anne Rice won readers over with her tales of the brooding Louis de Pointe du Lac and the flamboyant Lestat de Lioncourt, Meyer's own broody hero, Edward Cullen, took the world by storm. When Cullen and his human paramour, Bella Swan, first graced the big screen in 2008’s Twilight — played by the then-unknown, now extremely famous Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson — the fanbase for Meyer’s stories ballooned even further. Four more movies would follow, each grossing significant sums at the box office — making Twilight one of the biggest franchises of the 21st century.
It's been nearly a decade since Breaking Dawn — Part 2 closed the curtain on the Twilight Saga. Here's what the major players from the cast of Twilight are up to today:
Kristen Stewart
Post-Breaking Dawn, Kristen Stewart (Twilight’s Bella Swan) starred in a number of indie films, including Still Alice, Seberg, and Personal Shopper; she’s also appeared in a couple big-budget flicks, like Snow White and the Huntsman and Charlie’s Angels. Her next big role is already on the horizon: Stewart fans can look forward to seeing her as Princess Diana in the upcoming Spencer.
Robert Pattinson
Following his stint as Edward Cullen, Robert Pattinson pursued a number of creative projects, including a starring role in Robert Eggers' 2019 horror film, The Lighthouse. In 2020, Pattinson had roles in two hit films: The Devil All the Time and Tenet. Next, he’ll star as the Caped Crusader in the 2022 DC Comics film, The Batman.
Taylor Lautner
Taylor Lautner, aka Jacob Black, hasn't done much acting since 2016, when his roles in Scream Queens and Run the Tide netted him two nominations in the 2017 Teen Choice Awards. The Twilight star may be making his comeback in Home Team, the Sean Payton biopic from Netflix and Happy Madison Productions. The film stars Kevin James as Payton, and is Lautner’s first film role since Run the Tide.
Billy Burke
After appearing in all five Twilight movies as Charlie Swan, Billy Burke has acted in several more films and TV shows. Most recently, he appeared on Fox's 9-1-1: Lone Star and voiced Comissioner Gordon in the animated DC Universe film, Batman: The Long Halloween. Burke is also set to star in Netflix’s Maid, a limited series based on Stephanie Land’s memoir of the same name. All of this is on top of his parallel career in music; Burke released his second album, The Underkill, in 2018.
Peter Facinelli
Peter Facinelli, aka Carlisle Cullen, has been quite busy following the end of the Twilight Saga. The Queens native appeared as Coop on Showtime's Nurse Jackie, which ended its seven-season run in 2015. He starred as infamous sex-cult leader Keith Raniere in the Lifetime Original Movie, Escaping the NXIVM Cult, and is involved in a number of forthcoming projects, including The Dragon’s Egg and Unto the Son. In 2019, Facinelli proposed to girlfriend Lily Anne Harrison during a new year's vacation to Mexico, according to People.
Mackenzie Foy
She's barely out of her teens, but Mackenzie Foy — better known to Twihards as Renesmee Cullen — has already appeared in some of the biggest films of the 2010s, from Breaking Dawn to Interstellar. After starring as Clara in Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, the actor picked up another starring role, as Jo Green in a the 2020 adaptation of Anna Sewell's Black Beauty. She’s set to star in the forthcoming The Man Who Saved Paris, which features Stanley Tucci as a brothel owner tasked with giving the city a post-Vichy facelift.
Ashley Greene
After starring as Alice Cullen in the Twilight Saga, Ashley Greene has diversified her acting portfolio. She's appeared in both indie and big studio films, picking up a voice-acting gig as Barbara Gordon — aka Batgirl — in Batman: Arkham Asylum, and even starring in the 2019 Hallmark Channel movie Christmas on My Mind. Her next three films — Aftermath, The Retirement Plan, and One Shot — are currently in post-production.
Anna Kendrick
One of the franchise's most successful stars, Anna Kendrick has done quite a lot since she portrayed Jessica Stanley. After starring as Beca in three blockbuster Pitch Perfect films, Kendrick appeared as Queen Poppy in Trolls and Trolls World Tour, and as Darby on HBO Max’s Love Life. She is set to star in the upcoming Lionsgate film, Alice, Darling: a psychological thriller about a woman in an abusive relationship.
Kellan Lutz
Following his stint as Emmett Cullen, Kellan Lutz built a film and TV career centered on action movie roles. He stars as Ken Crosby in CBS' FBI: Most Wanted, which has been renewed for a third season. Lutz is set to star alongside Tyrese Gibson and Michael Jai White in Come Out Fighting — a World War II drama about the majority-Black 761st Tank Battalion.
Jackson Rathbone
Since portraying Jasper Hale in the Twilight Saga, Jackson Rathbone has settled down with wife Sheila Hafsadi to raise their three children, according to People. Rathbone has also found time to continue acting, though, and nailed leading roles in two 2020 romance features: Dreaming Grand Avenue and Until We Meet Again.
Elizabeth Reaser
Elizabeth Reaser, aka Esme Cullen, has made a name for herself in the TV world since Breaking Dawn — Part 2. In addition to her starring role as Shirley Crain on Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House, Reaser has also appeared on Easy and The Handmaid's Tale. Her most recent film, Embattled, premiered in 2020.
Nikki Reed
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