The Twilight Saga catapulted Kristen Stewart to international fame with her portrayal of Bella Swan in the franchise inspired by the works of Stephenie Meyer. The fantasy romance franchise centered around her relationship with a vampire Edward Cullen played by Robert Pattinson. However, it was not easy for the Panic Room actress to bag the role as several names posed hurdles to her path of breakout success.
Out of all the names that reportedly sprang up for the role of Bella Swan, Michelle Trachtenberg was also reported to be a major name in that list. The actress who was already part of a hit vampire TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer admitted in a 2011 interview that she was considered for the female lead in the 2008 film but she had to back out due to certain reasons.
Michelle Trachtenberg was about to replace Kristen Stewart in Twilight
The Twilight Saga franchise kicked off in 2008 with its first movie Twilight which became a huge hit despite receiving a mixed critical reception. However, Kristen Stewart was never the first choice for the role of Bella Swan which made her a household name. One of the other names that was reportedly thought of was Michelle Trachtenberg.
While speaking to US Weekly, Blake Lively’s Gossip Girl series co-star admitted that she was also a potential choice for the role- “There was definitely interest here and there because there’s only so few pale girls in Hollywood”. Trachtenberg stated that she had known the director Catherine Hardwicke for a long time and was a frontrunner for Twilight.
“I’ve known Catherine Hardwicke since the movie Thirteen. I was actually supposed to star in that, but I was on Buffy at the time.”
However, Michelle Trachtenberg joked that she doesn’t have any regret for not getting to star alongside Robert Pattinson because she had already done the “vampire thing” in her hit series.
“I already have Buffy. I’ve already done the vampire thing.”
Although the 37-year-old didn’t get the role, she has been a part of several hit projects that decorated her career with several prestigious achievements. Very recently, she was also seen hosting the Tubi crime documentary series Meet, Marry, Murder.
Kristen Stewart had numerous competitors for Bella Swan
If Michelle Trachtenberg’s words are to be believed then she was on the list with actresses such as Jennifer Lawrence, Emily Browning, and Lilly Collins who were also on the line before Kristen Stewart bagged the role.
Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for the role of Swan when she was 17. In an interview with The Guardian, she admitted that she was glad to have not received the role. She also added that she never thought the franchise to be so popular and it was only another audition to her.
“Oh yeah, for sure.I remember when the first movie came out, seeing Kristen Stewart on the red carpet and getting papped wherever she went. I’d had no idea Twilight would be such a big deal. For me, and assuming for her, it was just another audition. Then it turned into this whole other thing.”
With her successes in several other critically and commercially acclaimed movies like Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and The Hunger Games, she went on to be one of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood. On the other hand, Kristen Stewart is also busy with a set of upcoming projects including the romantic thriller Love Lies Bleeding and some other movies like Love Me and Sacramento.
Twilight can be rented on Apple TV+.
Source: US Weekly / The Guardian
