Twilight: The Stranger Things Star Who Almost Played Edward Cullen
It's practically impossible to imagine anyone but Robert Pattinson portraying the moody, brooding vampire teen Edward Cullen in the "Twilight" saga. However, this iconic character could've looked much different if a scheduling conflict didn't prevent a certain future "Stranger Things" star from moving forward with the part.
On Josh Horowitz's "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, Vecna actor Jamie Campbell Bower revealed that he was asked to read for the part of Edward. "They were like, 'The dedication Jamie brings to his roles, we would be interested in seeing him,' and all of this and all of that," said Campbell Bower. However, those early days of "Twilight" casting coincided with the release of Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," in which Campbell Bower plays lovestruck Anthony. "I think life was just so crazy and hectic, it was just one of those things that never came to fruition," he said.
Still, this wasn't his only chance to head to Forks, Washington. In "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," Campbell Bower makes his debut as Caius, one of the ruthless leaders of the Volturi who govern the vampire community.
Jamie Campbell Bower had freedom while bringing Caius to life
For Jamie Campbell Bower, there seems to be no regret about having to decline the chance to be a leading man in a major film franchise. In fact, things may have worked out for the best. While Robert Pattinson worked hard to give Edward Cullen a brooding persona (he almost got fired for being too serious), Campbell Bower was able to have fun and enjoy plenty of freedom while bringing Caius to life.
In an interview with MTV News, he reflected on how, prior to filming, he and director Chris Weitz brainstormed ideas for the character's backstory. For example, Campbell Bower suggested that Caius is an angry individual because he's the only Volturi leader without a special power.
"And then, once we got on set, he [Weitz] was just like, 'Go for it.' We'd do a couple of takes of the same thing, and then we'd change it up and I'd do something crazy," said Campbell Bower. He added, "We'd do different accents, different styles. There would be one that would be very introverted, and then there would be another one that would be completely theatrical. It was good fun."