The Twilight Cast: Before They Were Stars

While Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner may now be international heartthrobs, they each had to start somewhere… whether that be in class with Harry Potter, panicking opposite Jodi Foster, or appearing in 3D as Sharkboy.  The cast members who’ve blown-up since Twilight have not only gained hordes of spastic teenage fans, but have also received seriously glam-tastic makeovers. Take a look at your favorite Twi-stars and see how far they’ve come.  [Photos: Warner Bros., Getty Images]

Before hitting it big time as Bella Swan, Kristen Stewart had already made a name for herself amongst movie critics. She nabbed four Young Artist Award nominations for her roles in Panic Room opposite Jodie Foster (2002), Cold Creek Manor (2003), Undertow (2004), and Into The Wild (2007). Though she’s now grown into a sizzlin’ young woman with millions of drooling fans, Stewart continues to take her work seriously, avoiding the party scene and keeping her love life (she’s rumored to be dating co-star Robert Pattinson) on the down low.

Check out Kristen’s co-stars’ before and after pics - and a giant gallery - below the jump!

Now internationally known as Edward Cullen, British heartthrob Robert Pattinson kicked off his career in another hugely popular franchise, Harry Potter, as Hogwarts’ resident jock Cedric Diggory. He then segued into a few indie roles, including one as painter Salvador Dalí in Little Ashes, before becoming every girl’s fantasy bloodsucker.

Taylor Lautner may have hit the weights and watched his diet to get his body werewolf-worthy (check out the history of his abs!), but it seems the guy was born to play Jacob Black. From age 12 onward, Lautner consistently had small television roles and earned his first movie lead in Robert Rodriguez-directed film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005). Three years later, girls around the world squealed when he revealed his washboard abs in Twilight and since have formed “Team Jacob.”

Ashley Greene’s most mainstream role prior to Alice Cullen was an anonymous McDonald’s customer in 2007’s King of California. She has since become one of the most beloved Twilight characters and gained swarms of lusty admirers after some nude photos leaked last summer.

Nikki Reed kicked off her career with a bang by co-writing (with Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke) and starring in Thirteen (2003), a drama about two rebellious teenage girls. She went on to have a recurring role on “The OC” but didn’t garner mainstream recognition until her role as vampire Rosalie Hale, the stunning but stubborn sister of Edward Cullen.

Jackson Rathbone started his acting career with a small role on “The OC,” a common thread amongst the Twilight stars. He went on to snag various television roles, though nothing in the same stratosphere as his role as Jasper Hale, the youngest and most unpredictable vampire of the Cullen family.

After almost ten years of forgettable television roles, Rachelle Leferve landed the role of Victoria, a red-haired revenge-seeking vampire in Twilight. While Leferve will reprise the role in New Moon, Bryce Dallas Howard took her place as Victoria in Eclipse, much to the dismay of hardcore fans.

Kellan Lutz had small roles in many of today’s most popular television shows like “CSI: NY,” “Six Feet Under” and “Heroes” prior to becoming brute vampire Emmett Cullen. When not maintaining his buff physique for the Twilight series, Lutz has been filming the upcoming horror remake A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010).

Don’t be fooled by Anna Kendrick’s ditsy role as Jessica, one of Bella’s few human friends. Kendrick kick-started her acting career on Broadway, becoming the second youngest Tony Award nominee in history for her 1998 role in “High Society.” Look for her alongside George Clooney in the upcoming Oscar-bait film, Up In The Air.

One of the most seasoned actors to join the Twilight cast, Peter Facinelli made his big screen debut as the cute meathead of 1998’s Can’t Hardly Wait, opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt. Facinelli went on to have recurring roles in the critically acclaimed shows “Six Feet Under” and “Damages.” Dr. Carlisle Cullen now does double-duty as an arrogant doc on Showtime’s latest hit, “Nurse Jackie.”

Michigan native Elizabeth Reaser started off at Julliard, and made a name for herself with a recurring role as an amnesiac pregnant patient on “Grey’s Anatomy,” which earned her an Emmy nomination. She’s solidified her blockbuster status playing Esme Cullen in the Twilight Saga movies, but has stayed true to her indie roots - her next flick Against the Current was a critic fave at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

California cutie Christian Serratos perfected her acting skills with guest roles on “Hannah Montana” and “Zoey 101,” before scoring a recurring gig on Nickelodeon’s “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.” In Twilight she plays Bella’s nerdy pal Angela, but don’t let the dorky glasses fool you - in real life Christian’s a former model with serious fashion sense.

Billy Burke got his start in Hollywood playing “Guy in club” on “Party of Five” back in the 90s. These days, he’s best known for playing the most famous dad in young adult fiction, Bella’s pop Charlie Swan.

Child superstar Dakota Fanning perfected her acting skills with a guest stint on “E.R.” before winning over fans in I Am Sam, a role which earning the young  starlet a SAG award nomination. Only 15 years old, Dakota has worked with just about every big name in Hollywood, from Sean Penn to Steven Spielberg, and will co-star alongside her Twilight pal Kristen Stewart in the biopic The Runaways.

Michael Welch’s been acting since the age of ten, with roles on “Malcolm in the Middle,” “The X-Files,” and “Crossing Jordan.” He even played “Young Niles” on “Frasier!” But his big break came when he auditioned for the role of Edward Cullen in Twilight. While he lost the part to Robert Pattinson, he scored the role of Mike Newton, Bella’s doting guy friend.

Edi Gathegi made his big screen debut in 2006’s Crank playing a cabbie, and later moved into larger roles on TV on shows such as “House,” “CSI: Miami,” and “Life on Mars.” When he auditioned for the role of Laurent in Twilight, he had no idea the character was a vampire. Now he wears his fangs proudly and admits to being a “hardcore” fan of the beloved books.

We adore Justin Chon’s character Eric, who provided a hearty dose of comic relief in the otherwise dark and serious Twilight flick. Before he was charming us alongside Bella and Edward, Justin starred in the Nickelodeon series “Just Jordan” and played rock star “Big Korea” on a few episodes of “The OC” (pictured above, left).

More before and after shots in our gallery below!

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Taylor Lautner at the Ring 2 Special Los Angeles Screening in 2005. [Photo: Getty Images]