Taylor Lautner, former boyfriend of singing sensation Taylor Swift, played the role of Jacob Black in the Twilight movie series. Jacob Black was a werewolf, and that required Lautner to remain shirtless for a lot of scenes. To portray the character perfectly, the actor had to maintain a muscular physique.

Fans loved Lautner’s character, and the series also gave birth to Team Jacob Black versus Team Edward Cullen. But did you know that Taylor Lautner went through a lot of hardships to play Bella Swan’s best friend?

Taylor Lautner’s fitness routine affected his body image

In the second episode of ‘The Squeeze Podcast’, Taylor Lautner with his wife, as a co-host, discussed several distinct topics. One of them focused on ‘Men’s Mental Health’. His wife talked about the necessity of having this conversation, as the topic is almost always overlooked in society.

Lautner, in turn, talked about his own experience while filming the Twilight series. He stated, “My character is known for taking his shirt off at every other second, no I did not know that it was affecting me or going to affect me in the future with body image.”

Thereupon, he also talked about how the desired body made it necessary for him to follow a strict diet and fitness regime. He confessed to having body image issues once the series was done.

He remarked, “When the franchise ended and I started noticing it for the first time, when I just started rebelling against a gym. I was forced to be in a gym multiple times a day six days a week, you know.”

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In Twilight, Lautner had an extremely fit physique. But as he grew older and his physique changed over time, the internet made him more insecure about himself.

Taylor Swift’s ex, Taylor Lautner, was tired of being compared to Jacob Black

Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner dated back in 2009 for a few months. That was a year after the first Twilight movie was released in November 2008. While the actor had only a small role in the first film, his role expanded in the subsequent series as he played Bella Swan’s best friend and love interest. The first film was released in 2008, whereas the last movie ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2′ came out in 2012.

Taylor Lautner also shed light on the fact that the internet had affected him mentally. He recalled seeing a side-by-side comparison of his shoot days and present, which made him conscious. He thus commented, “I thought I looked fine but then seeing it online, where they put the side by sides of me shirtless…it took my mind getting healthy first.”

It is indeed a matter of fact that men’s mental health is always been overlooked. The social expectations of a man needing to have a perfectly sculpted body at all times, disregarding their physical changes due to age, might affect many people.

Which Taylor Lautner movie is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

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