Gallery Link:
» 2011 Photoshoots: GQ Australia Photoshoot

Gallery Link:
» 2011 Photoshoots: “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1″ Press Conference

“Oh boy,” he says.

Lautner is dressed in skinny dark jeans and lived-in black boots. His check flannel shirt is spread wide, revealing what appears to be the 19-year-old actor’s very first crop of chest hair. His smile is Cruise-like, packed with the kind of porcelain that has never been stained by a lick of red wine. Lautner is flashing those teeth, shifting in his chair, because he’s uncomfortable.

We’re sitting down to lunch at L’Ermitage, a swank hotel in Beverly Hills that Lautner likes for its privacy. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows your name, but pretends they’ve never seen your face. He needs that, these days, that kind of protection. Because Twilight’s Jacob Black — the teen wolf — is mobbed wherever he goes.

“It comes down to what kind of mood you’re in,” he says. “You have to make a decision before you go out: are you willing to sign autographs and take pictures, say hello and meet new people?”

Is it upsetting?

“I wouldn’t say I get upset about it. I asked for this,” he says. “It gets frustrating. But during that frustration you say, ‘OK. Why am I frustrated? I’m doing what I love.’ But sometimes you really just want to go do whatever you want to do.”

Losing your anonymity sure pays well. $7.5 million was what Lautner — now officially the highest-paid teenager in Hollywood — made for his current thriller Abduction, about a high-school student who finds his baby photo on a missing-persons website the same night he watches his parents get killed. The film is his first as a leading man and comes without that built-in Team Jacob fan base, but he’s already had a pay rise. He’s expected to earn $10 million for the time-travel film Incarceron, in development now. (Blake Lively, Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson have all reportedly met with producers about playing the female lead).

SOURCE: GQ Australia

Taylor Lautner stares at the tiny white cup in front of him with steely purpose. His first-ever double espresso has proven so strong that Lautner’s eyes widen with each sip and he makes comical “whoops” as the powerful-tasting liquid goes down.

In his first leading role, Taylor Lautner plays a teenager who gets caught up in a mystery after he finds his picture on a missing-persons website.

But after adding several packets of Sweet’N Low, he is determined to end the confrontation.

“I’m almost done,” Lautner says after another taste, smiling and grimacing at the same time. “I’m determined to do this.”

Somehow, even a lunch at a swank Beverly Hills restaurant turns into an extreme dining experience for the 19-year-old star and self-confessed “adrenaline junkie.”

Lautner is not one to back down from a challenge. The stakes grow considerably higher for the young actor on Friday with the release of Abduction, his first lead role since breaking out as werewolf Jacob Black in the Twilight movie series.

“This is it,” says Abduction director John Singleton, summing up the pivotal moment in Lautner’s career. “This is that first starring role. People don’t know what to expect from Taylor. And when they see it, it’s going to be like, ‘Whoa!’”

The highly charged action flick centers on Lautner’s all-American character, who realizes all is not as it seems when he sees his picture on a missing-persons site. Lautner says he was so floored by the page-turning script that he knew immediately he had found the right movie for his debut leading role.

“It took a long time to decide what the first movie outside of the franchise was going to be,” Lautner says. “I wanted it to be special.

“You go with your passion and what your gut tells you. But I would be lying to say there’s no pressure involved.”

Frequently flashing his famous smile before falling into a giddy laugh over lunch, Lautner shows little sign of feeling any pressure. In black jeans, work boots and a black T-shirt, he talks of a morning spent power-washing the pool area at his family’s home in Valencia, Calif.

The film provides a showcase for talents greater than household chores, from his martial arts skills (Lautner was a junior world champ from age 6) to his eagerness to perform his own stunts.

“Pretty much everything you see on-screen is me,” he says. “Which is super-exciting.”

This includes sliding down a massive glass awning atop Pittsburgh’s PNC Park (“After 20 takes, I had some bumps and bruises”) to rolling on top of a speeding truck in the movie’s opening scene. Though wearing a safety harness, Lautner says, he had to persuade worried producers to allow the truck to speed up.

“I made sure (the straps) were loose so I could slide around on the truck and have a little bit of fun,” he says. “So it was like, ‘Make them looser and make the car go faster!’ We got up to about 50 (mph).”

Lautner and Singleton secretly took the harness off so Lautner could propel from the truck hood into a lawn party scene. “(The producers) were not happy, then happy because it looked pretty cool,” Lautner says. “Needless to say, it was only done once.”

Lautner’s character also manages to find love, even while most of his life unravels — something that has never happened in the Twilight series, where Jacob has long pined for Bella Swan.

“I don’t know any character in the history of movies who faces more rejection than (Jacob),” Lautner says with a laugh. “He’s not a lucky guy.”

Lautner’s on-screen luck changes with 22-year-old Lily Collins, daughter of ’80s rocker Phil Collins, who plays his neighbor-turned-girlfriend.

Lautner describes their heated love scene aboard an Amtrak train in geological terms: “It ended up being like a volcano. It started off very soft and just took off. It’s intense.”

Singleton, who allowed Lautner and Collins to choreograph the scene, says he was surprised with the end product, which he rates a 12 out of 10 on the heat register.

“There was a lot of stuff going on,” Lautner says with a laugh. “I was trying to make sure it was all in service of the movie.”

“There was a lot of extra there,” Singleton says coyly, adding fuel to the reports that Lautner and his co-star enjoyed an on-set relationship.

Lautner, however, insists he is single, adding, “Lily and I are really good friends.

“I like to keep some things private. If everything is out there for everyone to know, then nothing feels special to you.”

Lautner, who has been linked to Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, says he will step out with a significant other “eventually.”

“When I’m older and when it’s very serious,” he says. “But I don’t need to be thinking about it that much right now.” His focus now is promoting Abduction before he shifts his attention to the widely anticipated release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1, which hits theaters Nov. 18.

Breaking Dawn, Part 2 is scheduled for release in November 2012, but beyond that, Lautner’s not sure about his next career steps. He and Singleton discussed patterning his career along the diverse lines of his idol, Tom Cruise.

“I so respect his career choices,” Lautner says. “If I could have one-tenth of the career Tom Cruise has had, that would be a dream come true.”

A movie bringing action toy Stretch Armstrong to the big screen “is in the mix but probably won’t be next,” he says. “There are a few new things that haven’t been announced that I’m super-excited about which will probably be up first.”

“But it will definitely be different,” Lautner adds. “My goal is being able to challenge myself.”

More immediately, that challenge involves the still-unfinished double espresso. Lautner takes one more look at the white cup, braces himself and throws down the final dreaded sip.

“I’m done,” he exclaims, letting out a victory whoop and clapping his hands. “That was fun.”

Taylor Lautner thought he was safe.

The 19-year-old actor — best known to millions of moviegoers as heartsick werewolf Jacob Black from the “Twilight” movies — had driven from the home he shares with his parents in Valencia, a tranquil planned community about 30 miles north of Hollywood, to a downtown Los Angeles hotel.

He had arrived for an interview to discuss his new action film, “Abduction,” out Friday. The movie, the first directed by John Singleton (“Boyz N the Hood”) in six years, is a sort of “Bourne Identity” for the teen set. In it, Lautner stars as a high school student forced to go on the run after he discovers that his parents have been concealing a weighty secret about his background.

The rooftop meeting location had been selected for its privacy, but almost as soon as Lautner ordered an iced tea, he spotted an intruder and tensed noticeably.

“I believe I just saw a paparazzi right there,” he said, furrowing his brow. “It definitely was, because I recognized his face. Like, I’ve seen him before.”

Although said photographer never materialized again, Lautner seemed on edge for the remainder of the sitdown — perhaps channeling some of the healthy paranoia “Abduction’s” Nathan cultivates over the course of his adventures or possibly just revealing his own internal struggles with the nearly incomprehensible level of fame he’s achieved at such a young age.

He has been on high alert, so to speak, for the last three years, since the release of the first “Twilight” film propelled him and costars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson into the center of a pop culture firestorm. Adapted from the bestselling supernatural teen romance novels by Stephenie Meyer, the first three films in the franchise have grossed more than $1.8-billion worth of tickets worldwide. As a result, Lautner — along with his famously chiseled abdominal muscles — has become a staple on the bedroom wall of teenage girls.

His days as the werewolf are waning, though, with the first of the saga’s two-part finale, “Breaking Dawn,” opening Nov. 18 and the second installment hitting theaters next year. Now Lautner is looking to life post-”Twilight” and is heading into that future with a specific plan: He wants to be an action star, like Tom Cruise or “Bourne’s” Matt Damon. It’s a career path that, should he manage it, would unquestionably keep Lautner in the bright eye of the spotlight for years. And the success or failure of “Abduction” will be the first indication of whether he can achieve his goal.

As Singleton put it: “The whole goal of the movie was all about showing that Taylor can actually carry a picture — that he’s truly a star.”

A karate kid

As a child growing up in Grand Rapids, Mich., Lautner idolized sports stars, studying karate and traveling the country to compete in martial arts competitions. (He had won three Junior World Championships by age 11.) It was his karate instructor — a onetime actor who appeared in the “Power Rangers” television series — who encouraged him to pursue a career in Hollywood.

“I was like, ‘Wow, acting. That’s a strange idea,’” he recalled, looking overly polished for a casual interview in perfectly distressed boots, tight jeans and a T-shirt that seemed designed to show off his biceps. “My parents were like, ‘OK, well, if you want to do this, we can’t do it from Michigan. We have to live in Los Angeles.’ I didn’t even think that was an option at the time. I still don’t know what they saw or why they did it, but today I can’t thank them enough for that risk they took.”

Lautner’s father, Daniel, a former airline pilot, is heavily involved in his son’s career. He served as a producer on “Abduction” — the actor said his dad helps “keep things on track when I’m not available for phone calls. He was just definitely a help for me, because when I’m filming, I want to be able to focus on the character as much as possible.”

He first heard about “Abduction” right before the second “Twilight” film, “New Moon,” was released in 2009 — a period when he was presented with a number of appealing prospects. It was around that time that he also signed on for roles in “Max Steel” and “Stretch Armstrong,” movie properties based on popular toys — but later dropped out of the former citing scheduling issues. (He’s still attached to “Armstrong,” though the Universal project is undergoing script changes.)

“Abduction,” Lautner said, piqued his interest because he thought the role would be demanding.

“I don’t know why, but I’m always looking to challenge myself as much as possible,” he said with an earnest grin. “Plus, I had always been an action fan and been fans of actors like [Matt] Damon and Harrison Ford. What I love about their action movies is that they’re not just action movies. They’re playing a character that goes through an incredible journey.”

Singleton asked the actor to watch Cruise’s cinematic oeuvre — from “Born on the Fourth of July” to “Minority Report” — in addition to Ford’s performance in “The Fugitive” and Robert De Niro’s in “Raging Bull.”

“I was like a film school teacher, talking to him about the rules of playing a hero,” Singleton said. “A hero walks upright. He walks with his head high. I was like his coach.”

To prepare physically for the film — shot in Pittsburgh over 51 days last year — Lautner learned how to ride a motorcycle and engaged in arduous boxing and wrestling training.

He appears in nearly every frame of the picture, and the largely physical role allows him to showcase his propensity for stunt work. It is without question his bid to abandon his status as a teen heartthrob, a prospect that’s proved tricky for his “Twilight” colleagues.

Stewart will star in an adaptation of “Snow White” due out next year, but she’s mostly opted to act in independent films that have been little seen by the fans of the franchise. Pattinson too has followed a similar trajectory. His biggest non-”Twilight” success came with “Water for Elephants,” a romantic period drama in which he starred opposite Reese Witherspoon that grossed a decent $117 million worldwide this year.

But Singleton believes that the powers that be are invested in the young man’s success. “The industry wants new blood,” he said. “They want someone else they can build movies around. So basically, Hollywood is kind of rooting for Taylor.”

Lionsgate needs a hit

“Abduction” is important not only for Lautner but also for the studio that made the film, Lionsgate, which has struggled to produce a hit in recent months. A costly remake of the Arnold Schwarzenegger ’80s flick “Conan the Barbarian” flopped in August, and this month’s mixed-martial arts drama “Warrior” opened to a disappointing $5.2 million despite strong reviews.

Lionsgate spent roughly $35 million to produce “Abduction” and paid Lautner around $5 million to star in it — a bet that he can open a movie that doesn’t have the built-in fan base of “Twilight.” Though audience surveys indicate the film is generating solid interest, most of it is coming from teenage girls. After the influx of “Twi-hards” on opening night, it remains to be seen who else — if anyone — will buy tickets.

“This movie is absolutely important for him — and for us, which is why we were so calculating,” said Joe Drake, president of the studio’s motion picture group. “We were very thoughtful about how we put it together. We found a director who had a track record of coaxing lead performances out of young actors. And then we surrounded him with some veteran actors, like Sigourney Weaver and Alfred Molina, so everything wasn’t hanging on him.”

But during the production, recalled costar Weaver, who plays Nathan’s psychiatrist in the film, Lautner rarely appeared to be suffering under the weight of all that pressure.

“We would just kind of goof around on the set — taking shots of ourselves that would make us look like Martians or fat on that photo booth program on the computer,” said the veteran actress. “We certainly weren’t talking about Chekhov or anything. I’m sorry to say there weren’t any weighty conversations about the Method. I thought he was pretty normal, actually. And I’m sure that’s difficult with all these fans who might be stalking him or something.”

Retaining a sense of normality, Lautner says, has been a challenge. Last year, he spent only five weeks at home — one reason he’s yet to consider getting a place of his own. He completed about 12 credits at his local community college via online correspondence but found himself unable to finish the course load required to attain a degree while balancing his acting career.

He’s also learning how to deal with the attention he receives from fans and from gossip sites. In addition to covering his romantic comings and goings — Lautner has been linked to Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift and most recently his “Abduction” costar Lily Collins — TMZ made public Lautner’s summer purchase of a 2012 SLS AMG Mercedes-Benz, a flashy ride equipped with gullwings and worth more than $200,000.

“It took me a long time to decide to get it, but it’s an amazing car. I definitely don’t drive it much. It’s kind of, like, stored away,” he said. “My parents definitely always taught me to save and be smart financially. I hope I’m doing that — and I believe I am.”

Bill Condon, who directed the final two installments of the “Twilight” series, said he’s noticed that Lautner has a heightened awareness of his public persona.

“I recently invited him over to see a cut of the new movie at the place where we were editing, and suddenly it was all, ‘Well, who’s going to be around?’” Condon recounted. “So he gets there, and … out of nowhere, on this studio back lot, there are suddenly, like, six girls. I got a taste of what he was on about. But it does feel like he’s very aware of that all the time — always thinking about how to avoid being mobbed.”

Lautner has yet to announce what his next project will be, though he said he’s eager to work with a handful of filmmakers, including Hollywood heavyweight Steven Spielberg and critics’ darling Nicolas Winding Refn, who directed the violent, moody genre piece “Drive.” Lautner is optimistic that his “Twilight” audience will follow him as he embarks on this new path.

“I’m just hoping that the fans can support me doing completely different things outside of the franchise,” he said. “And yeah, I mean, there probably is a lot at stake. It definitely crosses my mind, and I would be lying if I said I feel no pressure. But whenever that thought does come in my mind, I try to push it out as quickly as possible. I try and just stay focused on things that I can control.”

Moments later he got ready to leave, posing for photos with a few fans who had been waiting nearby and then asking a reporter to make sure that the elusive paparazzo wasn’t still hanging around. Even a budding action star, it seems, can never be too careful.

SOURCE: LA Times

Added three new outtakes from 17 Magazine! Remember to credit if taking!:

Please do not take these images without crediting. I didn’t tag them, but make sure you credit us because you will get an e-mail. I figured those fans who have been asking for the past 2 years deserve these, and since we are the top Taylor site because of all the fans, and we love the fans – I’m giving it to you guys:

Thanks to TaylorLautnerWeb we have scans of Seventeen Magazine October’s issue featuring Taylor:

Photoshoot:

Well good golly Ms. Dolly – that’s some hot shit right there! I hope that statement is what you’re all thinking today…that Xmas came early, but I’m sure there’s going to be more hotter shoots coming this fall from Taylor!

Photoshoot (Credit: Taylor-Lautner.Com):

Twilight hottie Taylor Lautner looks pretty serious on the cover of the new issue of VMAN magazine, but inside he talks about how he’s just a hardworking guy.

About who he really is:

“… I hang out with my friends, family, and kind of just – I don’t even know. It’s like, when I am not filming, it seems like – I don’t even know what I do.”

About walking on the streets of NY:

“There are times when you really don’t care about anything anymore and you do it: you’ll walk around NYC. And it’s crazy, and then you come back and you are like, All right, that was fun. I’m going to take two weeks not doing that again.”

About his pre-Twilight innocence:

“I hadn’t explored much besides Michigan and Calofornia. When I am travelling the world promoting the films I say I am on vacation, but its not really true, I guess – because when I go to a beautiful city I spend the whole time in a hotel room and then I am back on a plane to the next place.

About his Twilight family:

“It was really helpful that all of us were going through the same thing at the same time. I think if we didn’t have that sort of relationship it would have been tough. It would have felt pretty lonely. Because when you are filming for these Breaking Dawn movies, we were filming for seven months – and if you’re there alone the whole time even with the cast members, like on a day off, or on weekends, you’d go nuts.”

About his fans’ obsession with him:

“Its definitely these characters we are playing. They are in love with Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black. I mean, they feel like they know them. We are just lucky enough to be playing them. But I definitely think its the characters.”

SOURCE: USA Today

We caught up with Lautner in LA to discuss his leap to action movie stardom with Abduction.

With his legions of squealing fans, Lautner has the teen idol/lust object bit down pat, but will he convince as an action man?

He certainly has some lofty aspirations, telling us, “The most important thing I did with John [Singleton – director] was sit down beforehand and watch a lot of movies and study actors that I look up to.”

“We studied Tom Cruise in Minority Report, Harrison Ford, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington…”

When we asked if he was actively looking to inherit their gig, he replied: “That would be an honour, to be compared to people like that. I look up to Tom Cruise and Matt Damon.

“I would kill to have the careers they’ve had…”

THE MAGAZINE COMES OUT SEPT. 1, SO IF YOU CAN SCAN IT FOR US, WE’D REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!

Credit from Taylor-Lautner.Com

It’s a very futuristic photoshoot isn’t it?

Woot Woot! Here is a gorgeous photo of Taylor at the Comic Con portraits featured on VanityFair.Com: