Taylor Lautner experienced the intensity of fame firsthand during the height of the “Twilight’ franchise.
During an interview with Today, the 29-year-old actor, who played werewolf Jacob Black in the films, reflected on the attention the role garnered.
He recalled that the screaming fans, photo cameras, and paparazzi were so extreme, they kep him away from going to grocery stores, movie theaters, and malls for roughly 10 years.
"It felt like freedom" he said of finally venturing out. "I went so many years, like, either not leaving my house, or, if I did, you know, hat, sunglasses… like, scared. It built up something inside of me where, where… I didn't know it, but I was scared to go out. I'd get super anxious to go out. So I just didn't,” he admitted.
While Lautner revealed that a few years ago, he likely would’ve wished the whole experience away.
These days, he says he’s in a much better place.
"But if you ask me now, I say, 'No. I am, I'm happy because of what it’s taught me. It’s made me who I am right now. For that, I'm, I'm thankful,” he reflected.
The most difficult part for a teen was the struggle to keep his life private and out of the public eye.
"I was 16, 17, 18 years old, waking up and trying to just go out for a walk or, you know, go on a date and... I have 12 cars waiting outside my house to follow me wherever I'm going or, you know, when you show up to an airport or anywhere and you have thousands of fans screaming," Lautner recalled.
He added: "In the moment, it's like, it got frustrating. Because you just wanted to live a normal life."
When the insanity began to fade following the release of the final film in 2012, Lautner also struggled with accepting the new normal.
"When that's taken away from you at all, you start to… you start to question yourself, and start to be, like, 'Oh, do people not care about me anymore?'" he said. "When it goes away a little bit, you notice it, and that's, that's the dangerous part, because that can really mess with your mind."
"[The time] was needed for me personally," he explained, adding, "So I, Taylor, feel so much better today than I have in the last four or five years."
After “Twilight,” the actor took a break from Hollywood to recharge and returned to star in “Scream Queens,” “Cuckoo,” and the upcoming “Home Team” on Netflix.
Stepping away also allowed him to find love with his new fiancée, Taylor Dome.
He shared the exciting news back in November in a series of photos posted on his Instagram.
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"And just like that, all of my wishes came true,” he captioned the photos.
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