Chaske Spencer: "Well, what's cool is that we get to help people as well. When you meet certain people, it's pretty cool. I remember when I was a kid, meeting some of my heroes, like, 'Oh, they're really nice guys. They're really cool people.'"
Bronson Pelletier: "I did a couple of Make a Wish Foundation things. You know, brightening up somebody's day. If you have that kind of power, it's pretty good."
Alex Meraz: "I think also, as representatives for Native Americans in this franchise, we have a responsibility not to be a bad image. We're portraying Natives and that's what they're going to see. I think it's time for us to kind of rewrite what Hollywood's take on Native Americans was, which was long hair blowing, noble kind of people…"
Chaske Spencer: "Leather and feather."
Alex Meraz: "Leather and feather period pieces. So now you see something in a contemporary setting, and you see us to be humans. It's great. I think it's a great thing."
Kind of human.
Alex Meraz: [Laughs] "Yeah, there you go, kind of human. But we're not demonized, which is important. It's done in a very tasteful way."
What is it you wanted to convey in the movie as far as Native American culture?
Alex Meraz: "During the process of casting, when I was waiting to hear word if I got a role or not, there was a through-line of me - I prayed every night. I was asking for permission even to represent the Quileute tribe. I was putting out a lot of good thoughts. In essence, even though we're taking some of their mythology, their creation story, and it's mixed in a fantasy, still we're taking from the culture. Being Native, we needed to be conscious of that and ask permission to the people of the past, present and of the future for it. It's a very conscious thing. Native Americans, they have a right to be protective of their stories."
Chaske Spencer: "We're all Native. We're all Natives. And we're not just saying Native Americans. [Points to Pelletier] He's from Canada."
Alex Meraz: "Native of the Americas. It's not a linear term."
Chaske Spencer: "We try to represent well, because we're very fortunate to be here and to represent our people in a contemporary way. And a lot of responsibility does come with that. We're getting offers as well for roles that are non-specific for Natives - some guy that doesn't have to be Native. We're very fortunate and blessed for that. We've got a lot to bring to the table. We come from a different angle, too. We come from a different angle, being Native. We have a different outlook on life as well. We like Stephenie's writing and she's represented pretty well. Very blessed to be here."
It seems like Native Americans are always shown as wise old men. The only sexy Native American you ever see is Adam Beach. For you guys, that has to feel pretty exciting. Also, being Native American, you have a connection with land animals. Playing a werewolf, do you find any sort of different feeling about animals like coyotes or wolves?
Chaske Spencer: "Well, you have to have a balance as well. I know a lot of Natives who are lawyers and doctors who don't always wear their hair in braids. I think that's a misconception from what Hollywood and pop culture has on us, stereotyping. Not all of us are like that."
Alex Meraz: "Hollywood, they thought Adam Beach was the only Native American left!"
Chaske Spencer: [Laughing] "I lost out on a lot of roles to that guy."
Alex Meraz: "Exactly, yeah, we were extinct except for Adam Beach. They were almost going to put him at the Smithsonian being the last Native American! So it's kind of good that people did their research. A lot of thanks goes to Rene Haynes. She was kind of the Native American liaison who added to casting. Joseph Middleton did the primary casting, but Rene had cast Chaske before in other projects, myself as well. She knows her stuff. That was a good thing that Summit did. They really made sure they did it right for the wolfpack."
Can you describe your relationship in the movie with Jacob, played by Taylor Lautner?
Bronson Pelletier: "He's like a little brother, right?"
Kiowa Gordon: "He's my best friend in the movie. It's kind of scary to us, seeing these guys. We were just normal kids, and these guys were running around with their shirts off and we thought they were some gang going around, saying they were peacekeepers of our tribe and what-not."
Chaske Spencer: "We helped him phase. He doesn't want to become a werewolf. No one wants this. It just happens; this is what we're dealt. When the Cullens came around, that's when we started phasing. My character, he was the first one to phase, so my relationship to these guys - I'm sort of the big brother, the mentor, the father figure to help them. We are like a band of brothers, like a rock band, and suddenly Jacob starts to phase, and he has some choices to make and he has to join us. We surround him and tell him it's not that bad."
Alex Meraz: "It's like going through puberty is what we had to tell Jacob. It's like going through puberty. You're gonna get a lot of hair, things are going to change, but you'll get through it."
Did you guys do the same kind of thing with Taylor, ribbing him?
Alex Meraz: "Yeah, that's what we were talking about. Taylor was a part of all that. He took us bowling at one point. He's an amazing bowler, by the way. A little known fact about him."
Chaske Spencer: "He's a good guy. He's really a good guy."
Alex Meraz: "He's fine. We had a really good time, all of us together. For Taylor, too, this was his. The first movie, it was more about the Cullens and that little family. In this one, it's about the wolfpack, so I think he felt really comfortable and definitely wanted to spend more time with us. It was good. We all helped each other out and had a great time."
Chaske Spencer: "He's a strong actor. He's really a strong actor, and I think this movie is going to launch him to a different level. He's a good actor. He put a lot of heart into it. Obviously on his body, he gained 30 pounds. He's dedicated."
