Chaske Spencer, the actor who plays wolfpack leader Sam Uley, talked to EW about getting cast, meeting randy Twilight fans, and playing the leader of the pack.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When did all this start for you, and when is it done?
CHASKE SPENCER: It started for me March 5 when I got cast in New Moon, and I don’t know when it’s going to be done. It’s been like a wild ride. We got cast and there was already sort of a buzz about us. As it got closer, you kept feeling the buildup and the buildup, and all of a sudden at the premiere, it just exploded. It was like a rock star moment. This is what we’ve been waiting for. People are telling us our lives are going to change. And they have.
What has been the most memorable fan encounter?
Let me think of PG one. [Laughs] Probably, a fainter. I had a girl faint on me. And then the criers. And then the cougars—the Twi-Moms—always come after us. That’s been very surreal, because we’ve had phone numbers slipped in our back pockets. It’s like we’re The Beatles.
Did you have a sense of what part you wanted when you auditioned?
They had me going out for Jared at first. Any part was fine. I knew it was going to be a huge movie. Next thing I know, they told me I had Sam. When I read the book, I thought more about his character. He’s tragic; he never wanted this—to be the leader of the wolfpack—but that was what he was thrown into.
What’s next for you?
I have my own production company called Urban Dreams. I want to get scripts for movies I want to do or vehicles to star in or direct. Things are rolling. Something hit me last week—we were doing some promos at a Nordstrom. Me and Bronson [Pelletier, a fellow wolf] were riding in a limo, going through Laurel Canyon, on Mulholland Drive. The sun was setting and a really cool song was playing on the radio. We rolled down the window and were like, ‘Wow, this is a good life. I can’t believe we’re in f—ing New Moon.’”
Check back at EW.com all next week for more interviews with the stars of New Moon.
Photo Credit: Kimberley French
