Photo by: Kimberley French

Editor’s note: Alex Meraz plays Paul in the second installment of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” in theaters on Nov. 20. Kiowa Gordon plays Embry Call in the film. Meraz, 24, is from Mesa, Ariz., and Gordon’s, 19, hometowns are Cave Creek and Mesa, Ariz.

Any good stories from being on set?

Alex Meraz: juciy stories.

Kiowa Gordon: It’s fun.

A: Tell us your goofy story or experience.

K: Every minute of it. I don’t know what to pick from.

How much time did you dedicate to the film?

K: All I did was, like, sleep, watch TV and play video games.

A: He has a charmed life.

What’s it like being thrown into the spotlight?

K: It’s crazy. It’s surreal. Yeah, I’m just a regular kid.

A: He knows Stephenie [the author of the Twilight book series] by the way. He goes to church with her.

Has she given you any advice?

K: No advice, she just gave me a chance to go to the audition. And I did it.

A: He slam dunked it.

How did you hear about the audition?

A: Conventional, I had an agent. I think I submitted myself to the first one because a friend was really into it and wanted me to go for Jacob at the time. But Hollywood realized natives still existed so they turned it around.

Are you doing anything to promote Native Americans in the industry?

A: I mean before yeah, a lot of closed doors even on that. I think there’s a small mentality in a lot of those relations. I used to teach at reservations, dance and art and painting. So that was kind of the way I got to represent Native people. And getting this opportunity was great because it wasn’t the same guys getting the roles. It was completely new people. It’s different now. Now everyone wants us to go to their events.

K: Like everywhere around the country asking me to go visit their reservations.

A: It’s been a really cool experience knowing I can represent people and try to do it in a respectful way. That’s a reason why I wanted to get this job, too, and also just to break boundaries. You know because all people know about Native

Americans is one tribe, it’s Plains Indians.

Did you feel there was pressure coming into doing such a highly anticipated film?

K: I mean yeah, I’ve never acted before. It was kind of freaky to just go out there with all these people who had been acting for years. Yeah, but once filming started it got really easy for some reason. It came really easily.

What is your favorite part about your job?

K: I like that I get to go into a different world, and be a different person and put that up on the screen for other people to see.

What is your No. 1 recommendation for those who want your job?

K: Just take it one day at a time, with a grain of salt. And not to get big headed.

How do you keep yourself a kid?

A: It’s because he is a kid.

K: Thank you.

A: He’s 19.

K: I just be myself. I like to hang out with my friends, watch movies, play video games.

What’s your favorite video game?

K: Call of Duty.

You moved from Germany when you were one, and it’s the anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down. Do you have any personal feelings that resonate today?

K: I was just a baby, I was born there. But my family actually all helped dismantle the wall. It was really cool that my dad was able to do that. They broke down barriers for the country. And here I am 20 years later breaking down barriers for Native American actors.

Tell me about your event at Nordstrom’s? Were there a bunch of screaming 13-year-old girls?

A: A lot of them. A lot of different ages. Last night was wild, walking on stage. It was scary.  

What did they scream at you?

K: “Take your shirt off.” “Will you marry me?” And “Jacob,” for whatever reason.

A: “Jacob!” I think they were meaning team Jacob.

Is is degrading when they shout things like that?

A: Well it didn’t hit me until I was in “Eclipse.” I did “New Moon” and it was whatever. I was focused on trying to get ripped and look decent before I was immortalized on screen. So I did the work and the promotional stuff came out, glorifying our bodies. But it wasn’t until halfway through filming “Eclipse” that I really felt objectified. I felt like a piece of meat. That was a little different. For the next film, I’m keeping my goddamn clothes on.

K: Yeah sometimes for photo shoots, but I just tell them no.

A: It wasn’t until we got on set that they looked at us and said you guys should probably work out.

Did you eat differently?

K: Yeah, I just ate lots of food, lots of protein.

A: But no, the working out thing. It wasn’t forced on us. And in fact, we weren’t supposed to talk about it. That’s the funny thing. We weren’t supposed to talk about working out because it was supposed to be like we look natural. But I didn’t want to play ball like that. Because I know we worked out and I’m not just going to let Taylor [Launter] be the one that’s like ‘I gained 30 pounds of muscle’ and be like the only one. F**k that, we all worked out man, we worked our asses off.

Have you guys become close?

K: We became close in Vancouver, not even the traveling part.

A: We became close the first hour. Everyone kind of fell into their parts.

K: We’re all long lost brothers.

A: Brothers from another mother. There’s like four us that hang out, we call each other the furry four.     

And you’re all in the next movie?

A: Ya we finished that one two weeks ago.

So for you, it’s been a crazy whirlwind for the last year?

K: Six months.

A: Actually, technically eight months since we first started back in March. But uh yeah, two movies.

And what now?

A: Now it’s just promotional things, traveling around and I’m looking forward to down time so I can get another job. But there’s some really good projects that are like looming, I think for all the cast members because you just can’t be in Twilight and not have offers. Now what they want in different movies it seems like is the wolf pack. We’re like a fucking band. They want to sell us together.

Are you afraid you’ll always be known as a wolf?

A: No, because the role is not leading on it. Plus, I am totally different in that movie than I am in real life. It’s not like I’m having to play myself.

How was memorizing lines as a first-time actor?

A: Acutally, he was better than me!

K: Yeah, pretty much everybody was messing up and I was like no it’s this because I memorized the whole script.

A: Yeah, Kiowa was really good with lines. That’s the opposite of me. For audition I was nervous but I was into it. I went into there and killed it. Actually, auditions were harder, there were way more lines.

What were your costumes like?

K: They were cut off jeans.

A: No furry palms and furry chests. Just jean shorts.

Have either of you read the books?

A and K: Yeah.

K: Except Breaking Dawn.

A: A lot of die-hard fans I talk to, I ask questions about certain things that happen and it all bleeds together. So if die-hard fans are confusing it, I will wait before each film to read the book.

How do you feel like the movie did following the book?

K: New Moon, it followed very closely to the book. Eclipse, it took a couple things out, but it’s still going to be a great movie.

A: Same story line, it’s very close. And also Stephenie Meyer she is on set, she is an adviser. There are certain scenes that she wants to make sure that the way she visualized and wrote it are done.

What were some of your favorite scenes?

A: In New Moon, there were some I liked to film and some I liked watching. Some that I liked watching, I really liked Eddie’s stuff, his whole mouthwatering bit. I just love Eddie, he is so not, he is the only one in those movies for me, that really took a chance. Eddie has this French kind of thing going on and completely transformed. My favorite scene for me to film was my transformation, getting punched by Kristin. That was cool, she had a great time with that. She found a home for those punches, you know ‘I can do better.’

K: My favorite scene was the muffin scene. After that scene actually, when we go back to Emily’s house and Bella comes with us.

A: But that was a fun scene because he’s eating all these muffins. They’re starchy as hell, they’re massive. There’s no flavor in them, they’re just made to look good. They even warned us and said if you commit to it, you gotta do it every time. I’d half eat it and wait for cut, so I didn’t have to.

How do your families feel about your acting careers?

K: They’re really excited. I have seven brothers and sisters. They are all really supportive and wish they could do it.

A: My family believes me now haha.

You guys are both really down to earth, how do you keep your feet on the ground while all of this is going on?

A: Brown people don’t get too many opportunities. No, but honestly it comes with, we are all pretty unknown actors until the movie comes out. So is everyone else really in Twilight with the exception of Rob. So now it’s like everyone is attached to it. So, because you are with a bunch of up and comers, it’s cool, you’re very excited, everyone is happy about it. It’s cool you can rely on others who are going through it.

 

Here is a video of Alex and Kiowa’s visit to Part Meadows Mall on Sunday.