Taylor Lautner opens up on body image issues after ‘Twilight’

The actor explained that he was "affected" by having to appear shirtless so often on screen.

Los Angeles: Hollywood actor Taylor Lautner was left with body image issues after starring in ‘Twilight’. The 30-year-old actor spent his formative years playing shapeshifter Jacob Black in the series of vampire films based on the books by Stephanie Meyer.

The actor explained that he was later “affected” by having to appear shirtless so often on screen, reports Female First UK.

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He said: “When I was in it, when I was 16 through 20 years old, I was starring in this franchise where my character is known for taking his shirt off every other second. No, I did not know that it was affecting me or that it was going to affect me in future with body image. In the first movie, I was 140 lbs and in ‘New Moon’ I was 175, so that wasn’t my natural body. And I had to work hard for it, and I had to work very, very hard just to maintain it.”

As per Female First UK, the ‘Tracers’ star went on to explain that he had a negative reaction to seeing images of his changing body shared online and reminded fans that they can change whatever they want to about their body physically but it will be “all for nothing” if their mental health is not in check.

Speaking on his ‘The Squeeze’ podcast, he added: But then seeing it online where they put the side by sides of me shirtless in the ocean in a scene in that movie compared to me in ‘Eclipse’ or whatever, and being like ‘Wow, he’s let it all go!’ I was like ‘Oh man!’ Your body can look unbelievable. You can be ripped, shredded, whatever. You can lose weight, you can put on muscle and if you’re not healthy mentally, then that’s all for nothing because that can work against you.”