The Cast of 'Twilight,' Then and Now

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the big-screen debut of Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke and based on the extremely popular young-adult novels by Stephenie Meyer. The book adaptation first hit theaters Nov. 21, 2008. The love story of high school teen Bella and vampire Edward is still adored by fans around the world. Since the release of the film a decade ago, it has grossed more than $393 million worldwide with a production budget of $37 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

While many of the castmembers had substantial roles prior to Twilight — Kristen Stewart played Jodie Foster's daughter in the thriller Panic Room — their roles in Twilight created instant fame for many of the actors. The cast used that spotlight to secure other jobs, such as modeling, directing and, of course, continuing to act. Read below to see what the cast of Twilight is up to 10 years later.

Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson

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Starting his career in film as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Robert Pattinson rose to international fame due to his portrayal of Edward Cullen in the vampire-werewolf-love triangle film series. After playing Cullen in the Twilight franchise from 2008-12, Pattinson ventured into film festival projects, scoring lead roles in projects including David Michod’s western The Rover and Brady Corbet’s debut film, The Childhood of a Leader. Receiving critical success for his role as bank robber Connie Nikas in the 2017 thriller Good Time, Pattinson’s performance was praised by THR as "his most commanding performance to date." While maintaining a modeling relationship with Dior, Pattinson is working on several productions.
Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart

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Having played Jodie Foster’s daughter in the 2002 thriller Panic Room, Kristen Stewart was no stranger to acting when taking on the role of Twilight’s Bella Swan. Starring in all five movies, Stewart quickly shot to fame. Winning the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2010 for her performance in Welcome to the Rileys, Stewart moved onto critically acclaimed projects including Still Alice (2014), Equals (2015) and Clouds of Sils Maria (2015). Stewart made her directorial debut in 2016 with a short film entitled Water and has since directed a series of short films focusing on social issues, including gun violence. She made headlines at the Cannes Film Festival for famously taking her heels off while on the red carpet; that’s her “indie spirit,” Hardwicke said. In addition, Stewart is currently the face of Chanel and Balenciaga and recently starred with Chloe Sevigny in the Lizzie Borden biopic Lizzie.
Taylor Lautner- Jacob Black

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Starting his acting career playing small roles in films like Danny Phantom and Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Taylor Lautner quickly became a teen idol largely due to his portrayal of Jacob Black, Twilight’s werewolf bad-boy. After the Twilight series ended in 2012, Lautner went on to star in the BBC show Cuckoo and Fox's Scream Queens.
Carlisle Cullen, played by Peter Facinelli

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Beginning his career with a breakout performance in the 1989 film Can’t Hardly Wait, Peter Facinelli brought more than two decades of acting experience to his portrayal of Carlisle Cullen, Twilight’s vampire father. During the arc of Twilight, Facinelli continued his role in the show Nurse Jackie and went on to appear in shows including Glee, American Odyssey and Supergirl. Recent roles include a recurring part on CBS show S.W.A.T.
Esme Cullen, played by Elizabeth Reaser

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Bringing life to the vampire role of Esme Cullen, Elizabeth Reaser brought a decade of acting experience to her role. Beginning her acting career in 1998, Reaser appeared in projects including the television shows Scrubs and Law & Order and films including Mind the Gap and Purple Violets. After the Twilight series wrapped in 2012, Reaser went on to star in projects the 2015 comedic drama Hello, My Name Is Doris and the 2016 thriller Ouija: Origin of Evil. Reaser was most recently seen in Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House.
Alice Cullen, played by Ashley Greene

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Quirky, eccentric teenage vampire Alice Cullen proved to be a breakout role for Ashley Greene. Within the arc of the Twilight films, Greene starred in the drama Skateland, which premiered at the 2010 Sundance FIlm Festival, and joined Twilight castmaste Kellan Lutz for the 2011 film A Warrior’s Heart. After putting her character of Alice to rest in 2012, Greene went on to star as Mia in the police drama show Rogue and now has projects in the works.
Emmett Cullen, played by Kellan Lutz

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After several small roles in shows like The Bold and the Beautiful and CSI, Kellan Lutz found himself breaking out in the Twilight world as Emmett Cullen, the vampire hunk, and went on to star in multiple films during the Twilight years and after. His most notable work, aside from the Twilight series, has been his portrayal of Poseidon in the 2011 film Immortals and his voice work as Tarzan in the 2013 film Tarzan 3D.
Rosalie Hale, played by Nikki Reed

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Nikki Reed was no stranger to the film industry or to director Catherine Hardwicke when she signed on to play Rosalie Hale in Twilight. Breaking out as the leading lady of Hardwicke’s 2003 film Thirteen, Reed received an Independent Spirit Award for her portrayal and went on to star in Hardwicke’s next film, Lords of Dogtown. Reed has gone on to act in independent films including Pawn, starring Forrest Whitaker and Ray Liotta, and Balls Out, starring Beck Bennett and Kate McKinnon.
Jasper Hale, played by Jackson Rathbone

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A face from the preteen talk show Disney 411, Jackson Rathbone was comfortable in front of the camera when taking on the role of Jasper Hale, the quiet and “youngest” vampire of of the Cullen clan. During his time with the fantasy saga, Rathbone ventured into other work, most notably being his recurring role on Criminal Minds and as Sokka in The Last Airbender. Rathbone now has two companies, PatchMo Entertainment and Happy Jack Records. Rathbone appears — and sings! — in the indie film Heart, Baby! in select theaters and on VOD Nov. 23. He also recently released an album, American Spirit Blues, Nov. 8.
Charlie Swan, played by Billy Burke

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Beginning his career in the early 1990s, Billy Burke played sweet yet rugged father Charlie Swan in the Twilight series. Burke went on to star in Hardwicke’s 2011 film, Red Riding Hood, and has since been a part of multiple film and televisions projects. He is also known for his portrayal of Mitch Morgan on the 2012 drama series Zoo and has since been seen on Chicago P.D.
Jessica Stanley, played by Anna Kendrick

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Perhaps one of Twilight’s biggest breakout stars in Anna Kendrick, who went from playing bubbly Jessica in Twilight to singer-DJ Becca in the Pitch Perfect series. Kendrick has had critical success since the beginning of her career, receiving a Tony nomination for her role in the Broadway play High Society in 1998 and a supporting actor Oscar nom for 2009's Up in the Air. Her other credits include the 2014 musical Into the Woods, the 2016 comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates and the 2017 comedy Table 19. She recently starred opposite Blake Lively in A Simple Favor and scored an animated hit with Trolls. Her memoir, Scrappy Little Nobody, was published in 2016.
Angela Weber, played by Christian Serratos

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Christian Serratos came to the Twilight set after having played Suzie Crabgrass in the Nickelodeon show Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. Her portrayal of mortal Angela Weber scored her the Young Supporting Actress Award at the 30th Young Artist Awards, and she went on to play Angela in the second and third Twilight films. Serratos is now most known for her role as Rosita Espinosa on the AMC hit show The Walking Dead.