USA Weekend spoke to Xavier Samuel about Riley, Eclipse and his new found fame. Here’s an excerpt of the interview.
Did you get a kick out of seeing yourself as a vampire for the first time on screen?
[Laughs] Well, yeah. And it’s great to watch the transformation as well. That happens at the very, very beginning of the film. We worked so hard in what Riley would look like and to actually see it on the screen, larger than life, is a pretty surreal experience.
Riley has a very small part in the Stephenie Meyer book Eclipse, but director David Slade fleshed the movie character out a lot more for the film. There’s more to him than just a couple lines.
When I read the books, I was flipping through going, “Where’s Riley?” I think he appears on one page in the Eclipse book. But this is the first time in the saga that the story departs from Bella’s perspective, which opens up other territory so you get the back story of Jasper [played by Jackson Rathbone] and Rosalie [Nikki Reed], and Riley’s character is also fleshed out a little more. I was really happy about it because it gave me something more to do. David Slade and I talked a lot about how to approach this character and not delve into any clichés or stereotypes – to really crate this villain that has a dimension to him that isn’t just purely evil. He’s essentially a tragic figure because he’s being manipulated by Victoria and she’s got him wrapped around her little finger. He’s in the position of doing anything for love.
The main theme of Twilight is the love between Bella and Edward, but when you read the books, you find that the vampires who become vampires are usually unwilling participants. They’re either about to die or turned for some nefarious reason. There is a certain seriousness to when a vampire turns.
Absolutely. I guess what’s interesting about Riley is he’s had his humanity snatched and taken away from him. As a result, he harbors this intense jealousy and rage for humanity – that’s exactly what he’s been deprived of. It’s juicy material and territory to explore.
Read the rest of the interview and watch an exclusive Riley clip at the source.
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