So, how about that big twist at the end of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, huh? We discussed the audacious plot point last week with director Bill Condon, but now it’s time to hear from one of the other major players in the twist: Peter Facinelli, who’s played good guy vampire Carlisle in all five Twilight films. Obviously, spoilers will follow.
What did Facinelli think of the jaw-dropper that sets up the entire third-act battle scene: the moment that Michael Sheen’s Aro decapitates Carlisle, which turns out to be a vision implanted by psychic vamp Alice (Ashley Greene)? “Well, when I first read it in the script, I was bummed, because I thought that was it for me!†Facinelli told us last week at the film’s Cinema Society screening. “I was like, ‘I don’t get to do any action this time around? I love action!’ Eclipse was one of my favorite movies to do because I got to roll up Carlisle’s sleeves and do action. But then after I read it all the way through, I knew it was going to shock the audience and I couldn’t wait to see their response to this. I feel like it was a really heroic way to go, because he’s going after saving Alice, and I thought if you’re going to go out, better to go out heroic, rather than running the other way!â€
Was it a long process to craft that decapitated head, by the by? “Oh, I did everything: lasers, hours of scanning my face, plastering my head,†said Facinelli. “They made me do tons of stuff for what amounts to seconds on film, but it was worth it. I never got to hold my head, actually! I hope they send it to me now, and I can put it on my mantle. They don’t need it anymore, right? I wonder what they do with it. I bet you they put it on eBay. I’m going to start looking for it. I’ve never had that happen on film before, so I got to say I got a little misty-eyed seeing my own head in someone else’s hands!â€