‘Twilight’ Has ‘Camp Rock’ To Thank for This Star

Any Disney Channel fan knows that the network’s incomparable original movies have served as a jumping-off point for several big-time stars. From High School Musical’s Zac Efron to Gotta Kick It Up!’s America Ferrera, many a Hollywood hero got their start in the golden era of Disney Channel Original Movies. But what most people don’t know is that one franchise darling missed his shot at Disney stardom only to land something even bigger. Back in 2007, before Taylor Lautner was cast as the wistful werewolf Jacob Black in the Twilight saga, he was beaten out by Joe Jonas for the lead role in Camp Rock.

Taylor Lautner Auditioned for Shane Gray in ‘Camp Rock’

Camp Rock tells the story of spirited teen Mitchie Torres (Demi Lovato), who gets to attend the prestigious music camp, Camp Rock, when her mother (Maria Canals-Barrera) gets a job there as a chef. While Mitchie tries to conceal her humble roots, overcome her shyness, and share her music with her peers, she falls for mega superstar Shane Gray, who’s been sent to the camp in order to improve his public image. Given the fact that Shane had to be the movie’s romantic lead and expertly perform multiple songs and dances, it was vital to find a young actor who could serve as a sure-fire triple threat. Taylor Lautner, who was already a promising young actor with successful movies like Sharkboy and Lavagirl and Cheaper by the Dozen 2 under his belt, went out for the part.

Why Did Joe Jonas Get the Part of Shane Gray Over Taylor Lautner?

While we know from Lautner’s Sharkboy days that the actor had the pipes and charisma to pull off an angsty pop star persona, the director of Camp Rock and Lautner himself, apparently, felt differently. Director Matthew Diamond shared with Insider that the casting team behind Camp Rock liked Lautner a lot, but eventually decided that he just “wasn’t exactly right for the part.” Diamond applauded Lautner’s talent but felt that he was not quite “Shane Gray enough,” which is a big deal when you’re casting, well, Shane Gray.

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Lautner, on the other hand, believes that his lack of singing and dancing abilities led to his Disney demise. In an interview with Marie Claire, the Twilight star divulged that, much to his surprise, he made it to the final round of auditions for Camp Rock, but that up until that point the focus had been more on acting. The song and dance portion came later, at which point Lautner felt that he did not rock quite hard enough, and was not totally shocked by his rejection. The role of Shane Gray was instead awarded to Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, who auditioned after Diamond went to see him live in concert per Disney’s request. Bringing great vocal capabilities and rock-star swagger in spades, Jonas was eventually cast. His brothers Nick and Kevin were written into the film to complete the fictional pop trio, Connect 3, and the brothers would continue their acting stint in the Disney Channel show, JONAS.

Taylor Lautner Went Onto Brighter Things With ‘Twilight’

While he may not have secured a spot in one of the best Disney Channel Original Movies of all time, all was not lost for Taylor Lautner. In 2008, Lautner landed the role of Jacob Black in the YA vampire fantasy adaptation, Twilight, which would turn into a five-movie mega-franchise. As Jacob, Lautner was able to show off his impressive acting and athletic abilities, and he quickly became the subject of great teen adoration as one of Twilight’s best characters. The movies turned out to be hugely successful, and are now even being reimagined with a much-anticipated TV show. While we don’t yet know much about the upcoming series, it seems unlikely that the original cast will be returning in any capacity. Unfortunately for fans, Lautner’s wonderfully wolfish ways might be a thing of the past.

Although Taylor Lautner didn’t get to play the broody singer in Camp Rock, Joe Jonas wound up being perfect for the role and reprised his part in the movie’s 2010 sequel, Camp Rock 2. Both Lautner and Jonas went on to have fairly successful acting careers, with Lautner even starring in Taylor Swift’s latest music video. Had Taylor Lautner not been turned down for the role of Shane Gray, we may have never gotten to see him as Jacob Black, so we can probably all agree that even if the stars didn’t align for Lautner’s Disney Channel dreams, the glow of Twilight turned out to be just what he needed.