Nikki Reed: The Power of Purpose Pt. 1

Summary

The Squeeze – Nikki Reed: The Power of Purpose Pt. 1

Podcast: The Squeeze
Host: Taylor Lautner & Taylor Lautner
Guest: Nikki Reed
Date: November 5, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Squeeze features actress and sustainability advocate Nikki Reed in a deeply personal and reflective conversation about fame, identity, mental health, and finding purpose beyond the “lime-light.” Hosts Taylor Lautner and his wife (also Taylor Lautner, formerly Dome) invite Nikki into a candid discussion that explores how extreme attention impacts well-being, why and how Nikki transitioned away from Hollywood, and how we all face similar challenges—regardless of our backgrounds or public personas.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Reuniting Old Friends: Twilight Memories & Growing Up (00:04–09:49)

• Nikki reflects on the lasting associations with iconic roles, specifically how the public struggles to separate actors from their characters.
  • “People come up to me and say things like, ‘Oh my gosh, you smile.’ And I’m like, you know, like me in person? You forget that. I guess that’s the job, to create as much believability as possible.” – Nikki Reed (00:35)
• The conversation is light and nostalgic, recounting their first meetings off-set, and sharing “backflip” stories from Nikki’s living room.
  • “I just remember being like, okay, T’s coming over, and like, maybe some things are gonna get broken and he’s gonna do some backflips off the couch, and then I’m gonna cook.” – Nikki Reed (16:08)
• Both hosts and Nikki acknowledge the blur surrounding their memories of those years, connecting this forgetfulness to trauma and the overwhelming experience of sudden fame.
  • “I have this thing and I don’t know if you have the same. I think it is a trauma-related thing, but I just forget so much of that time of my life. I truly can’t even remember it… I’ll see pictures and I’ll be like, that seems like a different person.” – Taylor Lautner (08:30)

2. Twilight Franchise: From ‘Tiny Film’ to Global Phenomenon (17:14–27:47)

• Nikki shares how the early perception of Twilight as a small-scale indie unexpectedly transformed into a global sensation.
  • “What we thought was we were making a tiny little movie in Portland, Oregon, and none of us knew what it was going to be.” – Nikki Reed (17:14)
• Reed reveals her initial ambivalence about joining the film—she was literally working in a Hawaii clothing store and had not read the books when she was first approached.
  • “I really was enjoying my life there… So it took me a while to commit to the idea of another life shift again.” – Nikki Reed (19:53)
• Both hosts and Nikki recall the shock at the first fandom surge after the movie’s release, especially seeing the response at events like Comic-Con.
  • “I remember one specific moment… there were thousands of people screaming as he was getting out of the car. And that was the moment for me where I was like— wait, is that for him? For the films?... Life was forever impacted.” – Nikki Reed (24:34)

3. The Fame Machine: Identity, Pressure, and Mental Health (26:02–31:39)

• The hosts and Nikki discuss the unique pressures of Twilight fandom, noting the difference from other franchises—even its appeal to multiple demographics.
  • “It spoke to more than just one demographic… You could be a teenager—” – Nikki Reed (26:55)
• Taylor (host) and Taylor (wife/co-host) reflect on how their childhood fandom, midnight premieres, and family connections still shape their perspective—making the experience deeply personal and sometimes surreal.
• Nikki touches on the emotional cost of being forever linked to a character, and the public’s inability to see actors as separate people.
• The trio muse over the benefits and challenges of being able to “watch your younger self,” given the archival nature of movies versus snapshots that most people have of their adolescence.

4. Purpose, Personal Growth & Stepping Out of the Spotlight (38:24–44:25)

• Taylor asks Nikki about her decision to step away from acting and focus on wellness, sustainability, and her own family.
  • “Was that a gradual realization or something that hit you over the head…?” – Taylor Lautner (38:24)
• Nikki explains that she never envisioned Hollywood as a lifelong dream—her entry was almost accidental, and she always felt pulled to other experiences.
  • “I sort of fell into this being my career… I always felt called to explore other things.” – Nikki Reed (39:03)
  • “If there’s any way to take this small platform or career that once was and parlay it into doing some good… then I’ve maybe done something right. You know, that must be the purpose for what that previous career was—maybe to just move culture forward in a different way, have a positive impact that’s meaningful.” – Nikki Reed (43:30)
• She recounts deliberate choices to work other jobs and experience “real life” outside of celebrity, resisting management’s pressure to monetize her rising fame.

5. Mental Health, The Human Psyche, and Finding Balance (44:43–53:58)

• Taylor and Nikki contrast their personal approaches to the pressures of fame: Taylor admits to tying his whole identity to career and public approval, while Nikki describes herself as more resistant, removed, and rooted in “real life.”
  • “The human psyche is not meant for some extreme level of attention.” – Nikki Reed (45:02)
  • “I did the complete opposite of you. I put my entire identity into that… I’m a people pleaser… That is when I… lost [myself].” – Taylor Lautner (46:53)
• Nikki attributes her resilience to a combination of “street smarts” from her childhood and a determination to maintain perspective.
  • “You had the entire world… telling you who you were… That could have taken a very, very different turn for you… My— I just love you so much, you know, and I always have, I always wanted to take care of you and make sure that you were good and you were okay.” – Nikki Reed (47:44)
• The conversation pivots to the role of conscious choice in personal growth and healing, emphasizing self-ownership.
  • “We all have a series of choices… We get to choose what path we want to take, what we want to absorb, how we want to show up in the world… You have to take ownership of that.” – Nikki Reed (50:14)
• Nikki and the hosts agree that, despite different backgrounds, the struggles of anxiety, self-doubt, and identity are fundamentally similar for everyone.
  • “Everybody is actually, like, a human having a human experience, no matter what. Your story’s gonna look so different, but the insecurities can be the same. The challenges can be the same… It makes this like, connection feel so palpable between really everybody.” – Nikki Reed (52:48, 53:24)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sudden Fame:
  “It was a very potent period. We saw a lot, we did a lot, we went through a lot. And I think sometimes maybe the brain takes a brain break.” – Nikki Reed (09:02)

• On Identity & Growth:
  “The human psyche is not meant for some extreme level of attention… That’s why you go back and look at all these amazing, young, talented artists …that end up with addiction issues or depression…” – Nikki Reed (45:02)

• On Stepping Away:
  “I never cared about the next opportunity… I just was really excited about experiencing life…” – Nikki Reed (41:12)

• On Support & Compassion:
  “I just love you so much, you know, and I always have. I always wanted to take care of you…” – Nikki Reed to Taylor (47:44)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:35 — Nikki on being linked to Rosalie, and the challenge of public perception
• 06:00 — Early Twilight anecdotes and “Team Edward vs. Team Jacob” humor
• 08:30 — Taylor on memory loss, trauma, and dissociation from his Twilight years
• 17:14–19:53 — Nikki’s initial Twilight experience and decision process
• 24:34 — Nikki’s “Comic-Con moment” realizing the franchise’s impact
• 39:03–43:30 — Nikki’s unconventional career path and philosophy on meaning
• 44:43–46:53 — Nikki and Taylor on how they handled fame, pressure, and identity
• 50:14 — The importance of choice and ownership in healing and growing

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Tone & Takeaway

The episode is honest, affectionate, often playful, and ultimately deeply reflective, giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of fame, the importance of self-knowledge, and the ongoing journey to mental wellness and purpose. Nikki Reed’s candor and wisdom shine, as does the deep bond and mutual respect between her and the hosts.

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Next Episode Teaser

Part 2 promises a deeper dive into Nikki’s journey toward health, sustainability, and purpose—including powerful reflections on change, self-forgiveness, and her advocacy outside Hollywood.

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For more from Nikki Reed, and the conclusion of this interview, subscribe or follow to catch Part 2 on The Squeeze.

Transcript

[Nikki Reed]

The following podcast is a dear media production.

[Taylor Lautner]

Tonight, a phenomenon biting its way into American pop culture. Thousands of people will be sitting front and center to watch vampires join forces with a path of werewolves. Twilight Saga hits the big screen. Nikki, thank you for being here and welcome to the Squeeze. We have not had anybody from the franchise on. If we ever were to have the first person on, I always wanted it to be you.

[Nikki Reed]

Very interesting thing about, like playing a character for so long is that people can't disassociate you from that. People come up to me and say things like, oh, my gosh, you smile. And I'm like, you know, like me in person, AKA choose wisely. The moments that I remember with you, they're personal. Just remembering you doing backflips off my couch. Like, non stop backflip. This is again, like, we gotta dig into.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah, I just forget so much at that time of my life.

[Nikki Reed]

It was a very potent period.

[Podcast Host 1]

Did your mental health have any impact during chaos of everything?

[Nikki Reed]

The human psyche is not meant for extreme level of attention.

[Taylor Lautner]

Putting my full identity into that career that was going on for me at that moment.

[Nikki Reed]

The amount of pressure that was put on you to be a certain way and look a certain way, how could you not do that? You had the entire world telling you who you were. Watching that boy grow into who you are now. That could have taken a very, very different turn for you. I don't know if I' ever told this story. I imagine that you guys got married and you very quickly realized that she is a wealth of knowledge and stories. And whoever is not sitting on the podcast with you to hear those is really missing out. No, truly, I was actually really excited about that. I wanted to give you a hug and see you, of course, and have this little moment to reconnect. Because in this life that we're all living, where everyone's going a mile a minute, you blink and a decade has gone by and you realize you haven't seen someone. So I wanted to snuggle, but I really wanted to talk to you and meet you because I think this whole union is so cool and, you know, like, kind of growing up with someone. Ish. I mean, in a way, we kind of did. I mean, we went through a lot of times. Yeah. Super informative or formative and informative time in years. It's nice to see where people end up and who they end up with.

[Taylor Lautner]

I didn't realize that you guys hadn't met.

[Podcast Host 2]

No.

[Taylor Lautner]

I feel like we've talked about it and it just has Never happened. But I. I kind of forgot that.

[Nikki Reed]

It never happened, but I feel like we have. Cause, you know, I'm a fan and I listen to your podcast and your wisdom and I feel like I know you.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah, exactly.

[Podcast Host 2]

12 year old me is excited.

[Taylor Lautner]

Okay, Nikki, thank you for being here and welcome to the Squeeze.

[Nikki Reed]

Thanks for having me.

[Taylor Lautner]

People have been, I'm sure you can imagine asking for an episode like this for a long time.

[Nikki Reed]

Have they?

[Taylor Lautner]

Oh, yes.

[Nikki Reed]

And I hope I don't let anybody down. Don't I get my mic CLAPPING I have a feeling there's gonna be a lot of giggling in this episode, so I'll try to keep it together.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We have not had anybody from the franchise on.

[Nikki Reed]

Oh, how special. Yeah, that's so nice.

[Taylor Lautner]

I always. And I wanted, I've always wanted. This is our third year wrapping up our third year. And I don't know, it's always just been something I've wanted to, like, just hold because I don't know why I think a part of me doesn't want. The reason we started this podcast wasn't because of Twilight or anything. And I wanted the focus to stay on the reason we started it.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah. Which I really love.

[Taylor Lautner]

Obviously. You know, our listeners have been dying for people from the franchise because their fans were all fans. And we all love the franchise. I think it was just something that I wanted to hold for, like a precious moment. And I did always, in the back of my mind, think if we ever were to have the first person on, I always wanted it to be you.

[Nikki Reed]

Really?

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

He's not just saying that. He did tell me that.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah. So I didn't know when it would happen. I didn't know when would feel right. This is, you know, exciting for the first time having somebody from the franchise on. But I'm very, very happy it's you because you've always held a very special place in my heart.

[Nikki Reed]

Ditto, my friend. Thank you for having me. And I have the utmost respect and I'm also very aligned on that and I totally understand and can relate to that need. And you know, I'm also here because I want to talk about really important things and so I get that. So let's just get the, the juicy stuff out of the way in the beginning and then we can.

[Podcast Host 1]

I will pass.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah, that's why. Yeah. So I, I grew up like a huge fan of the franchise, which is so funny that this is like.

[Taylor Lautner]

She has like photos of her from when she was a child.

[Podcast Host 2]

No, like memorabilia.

[Nikki Reed]

But I Love that. You also just own that and admit that. Because what would be really weird is if you didn't talk about it, and then at some point, he, like, goes to.

[Podcast Host 1]

You're at.

[Nikki Reed]

For a family gathering, and you're like.

[Taylor Lautner]

Cardboard in the closet. No, she. She's been open about that from the beginning.

[Podcast Host 2]

I have.

[Podcast Host 1]

I have.

[Taylor Lautner]

I have been so open that the first time I met her, she's like. Just so you know, I was Team Edward.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah, I was.

[Podcast Host 2]

And my reasoning is that I was too young to be into abs, into hotness.

[Nikki Reed]

You were too.

[Podcast Host 1]

I was too young for.

[Podcast Host 2]

I was below the age of finding abs attractive. But now.

[Podcast Host 1]

Now I'm team.

[Taylor Lautner]

You've come around.

[Podcast Host 1]

I have.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

But he did have really spectacular abs. I'm sure you still do. They're just maybe not on display in our velvet chairs right now.

[Taylor Lautner]

They're not the same. That's for sure. And they've. They've gone like this over the years.

[Nikki Reed]

Well, you know what? You were so dedicated to that. And I have to say, just, like, looking back at, you know, that chapter, your dedication at such a young age, not just to, like, the abs, but the reason behind the abs was, I mean, you. I was like, the only way to keep the job. Always championing. Well, you said it.

[Taylor Lautner]

I got fired.

[Nikki Reed]

Oh, gosh. Oh, no. Okay. We already.

[Taylor Lautner]

I literally got fired, and I needed to grow abs to get my job back.

[Nikki Reed]

How about you? We'll re. We'll reframe that and say you worked really, really hard to prove that you were dedicated to whatever that role might need, and you did such a great job. And, you know, now our age difference doesn't feel like anything. It's sort of like we're the same age. But at the time.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

Because I grew up really fast and had, you know, moved out young and all that stuff.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

And I think maybe you had, to some degree, a slightly, you know, more sheltered childhood.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

So at the time, it definitely felt like you were mama bear, sister. Mama bear.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

And so it's just like, I always felt such love, and just I was so proud of you, and I wanted to always champion that.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Podcast Host 2]

I know I was looking up, like, I had obviously was doing research for this, and I, like, googled your guys's names and the photos.

[Nikki Reed]

Oh, gosh.

[Podcast Host 2]

The photos of the.

[Taylor Lautner]

And I forgot about some of them.

[Nikki Reed]

I haven't ever seen them.

[Podcast Host 2]

So.

[Nikki Reed]

Is it.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah, I think I did.

[Podcast Host 2]

We frolo.

[Taylor Lautner]

I have a.

[Podcast Host 2]

It's literally like, you guys walking around, like, downtown Vancouver and it's like you with like this big old purse and Taylor and like a leather jacket and the two of you just like.

[Taylor Lautner]

We have some funny photos out there. I don't, I, I think you'll be able to relate to this.

[Nikki Reed]

Don't air them. Although I guess they're googleable.

[Taylor Lautner]

But they're very cute.

[Nikki Reed]

Place them in.

[Taylor Lautner]

They're very precious.

[Nikki Reed]

Oh, okay.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

Owning all chapters of life.

[Taylor Lautner]

But I, I, like, I, I forgot about. I have this thing and I don't know if you have the same. I think it's is a trauma related thing, but I just forget so much of that time of my life, I truly can't even remember it. Like, people ask me questions for stories and like, and I'll see pictures and I'll be like, that seems like a different person. I don't, like, I now recall it, but I can't. Like, it's just so blurry.

[Nikki Reed]

I think a lot happened in that time, you know, and so, I don't know. I mean, you choose to elaborate or not on what that means for you, but I think it was a very potent period. We saw a lot, we did a lot, we went through a lot. And I think sometimes maybe the brain takes a brain break.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

You know, and you had so much you wanted to still go off and do, and so you, you know, less so for me and maybe, you know, more for you. I don't want to speak for you, but I know that a lot of that chapter was very defining in a lot of ways, especially publicly for you, I imagine. And so I think you probably needed to, like, give your brain a break.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah, I definitely, definitely did.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lautner]

I feel like I still do.

[Podcast Host 1]

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[Podcast Host 2]

Do. Do you guys remember meeting like oh, meeting.

[Nikki Reed]

I remember meeting some of the. Hold on. This is again like we gotta dig into.

[Podcast Host 2]

I know.

[Taylor Lautner]

I'm trying. She asked me this this morning.

[Podcast Host 2]

There's a lot to not be an answer because that was also like so.

[Taylor Lautner]

Well, I mean I obviously came in late so I don't. During. I don't even know if we. Did we meet during the first movie?

[Nikki Reed]

Well, yes, we must have met during the first movie. But like the moments that I remember with you are all not set related. They're personal. It's like, you know, your dad dropping you off to like my living room and you constantly. I'm remembering it as I'm saying and I didn't dig this up like on the drive. I'm just remembering you doing backflips off my couch. Like non stop backflips.

[Taylor Lautner]

Sounds accurate.

[Nikki Reed]

You were super into like parkour stuff.

[Podcast Host 1]

Okay.

[Nikki Reed]

Do you remember that? It was all about. I think you had just discovered like how strong and capable your body was or something. And it was like watching a puppy.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lautner]

Very powerful.

[Nikki Reed]

It was like my paws are so big. And I just remember being like okay, t's coming over and, like, maybe some things are gonna get broken and he's gonna do some backflips off the couch, and then I'm gonna cook. And didn't we used to do. I had, like, a workout. This is back when you used DVDs and, like, the Internet. You weren't, like, YouTubing your workouts. So I had DVDs and I would put them on in the living room. And I remember you'd be like. You would hang and then I would do, like, my three pound weights on my living room dvd. But these are all such sweet memories, you know? It's, like, locked in a very special little box for me.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah. I don't know if I can. That's. That's because my memory of then is so blurry. That's all I remember. I don't. I don't remember the moment that, like.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah, same. That exact moment.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

But we were so young.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

You know?

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah. And I feel like you're. The photos are from, like. I'm trying to think how you look in these. I mean, definitely.

[Taylor Lautner]

They're like. But they're like New moon.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 1]

There.

[Nikki Reed]

Because there were no photos of us from the first film. We were just. What we thought was we were making a tiny little movie in Portland, Oregon, and none of us knew what it was going to be.

[Taylor Lautner]

No first movie.

[Nikki Reed]

No. So this had to be the second and third and fourth.

[Taylor Lautner]

It's a lot of us, like, walking around downtown Vancouver.

[Nikki Reed]

It's like, yes, we were in.

[Taylor Lautner]

There's photos of us.

[Podcast Host 2]

Sorry, I'm just gonna pull back up.

[Taylor Lautner]

I guess people. I guess fans would recognize us on the street sometimes. Vancouver, and there's like, photos of us taking photos of each other with the fans. There's some good stuff.

[Nikki Reed]

This is totally like the age of innocence, too, you know, it was just an explosion of. I don't know.

[Podcast Host 2]

It's literally just. It's these.

[Nikki Reed]

It's just the two of you. The wig cap. Oh, gosh. Oh, my God. Guys, I didn't click on that one. That's very cruel. Don't splice that into the episode. I know people can look it up, but let's not, like, encourage it.

[Taylor Lautner]

I don't know what's worse, the wig cap or my style. Because my style in these photos are concerning.

[Nikki Reed]

That's so violating that people took photos of that, like, walking from trailer to trailer.

[Podcast Host 1]

Oh, my gosh.

[Nikki Reed]

I'm glad we can laugh about it.

[Podcast Host 2]

It's so cute. So what? Obviously, I'm going to ask you guys, some questions that I know you've answered 5 million times, but I just like to know, because I obviously haven't talked.

[Taylor Lautner]

To anyone my answers, but, yeah, I.

[Podcast Host 2]

Don'T know anyone else's answers. You kind of mentioned it, like, going into the first movie.

[Podcast Host 1]

You, like, had you read the books?

[Podcast Host 2]

Did you know what it was you kind of mentioned you had no idea that it was going to be what it was.

[Nikki Reed]

Yes. So I got a call about the first film, and I had not read the books at the time. I did after that call, and I was actually working in a clothing store in Hawaii. I don't know if I've ever told this story, but, you know, quick segue. I think it's just always been a part of me or a part of my DNA, even in between all those films. You may or may not remember this, but I would dip in and out and move away, away, away, away from being in of it all. Because some part of my heart or consciousness in whatever way, was always pulling me towards something else, whether that was learning a new language or whether that was experiencing life in a different way. But I never felt, like, called to remain in the center of, you know, whatever you want to call this business that we were all in. So at the time, I was actually working at a clothing store in Hawaii, and I was really proud of the fact that I had moved up into, like, an opening and closing position. I really enjoyed my life there. I wanted to take pride in my work. I'm a big believer in that. Like, whatever you do, do it with all of you. And so I got the call about this film, but it required me leaving my job there. And so not to make this sound like some cool sound by, like, oh, I passed on it the first time, or whatever. That's not the point of this. The point is just that I really was enjoying my life there. Yeah. And so it took me a while to, you know, like, commit to the idea of another life shift again.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah. So I did read the book, the first book, and I came in and I met on the project and I went, you know, okay, maybe this is like the direction that the, you know, the flow of life is taking me now.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

And I jumped on board and, you know, super excited, like, wow, what a cool world that was there. Because I became a genuine fan, like, probably everything single person that's ever read those books. It's hard to not become, you know, invested in that story. Yeah. And the other interesting thing is that as the, you know, as we were shooting these Films. More was written. Right. So like Breaking dawn, the last book wasn't even.

[Taylor Lautner]

They weren't out.

[Nikki Reed]

They weren't out yet. So we were kind of like along for the ride as it was unfolding.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

So that was all very cool and very exciting. And I remember halfway through shooting the first film, finishing New Moon, the second book, and then still feeling like I was just like continually being pulled into this incredible world that Stephanie came up with and I was, you know, I became a fan. Yeah, yeah.

[Taylor Lautner]

You. You had already worked with Catherine twice before that.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah, we, we did.

[Taylor Lautner]

This was her third thing with Catherine.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah. And what's really amazing about Catherine, one of the amazing things is that because she started her career as a production designer, she has this really unique ability to go into an empty room and bring it to life, which translates to her relationship with actors and seeing the core of a character and who she wants to play that character. And it doesn't have to be someone that looks like that character. It doesn't have to be an obvious choice. Just like she can walk into an empty room and see the vision before anyone else can, you know, watch it come to life. And I find that to be. It wasn't just me. By the way, she has worked with the same actors over and over again. Like, for example, Sarah, who plays Bella's mom in Twilight, was also in 13 and you know, she has. Yeah, it's. It's a really cool thing and I love that. Like, I love her care and loyalty and creativity and ability to do that.

[Taylor Lautner]

I feel like she should forever be praised in, I mean, she cast the franchise and like, it's. That is all her. She's the person that sought out each person for each role.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lautner]

And like the, the, you know, characters and actors that played them that we fell in love with, like, that was all. That was all her doing.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah, she really set the tone.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 1]

Wow.

[Nikki Reed]

Which is incredible.

[Podcast Host 1]

Good for her.

[Podcast Host 2]

So when after the first movie, the first movie comes out and it's like, whoa, what is going on? Like, this fandom has really taken off. What was your reaction to that?

[Nikki Reed]

You're really bringing me back into the place. I don't prep these because, like you, I don't talk about this ever. So I'm, you know, jumping back into my 19 year old self. I do remember one specific moment which was, you know, we finished the film and it was a sweet, you know, intimate little experience because like I said, we thought we were just kind of making, you know, not a micro, micro film, but, you know, just A little film that we all loved that we hoped. You know, there was at the time, like, one website that was, I guess, the beginning of what you would call, like, a fan forum, and a couple of people had opinions on characters and things like that. And I remember while we were shooting the first film, going, like, wow, so people know about these books. That's so cool. Cool. You know, but we didn't know if we would make a second. Certainly not a third. Definitely fourth or fifth. Had no idea it would, you know, be a decade of our lives.

[Podcast Host 2]

Right.

[Nikki Reed]

And so I remember when we finished the first film, we got invited. The film, got invited to be a part of Comic Con San Diego, and we didn't go. I think it was just, you know, the two leads at the time. And I remember watching them. I watched it on tv, and I remember one of them getting out of a car, and there were thousands of. Of people screaming as he was getting out of the car. And that was the moment for me where I was like. It was literally like, wait, is that for him? For the films? For the. And that was a very defining moment. I went, oh, my gosh. I think we're gonna make a second one, you know?

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

But we had a couple of those, like, big aha moments along the way where you realized that life, you know, was forever, you know, impacted.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lautner]

Was your first Comic Con the second one?

[Nikki Reed]

I don't remember. I'm trying to remember, but it must have. Yeah, it must have been mine. I don't remember at the time, but these were things I'm trying to remember.

[Podcast Host 1]

I don't remember.

[Taylor Lautner]

Obviously, mine was the same. You know, I was like. I don't remember either. Well, it wasn't the first, was I?

[Podcast Host 1]

No.

[Taylor Lautner]

I don't know.

[Podcast Host 2]

It was the second.

[Nikki Reed]

There was just a series of these major ahas that we were. We were in the moment experiencing them along with everyone else. You know what I mean? There was no, like, foreshadowing, like, here's what's about to happen to life or to, you know, career, anything like that.

[Podcast Host 2]

So, yeah, I mean, we talk about that how, like, I feel like the franchise was really, like, the first of its kind in the sense.

[Podcast Host 1]

I mean, there was, like, Harry Potter.

[Podcast Host 2]

But it was different.

[Taylor Lautner]

Like, it didn't have.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah, different. Obviously, that's a whole other fandom, but, like, just different in the sense of, like. Like, it's more like adult love story in a way.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

Like, it transcends.

[Taylor Lautner]

Well, it just had this thing that made it so pop culture.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lautner]

And I Mean, you still see it today? Yeah, like with call. Whatever the most recent one is. I mean, summer I turn pretty. Like people are obsessed with. Yeah, whatever that juice is.

[Podcast Host 2]

That triangle of.

[Taylor Lautner]

And it, you know, the. The, you know, somewhat sexual nature. Whatever it is, like people. It just shot it through just like fandom wise. Yeah, it's just different.

[Nikki Reed]

I think it also spoke to more than just one demographic, so that was really interesting. It was a medium that was totally, you know, allowed to.

[Taylor Lautner]

You could be a teenager.

[Podcast Host 2]

Well, yeah, that was when I wasn't even allowed. You saying that made me remember. I wasn't allowed to read Breaking dawn until I, like, got a little bit older. I'd read the first three books. My mom was like, you're not reading Breaking dawn yet. Did you know that?

[Taylor Lautner]

She got ahead of it.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah, she got ahead of it.

[Podcast Host 2]

She had read all of them in her book club. And I was like, I want to read it. So she let me read the first one. And then I had a Twilight birthday party because I loved it. And then they made.

[Nikki Reed]

Oh, my gosh. She had a.

[Podcast Host 2]

Literally. I mean, I'm sure my mom kind of like prompted that one too.

[Podcast Host 1]

But no, I loved it. I, like.

[Podcast Host 2]

Do you know this?

[Nikki Reed]

Everything about that is so great. Her mom planned her.

[Podcast Host 2]

Well, when you say she was really.

[Taylor Lautner]

Excited when she found out we started dating.

[Nikki Reed]

You don't know this yet, but her mom was actually in the front row at the time that. I'm gonna get a call from my mom. I was not.

[Podcast Host 1]

Taylor. Mom.

[Podcast Host 2]

You were not.

[Taylor Lautner]

Wait, she was at. Was she not at that birthday party.

[Nikki Reed]

That I showed up to?

[Podcast Host 2]

No, no, she wasn't.

[Taylor Lautner]

Oh, she was just friends.

[Podcast Host 2]

That was my friend's mom. Okay.

[Nikki Reed]

You showed up to your birthday party.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

Wait, you showed up to a Twilight themed birthday party for her before she could make Breaking Dawn?

[Taylor Lautner]

A mutual friend of a friend of her mother's. Not a close friend, but a friend of her mother's.

[Podcast Host 2]

I'm from like a suburb. Suburb. Everyone knows everyone.

[Taylor Lautner]

I also had a connection to this person mutually.

[Podcast Host 2]

Okay.

[Taylor Lautner]

And they asked me, would you do me the biggest favor? A friend of mine is having her birthday party. She's rented out a theater up where we live, Santa Clarita, at the time. And they're screening like New Moon there for her birthday. It's just the whole theater is for her birthday. Would you pop in when the movie's done and say hello and happy birthday? And I did. And it was freaking crazy. And it was all 40, 45 year old women. Yeah. And it just turns out that that woman that I showed up to that theater birthday party for knows her mom, so.

[Podcast Host 2]

Wow.

[Taylor Lautner]

I thought she was there.

[Nikki Reed]

Six days of separation. Okay, I got that story twisted. It sounded very different a couple minutes ago.

[Podcast Host 2]

Don't worry, Mom.

[Podcast Host 1]

We're not.

[Podcast Host 2]

We're not accusing you of anything. Love you, Lisa.

[Podcast Host 1]

But.

[Podcast Host 2]

But no, I. I had read. I mean, yeah, I loved. I had read the books and loved them before the first movie came out. And my. You know, me being. How old would I have been? How old were you when you filmed the first one?

[Taylor Lautner]

When I filmed.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah. 16.

[Podcast Host 2]

So I would have been math.

[Podcast Host 1]

11. I was probably 10.

[Podcast Host 2]

11 when I read the first book. So me reading it and my mom reading it, like, it just really, like, reached.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

Such a broad.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

Such a broad thing.

[Taylor Lautner]

It's.

[Nikki Reed]

It's cool. It's cool. It's something you guys can laugh about for years to come.

[Podcast Host 2]

I know. And I was. I was the one that was, like, going to. I, like, went to the, like, midnight premieres of each of them. So I would go to the movie theater and watch the movie that was like, the previous movie and catch up.

[Taylor Lautner]

On the old movies before watching the new one. Like, she was doing that.

[Nikki Reed]

You were really.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah, I was.

[Nikki Reed]

That is commitment. You are.

[Podcast Host 2]

I was committed.

[Podcast Host 1]

I know.

[Podcast Host 2]

And that's why people are always like.

[Podcast Host 1]

So is it just so crazy that.

[Podcast Host 2]

Like, you ended up with Jacob and, like, Taylor is not. Like, when I met.

[Podcast Host 1]

I mean, he's the most, like, normal.

[Podcast Host 2]

Like, he's so not that. And I literally forget, like, when I watch the movies back. Because we've watched. Watched them.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

And I'm like, that's, like a different person. Like, it's not like, well, that's the hope.

[Nikki Reed]

Right. But that's the very interesting thing about, like, playing a character for so long is that people can't disassociate you from that. So I. I did. I used to talk about that a lot. But it was interesting to see, like, as that character evolved in the films, as Rosalie evolved in the films, and she became more relatable and more compassionate, and you got to understand her story. It was interesting to see, like, the shift in how, you know, even I, as a person was perceived because, you know, people come up to me and say things like, oh, my gosh, you smile. And I'm like, you know, like, me, Pleasant. Yeah. Or just, you know, you forget that. AKA choose wisely, but you forget that. I guess that's the job is to, like, you know, create as much believability as possible. But you being with him now, it. It probably feels like a, you know, as it should. A totally different person. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Taylor Lautner]

I mean, I can't even believe that same person's me, so.

[Podcast Host 2]

I know. Last time we did watch it though, I did have like a sweet moment because I think it's so cool that, like, I'm able to watch these things.

[Podcast Host 1]

Even like Shark Boy and Lava Girl.

[Podcast Host 2]

Like, I'm able to see Taylor at.

[Podcast Host 1]

That age, like fully, like, you know.

[Podcast Host 2]

Doing, like, I get to see you as like a little person. And when we were watching the franchise back, he has like this little scar on his forehead from when he had.

[Podcast Host 1]

Chickenpox when he was a kid.

[Podcast Host 2]

And like, there's a close up. I don't know what movie it is. You're like in the tent or something and it's like a close up of.

[Podcast Host 1]

Your face and you can see it.

[Podcast Host 2]

And it was like, oh my gosh, like, how sweet.

[Podcast Host 1]

Like, I.

[Taylor Lautner]

That is him.

[Podcast Host 2]

I get to like, I just get to see you at that. Like, you don't get to see me at that age.

[Taylor Lautner]

You know, I can see like photos of you.

[Podcast Host 2]

Like, I get to see you at that age. Like, it's just. I had like this really cool.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

Like, shift with it.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

Out of body experience. Yeah, it's true.

[Taylor Lautner]

Me just being a moody little boy. I still am a moody boy.

[Podcast Host 2]

You are moody.

[Taylor Lautner]

I still got that mood and that sass in me, that's for sure.

[Nikki Reed]

I do feel like I'm sitting watching. Like I maybe should sit. And then between you guys and talk about, is there anything else you would like to share? She obviously really likes the dimple on your forehead. Jingam.

[Taylor Lautner]

No. That's what happens during these podcasts a lot, is it? It becomes like our guest is like, plays therapist.

[Podcast Host 2]

I know that's.

[Nikki Reed]

And that's why I can play musical chairs.

[Taylor Lautner]

Free therapy.

[Nikki Reed]

Should we play musical chairs?

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah, literally.

[Taylor Lautner]

Okay.

[Nikki Reed]

Moving forward now we're diving into the real deal.

[Podcast Host 2]

I got all my questions out of the way.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

Thank you.

[Taylor Lautner]

You're good with me.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 1]

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[Podcast Host 2]

I'm talking about the oh my gosh.

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[Taylor Lautner]

Can relate to as you know is you in more recent years have taken a step back from the industry to focus on all of the things you're doing. You know, wellness, sustainability, your family. Was that like a. Because I know what it was for me. But was that a gradual realization or something that hit you over the head when you were like I want to take a step back, this is what I want to be focusing on. For me it was gradual.

[Nikki Reed]

I Mean, we were talking about it a minute ago, but I have always.

[Podcast Host 2]

Felt.

[Nikki Reed]

Called to different things. I've never, you know, I co wrote a film when I was 13 years old and, you know, called 13.

[Podcast Host 2]

And.

[Nikki Reed]

Wax poetic on the process, you know, all day long. The truth of the matter is, in many ways, that was a happy accident.

[Podcast Host 2]

Right.

[Nikki Reed]

I was. I was a kid. How could I have known, you know, what that was going to do to the, you know, trajectory of a career. Yeah. Or life or any of that. And so in many ways, I sort of fell into this being my career. In fact, with 13, we, I was, you know, a very happy eighth grader, given the position of, like, an unofficial, you know, casting director, associate. You know, I got to go in and read really challenging, sensitive dialogue with other young actors, and it made more sense to have a young person reading it with them. And so that's what I was doing. And I was just really excited that I got to tick off a couple days of 8th grade to go do that, having no idea that it was then going to become a presentation of, hey, Nick, you should play this character who's not based on yourself, but you should play this other role. And so all of that is sort of a very long winded, unnecessary way of saying that I didn't grow up with Hollywood being a dream. Right. I. I worked my ass off. I worked very, very, very hard because, as you know, you know, I pour 110% of myself into anything that I'm passionate about. And I was very, very passionate about learning the craft. But even the start of that film came from my desire to write. And so, you know, one was like a, you know, you know, very positive but unintended consequence of the other. And so as my career. Such a weird thing to say, but, like, career in that space evolved. I always took it kind of one step at a time, but I always felt called to explore other things. And there were even moments in the midst of all of that, whether it was in between shooting, you know, films that were arguably, you know, part of one of the greatest, largest franchises of all time, I would get calls from, like, my management or my publicist at the time and being like, hey, so don't you want to be back in Los Angeles? Because you're gonna miss these really big, you know, awards that are happening, and if you miss that, then you're probably not gonna have this next opportunity. And I never cared about the next opportunity. Not because I was such a cool kid, like, wow, that's so cool of her to not Care. Maybe it was actually kind of thoughtless or dumb of me, to be honest, but I just was really excited about experiencing life. Hence why I had done, I don't know, six, seven, eight, nine films, you know, by the time I was 19, I don't even remember because I don't look at that resume and chapter of life, but certainly like, you know, more than what could fit on this hand. And I took off to go work in a clothing store because I wanted to experience that part of life. Someone had casually mentioned to me, like, hey, have you ever worked a job like this in this capacity? And it was really, to me, I, I was, I don't want to say, like, yeah, disappointed is not the right word. I was more like, like eager, like hungry to make sure that I had, like, you know, experienced all those things. And so I remember my first call, I called to get a job at a grocery store and the first thing they asked me was, can you tell us your experience? And guess what? The person on the other end of that line wasn't there to care for five seconds about whether or not I could say, well, I've done this many films and I actually wrote a film, or I actually. They're like, yeah, but have you done this job that I'm asking you about? And if the answer is no, you don't have the job. And it's, it was challenging for me, you know, and so I don't know, you know, at what point. I wouldn't say there was like a moment where I went, oh, I want to shift away from this career. But I think I've always felt called to do things that impact people that are mission driven, that change not only, you know, on a grand scale like the planet, but also people's day to day lives. And if there's any, any way to take this small platform or career that once was and parlay it into doing some good, then I feel like I've, then I've maybe done something right. You know, that must be the purpose for what that previous career was, was maybe to just move culture forward in a different way, have a positive impact that's meaningful. And that's what it was for me. So I think it was always there, you know, it wasn't like I woke up one day and went, hey, I'm done with that experience. I want this experience. It was always percolating under the surface.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

During, during the franchise. And I know for you, I think you were maybe just like too, honestly, maybe just too aloof. And I think you maybe Like, I.

[Taylor Lautner]

Was very aloof, just kind of disconnected. I needed much more of what she had.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah, but during, like, during the height of everything you've talked about how, like, it didn't impact your mental health directly in that time period. It was definitely something that was after.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yes.

[Podcast Host 1]

For you, did. Did your mental health have any impact.

[Podcast Host 2]

During, like, the height and the chaos of everything?

[Nikki Reed]

I mean, without giving, like a concrete answer on that, I can just say one thing that I've definitely learned from this experience in general, just from being even an observer of the experience from the outside looking in, is that the human psyche is not meant for some extreme level of attention. And, you know, that's why you go back and you look at history and you look at all of these amazing, young, talented artists throughout the years that we've all loved and admired that end up with addiction issues or depression issues or. Because truthfully, I think that the psyche is not meant to handle it.

[Podcast Host 1]

Absolutely.

[Nikki Reed]

And maybe it was because I didn't really ever feel torn between two worlds and like, I knew where my roots were and what excited me and what didn't excite me. I mean, sure, of course there were moments that were so, so, so exciting with just, you know, the level of success of that franchise, but I was never pulled towards that. If anything, I think maybe I was afraid of it, you know, like, it was something that I couldn't quite understand and it happened to all of us so quickly. But, I mean, I'm. I'm very good at removing myself.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

From the eye of the storm.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah. Well, honestly, I think it's.

[Podcast Host 2]

We talk a lot about, like, putting value into things, and that's something that Taylor's been open about is like, I.

[Podcast Host 1]

Mean, you could speak.

[Podcast Host 2]

I don't want to put words in your mouth.

[Taylor Lautner]

Basically, I did the complete opposite of you. I put my entire identity into that and becoming. I also am. Like, when I do something, I want to, you know, be the best, do the best. But I put it fully into, you know, that career that was going on for me at that moment and putting my full identity into that. I'm a people pleaser. So as soon as you start having things taken away from you or, you know, just, you know, being judged or whatever it was, that is when I. Because I did the opposite of you and I put everything into that and lost, you know, but you can't be.

[Nikki Reed]

Too hard on yourself about that because you were so young. And also, how could you not?

[Podcast Host 1]

Right?

[Nikki Reed]

Like, you have to remember, I was sort of like a, like I don't want to say a street kid, but, like, I had a lot of street smarts and, like, had to figure out, you know, how to navigate things and how to see, you know, ahead a little bit just out of, like, like self preservation, you know, as a child. So that was part of my childhood. And you, how could you not do that? You had the entire world looking at you and also telling you who you were and also, you know, a very different childhood in a lot of ways because of that. And I know there was a lot of pressure on you, which. It's your podcast. You can cut out whatever you want. So I guess I don't have to be careful what I say about you. You can edit, but, you know, like, I watch. Watched a lot of that from the outside in the amount of pressure that was put on you to be a certain way and look a certain way. And I actually just have such, like, love and compassion for watching that boy grow up and, like, grow into who you are now. That's why it makes me so happy, like, not just the two of you together, but seeing where you are now because that could have taken a very, very different turn for you. And my. I just love you so much, you know, and I always have. I, like, always wanted to take care of you and make sure that you were good and you were okay because I saw the world. I saw what that could have felt like for you as it was happening.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

Literally crying right now. Well, to be honest, child's work right now. As much as you say, you know, like, you would never have wanted to do this, truthfully, it's really hard for me to be, like, forward facing. I'd much rather run companies and be behind the scenes and watch everybody else be the stars of things. So it's, like, hard for me to put myself out there. But truthfully, if it meant, like, seeing you, there's a part of me that was, you know, of course it's hard to put yourself out there. So of course I was like, can I just. Well, if this reconnects us in this way and I get to spend a couple hours with you because I love you and I want to see you. I want to see you in this space too.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

You know, yeah.

[Taylor Lautner]

No, totally.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah, I've.

[Taylor Lautner]

I've. I've gotten through it. I'm not. I'm not through it. Through it. I don't know if I'll ever be. But yeah, it's. That's. That's what I had to learn on my own over the Years. And with, you know, doing a lot of work on myself. Yeah, I've gotten through and realized a lot of that. But. But, yeah, it would have. Should have definitely just taken more of your advice back in that moment.

[Nikki Reed]

Things. Life has a crazy way of sometimes presenting you with an opportunity to take a sharp right or a sharp left, you know, And I just. In these moments, like, what you were just describing a minute ago, too, like, with that kind of level of fame and what you had to experience, not me, but you, you have a series of choices. Right? And that's what this is really all about. And, like, what I wanted to praise you both for, but also talk about on here, is that we all have a series of choices of, sure, certain circumstances are out of our hands, but we get to choose what path we want to take, what we want to absorb, how we want to show up in the world. And at a certain point, you have to grow up and not blame anything that's happened on anything outside of yourself, because you have to take ownership of that.

[Taylor Lautner]

It's the only way you're gonna grow.

[Nikki Reed]

It's the only way that you grow. Because, yes, things can happen. People can have, you know, childhoods that are messy or, you know, careers that have a huge impact on their life or, you know, I don't know, relationship stuff, family stuff, kids who, you know, there are challenges, but it's how you navigate those. And those are a series of choices.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

You know, we get to choose our friend circle. We get to choose who influences us on a daily basis. We get to choose the amount of negativity that we bring into our consciousness on a daily basis. We get to choose for, you know, the most part, to a certain extent, the kind of food we eat. Ish. Of course, I know there are limitations there, and I'm not blind to that, but I'm just saying we get to make a series of choices on a daily basis. And if we really tune into ourselves as adults and try to get it together to the best of our ability, then we show up and make those choices consciously. Yeah, hey, this feels hard today, but I'm going to do that instead of this. It's like the same conversation we were having in your kitchen a minute ago about, you know, choosing to go to the gym or not. Maybe that sounds like a sort of silly, superficial example of this, but we get to choose how we show up for ourselves and the people around us. And that is the greatest, to me, influence, I think, on our mental health, because there's ownership in that, right? That's the really cool part of it.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

I mean, isn't that, like, the first step in AA is like, admitting.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

It's like owning up that, like, you are struggling with something. I think there's such.

[Podcast Host 1]

I love.

[Podcast Host 2]

I love that so much.

[Nikki Reed]

And that's so relatable, too.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

You know, you get to a place in life where you realize that everybody is actually like a human having a human experience, no matter what. Your story's gonna look so different from someone else's story, of course, but the insecurities can be the same. The struggles can be the same. The challenges can be the same. Even the level of happiness, sadness, depression, excitement, whatever those things are, can be the same. And coping. Yes. And it makes this, like, connection feel so palpable between really everybody. Like, it's. It's really no different.

[Taylor Lautner]

You know, my route was different than yours, but we, like, we're all going through and feeling the same emotions and.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lautner]

And human challenges in life.

[Nikki Reed]

Yeah. And, you know, it's really illuminated that as much as I don't ever like to really, like, praise the world of social media, because you know how I feel about that, but what's really illuminated that with social media is just that there's more of a global conversation that gets to happen, which I'm sure you're able to reach, really, like, highlight and capitalize on just with what you guys are doing. And it's nice to see that everybody, everywhere, is having a somewhat similar experience.

[Podcast Host 1]

Yeah.

[Nikki Reed]

And you can hold hands metaphorically, you know, going through it.

[Taylor Lautner]

Yeah, for sure.

[Podcast Host 2]

So true.

[Podcast Host 1]

Next week on the Squeeze.

[Nikki Reed]

I haven't heard that in 15 years.

[Taylor Lautner]

I don't like that question.

[Nikki Reed]

And, like, we are all part of that social experiment that lit a whole other, you know, fire under me. It's almost like an assault on your nervous system.

[Taylor Lautner]

Do you have, like. I know this is.

[Podcast Host 2]

Oh, gosh. I.

[Nikki Reed]

Most of the time, the things that we criticize about ourselves are actually tools we needed at one point to survive. That little girl who smoked cigarettes and only ate fast food and lived on diet sodas and threw trash out her window now is a champion for the environment and for sustainability and for health and wellness.

[Taylor Lautner]

I'm so proud of you as a person.

[Nikki Reed]

Ditto.

[Podcast Host 1]

Make sure to subscribe or follow the Squeeze wherever you listen to your podcast so you don't miss part two of our very special episode with Nikki Reed.

[Nikki Reed]

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.