While attending the “Twilight” convention in Dallas, Texas, I had a chance to sit down with actor Guri Weinberg and chat with him about his role in the upcoming second half of “Breaking Dawn.” Weinberg portrays Romanian vampire Stefan in the film. He also had the distinct honor of playing his own father, Moshe Weinberg, in Steven Spielberg’s “Munich.” Moshe was one of the Israelis killed in 1972 during the Munich massacre.
Do you do the “Twilight” conventions often?
When I’m invited to do them, I’ll come in. I don’t do them as often as some of the other actors do. It’s a matter of who they want to be in them. It’s not about whether you want to do them or not. All the actors want to do them because it’s great to meet the fans. It’s great to show your appreciation.
Your movie, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” hasn’t even come out yet. This is like a taste of what you can probably expect after that movie comes out and you’re actually visible in the film.
It’s weird because my movie doesn’t come out for another year. Everybody has read the book and they know my character. It’s as if the movie has already come out in a way. The fans are so passionate about the book and all the characters. They know more about the characters than we do. It’s not about if they’ve seen you in it yet for them. It’s the fact that you’re representing the character.
How is it stepping into the role of a centuries-old vampire? How do you prepare for something like that?
The role comes from Romania over 3,000 years ago. They didn’t have the same Romanian dialect as it is today because 3,000 years ago there was Greek, Roman, and Slavic influences. We had to learn Romanian dialect, switch it around, and add those things in so it would be a little more genuine to the time when they were human. That was the hardest thing because it doesn’t exist. You have to make it up.
That was the hardest thing, along with learning about those times 3,000 years ago. How was life then? How did they do things? They used to rule the vampire world so they were more royal. For 1,500 years they’ve been kicked out and beat by the Volturi. You’ve got the royal behavior and thought but they’ve been exiled. They don’t have that royalty anymore. Some of them just want the revenge. It’s all those things. They used to have wives. Some of them lost their wives. How does that all play into it?
So it’s more about adapting to the times as they change around them?
It’s not about the age. It’s more about the behavior, the way of doing things, and speaking. Nobody said “dude” in the 1950s. It’s more about what you take from the past and bring into today. That shows the age. You’re a vampire and you can’t get old, so it becomes more about how you dress, walk, and see the world.
To see photos from the “Twilight” convention in Dallas, go here.
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
Volturi Secretary Ali Faulkner Greets Fans at Dallas ‘Breaking Dawn’ Screenings
Does ‘Twilight: Breaking Dawn’ Promote a Pro-Life Message?
‘Twilight: Breaking Dawn’ Big With Fans, Critically Detested
Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.
Heading to the movies? Get an instant mobile coupon to use at select theaters for free popcorn!