Lautner finding it 'tough to say goodbye' to Twilight

Werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) keeps a close eye on Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) in the final o the Twilight series. Photo / AP

Fifth film is out, and a young star looks towards a future without vampires.

He might be the youngest of the Twilight leads but Taylor Lautner, who's played werewolf Jacob Black in all five films, is probably the most relaxed off screen.

Flashing a movie star smile, the 20-year-old says he's feeling good about the end of the series.

"I think there's mixed emotions for everyone," he says.

"It's a bummer it's coming to an end and it's going to be tough to say goodbye, but at the same time it's exciting to get this last one out there and have the fans see it and wrap up the franchise."

Though Jacob vied for Bella's affections in the past, his future is now entwined with that of Bella and Edward's daughter.

And as her protector he spends most of this final movie within sight of Renesmee.

"I don't even know where to begin with Mackenzie. She's the cutest little girl in the world, so funny and talented," he says of his young co-star.

Lautner, from Michigan, hadn't heard of Twilight before being cast.

"I'd never even heard of the books and then after we made the first movie we were hoping that some of the people who'd enjoyed the books would enjoy the movie.

"But we had no idea it would turn out like this, not in my wildest imagination," he says.

As close as he is to Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson now, he remembers it being tricky in the early days. "It was strange because I was barely in Twilight so I showed up halfway through filming and everybody knew each other. I was kind of the new kid on the block so it started off a little bit awkward but that soon changed."

But he still can't look at those early images of himself wearing Jacob's mullet wig.

"Whenever someone shows me a picture of it I'm like, 'Argh'."

Having grown up on screen, Lautner says he hopes he hasn't changed too dramatically from the person he was before shooting began.

"I hope we haven't changed who we are as people throughout this time and I hope the people who know me best say that about me," he says.

"I can absolutely say that about my fellow castmates. They're the same people today who they were before, any of this and that's amazing."

Who: Taylor Lautner
What: Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2
When and where: At cinemas now

- AAP