Michael Welch

So you’re going to play the part of Mike Newton in Twilight. What was the audition process like?
Well I originally auditioned for Edward, and as I’ve mentioned before, I’m really glad I didn’t get it! I was never quite right for it, mainly because Edward is described as unearthly beauty and that’s not quite a responsibility I want and not one I think I can pull off. But that’s fine you know. I think Robert is the perfect man. So I first auditioned as Edward. Then they had me come back as Eric and I had a lot of fun with it. At this point, I hadn’t read the books so I was just reading what I was given. And finally Mike just seemed to be a perfect fit. The decent, likeable, athletic guy who has a crush on a girl who he doesn’t have an equal shot with. I think that’s someone many people can relate to. In the audition, we had a mix and match session, which is when all the potential people who are up for a role get together in a room and they try to determine which group of people has the best chemistry. I’m glad they kept bringing me back until they found the role for me!

In the mix and match, did you get put with Kristen, Robert etc?
Robert wasn’t there…I did work with Kristen and Justin Chong though. It was really awkward though. It’s strange in that situation when there are about 5 people in the scene and each person has one line and we’re all trying to get the job. It’s just weird. But when I got to work one on one with Kristen, I think that went really well.

So you hadn’t read the books before getting the role. Did you read them afterwards?
Yeah I read the first book. I didn’t want to read the others at that point because I knew there was a possibility of more movies and I didn’t want to get ahead of the story. But I will read all of the books eventually.

What was filming like?
Filming was pretty intense. First of all, Kristen was still 17 during about half the filming so we had to play by the child labour rules which can be restricting on a set. Then also the weather in the North West is insane. Vampires can’t be out in the sun so it’s crazy to work around that. I had fun! The high school group was a fantastic group to work with. It was pretty surreal. We would film something during the day and then there would be footage from that scene on youtube at night! It was insane! I’ve never been a part of something that’s generated so much excitement!

Did lots of fans visit the set?
A lot of people who worked as background were Twilight fans. A lot of Twilight mums would hang out around the set so whenever the cast went to and from set, we’d talk to them and take some pictures. There were lots of fans around.

Do you think the cast managed to portray the characters from the book?
I don’t see how you can get a better Bella and Edward than Kristen and Robert. Once I heard that Kristen was playing Bella, it seemed like it made the story fit. She’s so interesting and has a mysterious quality about her that’s perfect for Bella. I’m not worried about the cast at all. I think the fans are going to be happy overall.

Which was your favourite scene filmed and why?
There’s a scene where Mike asks Bella to the prom and I think that was my favourite scenes, because it was my best chance for one on one acting. A lot of what these characters do is to provide relief throughout the film and that was the one opportunity that I got to do alone with Kristen. It was interesting actually because I had a similar experience in high school so the more we did it, it started to get painful because I was re-living my high school years. It was fine though because that’s what acting is all about! Taking your experiences and putting them out there.

Was it hard to become Mike Newton?
I found him similar to myself. If I had grown up in different circumstances, I very well could have been Mike Newton! There wasn’t a lot of stretching. Mostly I came from myself and I was real. It wasn’t a big stretch to tap into the character.

Can you tell us any set secrets?
I know this isn’t really a set secret but Justin Chong has an amazing taste in food! He found all the best places to eat in Portland and took me there.

Did you have any embarrassing moments on set?
We were in the middle of a scene and Catherine told Justin to nail me in the head with a volleyball. That was quite surprising but not really embarrassing. It’s hard for me to get embarrassed…part of acting is letting go of all that and just accepting situations.

Mike Newton has a crush on Bella. Did you have a crush on Kristen?
I will say that I do have a girlfriend. But apart from that, I’m genuinely interested in Kristen but not in an attraction sort of way. As a fellow actor, I think she’s amazing! There’s a genuine intrigue for her as a person, but no crush.

Michael Welch

You’re amazing at tuning into a character and transforming into them. What’s your secret?
For Stargate, for example, I literally was a clone for someone else so I had to look at his mannerisms etc, but really impressions are how I got into the business. That was my speciality as a kid; doing impressions. It’s part of what has always been intriguing to me. If you’re not a particular confident person for example, you can still play the most confident person in the world! That’s the fun of acting! So I guess I don’t have a specific secret…just details are very important.

And now some random questions for fans to get to know you better.
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Monkey. Pudding. Stew.

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
I’ve always wanted to go to Australia…I don’t know why! I like the people, the energy, the kangaroos…

What are your hobbies?
I love to play the drums! I love to jam with people whenever I can.

If you were stuck on a desert island with only three things, what would they be?
I’m going to need a portable never ending boom box, something that can play music unlimitedly, the full collection of Pink Floyd, and one of those paddles with the string and the ball to entertain myself.

Do you have any pets?
I have a dog. He’s a mix of Maltese and Poodle.

Tell me a secret!
I used to play Magic the Gathering. It’s like Dungeons and Dragons, without the dressing up. You have sorcery, creatures etc and you kill other wizards. I was heavily into that for a while.
When I was 12, I was the number 2 best tennis player in the Santa Clarita Valley under the age of 12.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve had in your mouth?
When I was about 13, I was dared to eat a spoonful of whatever concoction my “friends” made. I’m not sure what they put in but I’m sure they put ketchup, rust, carrots etc. It was disgusting!

What’s your secret addiction?
Right now, it’s actually politics. I’m entirely obsessed! I don’t get righteous on everyone, but I’m just personally interested and I love following it. It’s a great game.

What was your nickname at school?
In elementary school, they called me Michelle. In high school, they called me white Mike.

What irrationally annoys you?
When technology doesn’t work!

What’s the weirdest rumour you’ve heard about yourself?
I’ve gotten the gay rumour a few times…any young kid who’s interested in drama might be interpreted that way!

Do you have a myspace? If yes, what is it?
I have a nice little internet network. I have www.myspace.com/officialmichaelwelch which is me and I also have a website, www.michaelwelchonline.com. There are some awesome fan sites around as well! I have a PO box as well for fan mail and you can find that on my website.