The Rise of a New Star: Xavier Samuel Is Set for Greatness

Amidst reports that Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will get no less than $41 million each for the final two “Twilight” films, USA Today hails the arrival of yet another young star who is just as promising as these three. Xavier Samuel plays Newborn Riley in the film and, if the success he’s enjoyed so far is any indication (which of course it is), he’s set for greatness, says a piece in the aforementioned e-zine.

Speaking with USA Today about how “Twilight” literally swept him off his feet, since he really did not expect to land the part and certainly did not see the fansbase embracing him like it has, Samuel shows he has a quality that will serve him well in the future: he’s humble. While other would toot their own horn and perhaps manage to become very obnoxious in the process (like, say, Megan Fox), Samuel knows this is precisely the moment that can make or break his future career.

“When Australian actor Xavier Samuel shipped off an audition tape to Twilight producers, insta-fame seemed oceans away. ‘It’s kind of strange because you send them off into oblivion and you don’t know if anyone watches them,’ says Samuel, 26. That was last year. Fast-forward to the Eclipse premiere, where thousands of fans are not only screaming but are screaming for him. ‘It’s kind of 360 degrees of hysteria,’ Samuel says just hours before the Los Angeles premiere of the third film installment of Stephenie Meyer’s blockbuster series. ‘The sound (of Twilight’s fans) does really knock you off your feet’,” the USA Today piece reads.

Samuel is grateful to have gotten this far and, most importantly, for having had the chance to be part of the biggest phenomenon in the movie industry right now and of working with such a wonderful, dedicated cast. Not only was he not treated like an outsider during the shoot, but he actually felt like a member of the “Twilight” family, he says. The bad news is that he must take his leave from the franchise now that “Eclipse” is done and is out there, running in theaters all around the world, because Riley will not be returning, as any respectable Twi-hard must know. On the bright side, this means more options to prove his worth.

“Famous friends aside, navigating a new career post-franchise can be tricky (read: Megan Fox), but so far, Samuel is taking the offers as they come, having just returned from shooting historical thriller Anonymous in Berlin, which decodes the true author of Shakespeare’s works. ‘I went from playing an evil vampire to an Elizabethan aristocrat, which is a great thing to do,’ he says. And now? ‘I don’t have a plan of action,’ he says. ‘I just want an experience that challenges me as an actor and pushes me to get better’,” the same piece concludes by saying.

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