Embry talks.
“What character do you play in the movie?’” a young female fan asked as Kiowa Gordon posed for pictures. “Embry Call,” replied Gordon, who was recently cast as one of five werewolves in the upcoming sequel to the blockbuster “Twilight” called “New Moon.” The movie and its sequels are based on novels by Stephanie Meyer. The fan screamed excitedly as she ran through the crowd at the San Carlos High School graduation.
According to Gordon, Embry Call is Jake’s right hand man, tall, skinny, shy and the fourth to turn into a werewolf. “We protect the tribe, protect them from vampires.”
Surreal is a word Gordon used to describe his experience. And no wonder; he was a virtual unknown when he landed the coveted role. Prior experience includes bit parts in Rick Shroder’s “Black Cloud” and PBS Pictures’ “Skinwalker.” “New Moon” is his big break. Would you believe he got a “C” in his acting class at Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Ariz., his hometown? Fellow werewolf Meraz also lives in Cave Creek.
During an interview prior to the graduation, Gordon said he was on track to earn a high school diploma at Career Success High School when he responded to the open casting call. He’s now set to earn a G.E.D.
“An acting coach worked with me for about an hour before the audition,” Gordon said. Ironically, “Twilight” author Stephanie Meyer is a member of Gordon’s church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They attend the same ward; Meraz is also LDS.
Within a couple of weeks word came he landed the part of Embry Call. “My mom got an e-mail. She was ecstatic.” After speaking to the director on the phone, he was off to Los Angeles for a “cyberscan.” It’s a technique used in many movies to create real-life animation. “A machine went around my body to create a computer image so I could be transformed into a werewolf.”
“When I went to Vancouver, the first person I met was Alex Meraz. During the first three weeks I hung out with the wolf pack. We worked with a personal trainer. I gained five pounds. We all bonded and became like brothers,” Gordon said. “I’m the smallest (physically) but I’m the tallest.” Gordon is 5 feet 11 inches tall.
He describes a day of the set. “We spend an hour in makeup (basically) getting darker and they enhanced our abs,” laughs Gordon. “It was really cold, one degree Celsius. We wore robes before our shoots. All our scenes were outdoors. We had to get in the rain.”
Gordon met all the major actors and shot a scene with Stewart. “I’ve had long hair since the seventh grade, to my shoulders. Our hair has to be short when we become werewolves. I had no idea they were going to cut it. Oh man!”
Gordon admits fame has its drawbacks. “People think I have money,” he said with a smile. While he landed a big role, filming lasted only two weeks although he flew back to Vancouver for a few more days for last scenes. “People also think I can coach them with their acting; I’m the last person they should be asking.”
His acting skills must be better than he thinks. He signed a contract to reprise the role in future sequels. In the meantime, he’s spending time in Germany learning to speak German. (He caught a flight to Frankfurt the day after the graduation). Gordon also hopes to go on a two-year mission for his church.
