Peter Facinelli Says He Bagged 'Twilight' Role After Sending A Vampire Book To Director

Peter Facinelli revealed he bagged the role of Dr. Carlisle Cullen in "Twilight" after he sent a vampire book worth $29.99 to director Catherine Hardwicke.

The 47-year-old actor -- who portrayed Dr. Cullen's character in the 2008's romantic fantasy movie -- discussed the role on the "On the List With Brett Gursky" podcast.

"I went in and read the baseball scene and the scene at the end of the movie where Bella is bleeding out and I have my hand around Bella's thigh. And I'm reading with Catherine," he recalled the first audition.

"Catherine likes to get in there. She just jumps in. So I have my hand around Catherine's thigh like she's Bella. I'm just kind of bent over. I'm like, 'If somebody walks in right now, this is gonna look really awkward.' I've got my hands on the director's thigh," he added.

The actor further noted he thought the audition went really well, but later found out that the role was offered to another actor. "I was bummed. I was like, 'Man, I thought I was gonna get that one,'" he admitted.

"And I said, 'Hey, sorry it didn't work out. Hopefully, we'll work together on something else. Hope this inspires you to make a great vampire movie.' And I sent it to her," he recalled. "Little did I know that the actor that fell out, on the same day that he fell out, she got my book.”

"So the producers were like he can't do it, either his deal fell through or maybe he got another job or something, and they said who do you want to go to next?” he added. “And she was like, 'I don't know, what about Peter Facinelli?' So I always joke with Catherine that I bought that role for $29.99."

Facinelli also reflected on the fame the cast members received following the first installment of the franchise and how things changed.

"It was a very intimate set [on the first film]. Sometimes we'd go to grab a beer, and Rob [Pattinson] would grab an open mic, and he'd start playing a song, and nobody knew who he was. That all changed after the first movie," he explained.

Facinelli was last seen in "The Vanished - Hour of Lead," which released on Aug. 21, 2020.