The Twilight Saga quickly became a cultural phenomenon after the release of Twilight in 2008, and it sparked numerous fan fictions, merchandise deals, and intense debate, particularly surrounding “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob.” Bella, Edward, the Cullens, and the werewolves all faced multiple menacing villains throughout the franchise’s five movies, but one particular fan-favorite was the nomadic vampire, Victoria.
Originally, Rachelle Lefevre brought the Stephenie Meyers character to life, but fans might notice that Bryce Dallas Howard takes over the role in Eclipse. Though both actors gave a great performance, Dallas Howard’s casting caused some controversy, particularly because it was an unexpected cast shake-up so late into Victoria’s storyline. Whether fans prefer Lefevre or Dallas Howard’s take, it’s always interesting to find out what happened behind the scenes to cause such a decision.
Who is Victoria in the Twilight Movies?
Twilight kicks off when Bella Swan moves from Pheonix, Arizona to Forks to live with her father Charlie, and it doesn’t take her new classmates long to tell her about the standoffish Cullen children. Bella sits next to the youngest Cullen sibling, Edward, in biology class, but she begins to get suspicious about his true nature after he defies science to save her life. His successful rescue leaves her questioning his true nature, and when he finally confirms her suspicions that he’s a vampire, they begin to fall in love.
Of course, having a human/vampire relationship was never going to be easy, but their relationship reaches a particularly dangerous obstacle when three sinisters vampires arrive in Forks and begin terrorizing the town. The Twilight vampires are powerful, and James, Laurent, and Victoria get numerous kills under their belt by the time they began hunting Bella. Things only escalate in New Moon; fearing for Bella’s life, Edward ends their relationship and leaves town. He’s forced to return when Victoria comes back to avenge James, who Edward successfully killed in Twilight to end his reign of terror.
New Moon sees Rachelle Lefevre’s Victoria stalking Bella, causing the latter to constantly fear her life. The wolfpack, Jacob included, barely leaves Bella’s side, but she still finds herself in a world of danger when her deteriorating emotional state combined with Victoria’s calculated mind-control powers pushes her further away from safety. Although Victoria managed to kill Harry Clearwater, the Quileute wolves managed to best her, and she fled Forks to save her own life.
Victoria continued to appear in The Twilight Saga until her death in Eclipse, but by that point, Bryce Dallas Howard was recast in the role. Lefevre brought Victoria to life with a seductive and ferocious energy that made Victoria just as cold and sinister as she was alluring and elegant.
Why Was Victoria Recast in Twilight?
Rachelle Lefevre was forced to exit The Twilight Saga due to scheduling conflicts. Lefevre was cast in the 2010 comedy/drama movie Barney’s Version, which follows the titular Barney as he recounts his life story, three marriages, and chaotic TV career to prove his innocence in the murder of his best friend. Because Lefevre committed to a 10-day film shoot for Barney’s Version that overlapped with Eclipse’s filming schedule, instead of accommodating Lefevre, the Twilight execs chose to recast her.
Lefevre wrote a letter to Catherine Hardwicke, the Twilight director, to get the role, outlining her passion for the “feline” character and studied lion attacks on YouTube as a basis for Victoria’s agile and non-human movements. In a statement to Access Hollywood, the Canadian actor expressed how “saddened” she was to receive news of her recasting, while fans launched online campaigns that urged Summit Entertainment to bring her back. Summit Entertainment announced Bryce Dallas Howard’s casting in July 2009.
Bryce Dallas Howard Did a Fantastic Job as Victoria
There’s no doubt that Lefevre left very big shoes for Bryce Dallas Howard to fill, but the latter did a fantastic job at providing a more book-accurate Victoria. Dallas Howard had proven her acting chops with roles in films like Spider-Man 3 and As You Like It, but later years further cemented her as a formidable performer with titles like Jurassic World and The Help.
As Victoria, Dallas Howard stayed true to Stephenie Meyer’s source material and gave a book-accurate depiction: she gave the nomadic vampire a polished intensity, and though some fans found her iteration less overtly intimidating, Dallas Howard perfectly recreated the character’s unwaveringly vengeful, calculated nature. In Eclipse, Victoria begins to build her own army of recently-turned vampires, who she uses to aid her in her hunt against Edward.
This threat forces the Cullens and werewolves to team up, train together, and fight Victoria’s army as a unit, which gives fans some of the best action scenes in the franchise. The battle is visceral and brutal, and there’s an added sense of realism thanks to the training montages and slower-paced fighting choreography. It’s far more thrilling and visually impressive than previous movies.
Edward eventually manages to kill Victoria in this battle, so it’s the last fans see of the character in The Twilight Saga. That’s not to say that Bella and Edward don’t face other villains, but the focus shifts from the nomadic trio to the ancient vampire coven, The Volturi.