An interview with a vampire — or two: 'New Moon's' Charlie Bewley and Daniel Cudmore

If you could interview a vampire, what would you ask him?

The Seattle Times put that question to readers when we were first offered an in-person chat with actors Charlie Bewley and Daniel Cudmore, who play vampires Demetri and Felix in "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (opening here late Thursday night).

Armed with a list of questions from readers, we met Bewley and Cudmore at a downtown Seattle hotel last Thursday and conducted a video interview. A transcript, edited for length and clarity, appears below. But you can also watch verbatim excerpts in our videos.

Question from Marie Hansen: The books don't really dwell too much on your characters' personal histories. So what was that process like, to start with a blank character and work out that information?

Bewley: It's a good thing and a bad thing. If you look at Bella, everyone knew what Bella should be and how she should act and react because of the weight of the emotional subtext that accompanies every single line that she says in the book ... the fans knew exactly who they wanted for that role, and they knew exactly who they wanted for Edward, so [those two actors] were under very strict guidelines as to who they were playing.

With me and Dan, we didn't have that benefit, if you like, or that burden. We were allowed a large amount of dexterity in terms of where we came from as characters and to a certain extent our idiosyncrasies and our characteristics as Demetri and Felix....

As soon as I walked on set with the lavish costumes and red contact lenses, you have the hair and makeup and you're suddenly interacting with all these characters ... you start developing as characters. And it's a wonderful process.

Question from Autumn Thompson: Who's your favorite character in the movies?

Cudmore: It's tough because you enjoy playing the character you were cast as, so much. ... But I really like the wolf pack, I really like the kind of dynamic that they have going on there, that character, that raw aggression, I think it's really kinda cool.

Question from Brian Holland: Who wins in a fight, Demetri or Felix?

Bewley: I've not heard that question before.

Cudmore: Let's just say we'd probably be worse for wear after that one. ... I see it as a humongous fight that would go and go and go to the point where they're both lying on the ground breathing like ... [he pants] ... "OK, you think we should go again? All right let's go." And it just continues and doesn't ever really end.

Bewley: His superpower is his intense strength ... mine is tracking. And with tracking comes speed. ... [turning to Cudmore] I think you'd beat the crap out of me, but then in a 100-meter sprint ...

Cudmore: You'd win.