Please do not repost the interview, just link to the site. Thanks.A few weeks ago, we were contacted by a member of Solomon Trimble's PR team, and she asked if we would be interested in doing an e-mail interview with Solomon. Of course we jumped at the chance since we loved Solomon as Sam Uley in the movie, however brief his appearance was.
So here are Solomon's answers to our questions, and boy, did we also get a nice surprise revelation from him. ;)
TCP: What was your most memorable experience on the set of Twilight?
Solomon Trimble: The whole experience was memorable. I was really amazed by how much time and effort goes into making a film. I think I will remember singing a Quileute song for the camera crew the most. I had written the song with the intention of becoming more fluid with the pronunciation of the language, and then I got the chance to perform it for the camera, who knows where the footage will end up...
[Hey, we'd love to see that! Dear Catherine....]
TCP: Which of the Twilight Saga characters do you have the most in common with?
Solomon Trimble: Sam and Carlisle. Sam, because I have had to choose between two cousins I was romantically involved with and Carlisle because I too resist the urge to bite at random. Sorry, I like having fun with these questions, I get asked it most often. It's really Sam. He is true to himself and his people, and to the ones that he loves, above all wants or desires. Out of the pack, I respect him and oddly Paul the most.
TCP: What did you think of how the Quileutes were portrayed in the book?
Solomon Trimble: I like how Stephenie Meyer kept the story in Bella's perspective for the most part, and that even when she wrote from Jacob's perspective, she treated the Native American characters as just that, characters. Many authors lose sight of that when writing stories with a little Native American flavor.
TCP: Can you tell us about your favorite Quileute legend?
Solomon Trimble: I feel very privileged to have learned of the Quileute's histories. I am very careful of not referring to indigenous oral histories and beliefs as legends or myths. No matter the religion or belief system I belong to, I was given the same respect from them. Yet of all that was shared I found it most interesting that Quileute honor the bear and the wolf equally. Now the entire story is not mine to tell but this belief is shared amongst more than one tribe. One elder told me "The Bear is our brother, our sister. They walk like use, breastfeed like us, cry like humans do when in mourning, and I mean their cries sound human. And if you ever happen to come upon a bear's corpse-all the bones look human, especially the hips and ribs, all but the skull is the same. We don't eat bear because of this..." I wonder if Stephenie Meyer knew this about the Quileute. If she did, she made a good choice in picking the more marketable animal; I can't imagine how popular "Twilight" would have been, if it had been about gigantic teddy bears wondering the woods hunting vampires.
TCP: If it were up to you to decide, who is your personal choice to play the role of Emily and why?
Solomon Trimble: This is a dangerous question to ask a 24 year old. The answer would just be my celebrity crush, and not a good fit for Emily, Leah maybe. Sorry, you're not getting this one out of me.
[Aww, shucks. Well, you can't say we didn't try. :p]
TCP: We remember reading in "Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion" that you were an invaluable help to Catherine Hardwicke and the crew when it came to all things Quileute. Were you also involved in or did you influence Sam Uley's characterization in the film?
Solomon Trimble: I studied the histories of the Quileute and learned as much language as I could before the shoot. But the work with wardrobe is what the quote is referring to most. I wore a now infamous coat. The coat has an image with what appears to be a werewolf/shape shifter wearing the same coat, which I thought was very relevant. It is also made out of Pendleton wool, a highly sought after material by tribes in the northwest of North America. The coat is a token of leadership and acknowledgment, my mother made it for me when I graduated high school, and since I've graduated from college she has decorated it further. I digress. Sam is technically a werewolf when at the beach scene. I worked with wardrobe to dress the Quileute's but more to plead with them to wear the least amount of clothing as possible, because Sam is running a werewolf fever. I felt dumb when I got sick the day of the shoot. I'm glad Catherine made me wear an extra hooded sweatshirt... But to answer the question, bringing an authentic Quileute characterization to Sam was an honor. I feel blessed to be a part of such a successful film and I would be honored to be given the chance influence the characterization of the whole pack to be more authentically Quileute in the future.
TCP: If you could exchange roles with anyone on the Twilight cast, who would it be and why?
Solomon Trimble: Sorry Kristen, but I would rock Bella! Just kidding, I need to quit drinking red-bull before interviews. Seriously though, I wouldn't change a thing.
[See? Everyone wants to be Bella. Heheh. :p We kid, we kid. ]
TCP: If you can ask only one question of Stephenie Meyer about your character or about Twilight in general, what would it be?
Solomon Trimble: "What is his hobby?"
TCP: What is your dream role?
Solomon Trimble: I feel as though being a part of "Twilight" has been a dream come true for me. As of now, I would like to work with the actors, John Malkovich, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe and Shia LaBeouf. As for directors I would like to work with, Gus Van Sant, John Carpenter, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor to name a few.
TCP: Finally, we just have to ask: Team Edward or Team Jacob?
Solomon Trimble: Edward, because as a wolf-pack member I'm sure we're all tired of hearing about Bella on the telepathic werewolf radio station broadcast by Jacob.
Solomon also said: "I've always wanted to go to the Philippines and meet the people still living in the mountains and hills in the original traditional ways, before the Spanish Influence. And of course party in Manila!" and added that he once dated a Filipina.
[If you ever visit the Philippines, Solomon, we'd love to show you around and introduce you to the ways of our indigenous peoples. And of course, we'd love to party with you too. :)]
We wish we could've asked him more questions or follow-ups to this one. We admittedly panicked a little bit when we were asked regarding the interview. *is sheepish*
We hope to see Solomon as Sam in
New Moon, or at the very least, see him get involved in the movie in some way. :)
Thanks so much to Solomon for taking the time out to answer our questions, and thanks to Nicole for arranging the interview.
Links: Solomon Trimble's Official MySpace Page |
IMDB page |
Team Solomon Website |
Team Solomon on MySpace
