Talk about growing pains. In order to compete with Robert Pattinson in the upcoming Twilight sequel, New Moon, Taylor Lautner had to transform from a cute kid into a ripped god – er, werewolf.

“The day I finished Twilight, I came home and started bulking up,” Lautner, 17, tells Interview magazine about his getting fit to return as werewolf Jacob Black. “For New Moon, I’m 30 pounds heavier than I was in Twilight.”

What’s the biggest challenge living with his ab-tastic new physique? “I grew out of a lot of my clothes,” he says. “I went from a men’s small to a men’s large.”

With New Moon mania in full swing, fans of the bestselling vampire saga haven’t pulled any punches. “They are very intense, but it’s cool that they’re so dedicated and so passionate,” he says, even though “sometimes it becomes a little overwhelming.”

Case in point: costar Robert Pattinson – who plays brooding vampire Edward Cullen – was recently mobbed by fans in New York City. “We’ve met many different fans: the criers, who come around quite often; the hyperventilators who stop breathing and have to have a medic come,” Lautner says. “We’ve definitely seen some passion.”

Source, Bauer-Griffin