In an exclusive interview with IESB, Peter Facinelli about the Twilight phenomenon, working with Eclipse director David Slade and find out his feelings on a two-part Breaking Dawn.

Read IESB’s exclusive interview with Dr. Carlisle Cullen himself, Peter Facinelli, below:

IESB: This Twilight stuff, is really a phenomenon, who would’ve known it was going to be this big. When you signed up for the first one, did you just think it was going to be a small little vampire movie?

Peter Facinelli: I knew there was a fanbase of the books, but, somewhere along the line of finishing the movie and it coming out, that fanbase grew exponentially. But we were just trying to make a good movie for the fans of the books, we had no idea that it would turn into this, but, I am always very grateful for the fan support and love that interaction with them because their energy feeds me.

IESB: David Slade, how was he on set? Every director seems to bring something a little different to the franchise, how different was Slade, considering he knows the vampire genre.

PF: I thought he was a great fit for what they were going for. Every movie has had a little bit of different energy, I think the director sets the tone and David brought a great quality to it, it has a lot more action and I think he understands the action elements to it as well as the love story. There is a lot going on in that book and I was glad he was at the helm.

IESB: Do these events ever get tiring, I don’t mean in a bad way but Comic-con and different events all over the world, does it get a little like, “Wow, there is too much for me to do!”

PF: No, I mean it would be a lot more work this morning if nobody showed up (laughing), so the fact that people are interested and people are willing to take the time to come out to come out and support something that I think is important and also to come out and meet me, I’m always grateful for.

IESB: As an artist are you looking to break off and do a different role now?

PF: I’ve been working for 15 years so I don’t feel like the Twilight movies define me as a person, I am very grateful to have it as part of my career. I’m also currently on Nurse Jackie with Edie Falco which is a total 180 degree turn from this so for me I’ve, throughout these 15 years, have tried to play different characters and every time my agents say, “What do you want to do next?” I say, “Anything I haven’t done before.”

IESB: What is your favorite genre?

PF: I don’t really have one, I try to do different things, what’s appealing to me is to continue to push myself as an actor to do genres that I haven’t done before, to try to surprise an audience as opposed to have them come to a Peter Facinelli movie and say, “hey, I know exactly what to expect.” And when I line up characters like the Big Kahuna character I did with Kevin Spacey and put that next to the Fast Lane character and I put that next to the Scorpion King character and that one next to the Carlisle and put that character next to the Nurse Jackie character, they’re vastly different from each other and that’s what drives me as an actor. I am happy I look so different from Carlisle because no one confuses me with him, I think they are happy I am the actor that played that role and so, I just, as an actor, continue pushing myself. I like to win audiences over too, I mean, when I got the role for Twilight, there were a lot of people that hit the internet when I first got it and we’re like, “I can’t believe they cast Mike Dexter from Can’t Hardly Wait as Carlisle.” But now that they’ve seen the movie they’ve changed their minds.

IESB: I almost didn’t recognize you.

PF: They are vastly different characters.

IESB: So are you getting ready for this big epic finale Breaking Dawn, they are saying it’s a two parter, possibly 3D, are they telling you to expect double the time for production?

PF: I haven’t really thought about it much. We just came off of New Moon and I’m still in the gear of finishing up Eclipse, I’m getting ready to go out and promote Eclipse, that’s my favorite book so I am excited to see that one hit the screens. But, I haven’t really put much thought into Breaking Dawn, I think it will be bittersweet but I will be excited to be able to finish up this series and then move on from there.

IESB: I know Kristen Stewart is saying she is excited to see it broken up into a two-parter, would you like to see it that way?

PF: I would. I think it’s a very big book, makes a great doorstop (laughing). It’s a very thick book and has a lot of stuff going on so to try to squeeze that into two hours would be difficult so I think making it into two makes the most sense. I don’t even know if they’ve made a decision on that yet, I heard that’s what they were steering towards. But, I let them do their thing, when they call me to show up on set, that’s where I’ll be, I let them do the business stuff and I’m supportive of their decisions. Summit has done a good job with the books so far with picking the directors and putting the movies out there so I defer to them on those decisions and I’m just excited to bring Carlisle to life.

IESB: Any chance any of the previous three directors will return for Breaking Dawn or do you think they will go with one or two different directors?

PF: I think they would probably go with one because I think we would shoot it all as one and then it would be, in the editing room, split into two. I have no idea who they are looking at for directors, I’m out of that loop, but I am sure they will pick someone great. Maybe all three will come back to shoot it (laughing).

IESB: Are you looking to write, direct or produce in the future?

PF: I have written and that’s where I am gearing towards now. I would like to do projects I am passionate about instead of waiting to read things and like or dislike, so there are a couple scripts that I’ve written that in development right now and I am trying to get off the ground. So that will be the next phase of my career, hopefully, is getting material out that I like, producing that material, star in the material, getting stories out there.

IESB: How about directing?

PF: I’d like to direct, that’s in the future too. I’ve been doing this a long time, I’ve worked with a lot of directors, I feel like I know how to tell a story and so that would definitely be something I would be excited to take part in.