In a great, detailed new interview with MySpace, Elizabeth Reaser chats about Esme’s inner badass, defending Bella’s ‘right to choose,’ the dangers of filming a big action sequence when you’re deathly afraid of heights, and why ‘Breaking Dawn’ made her become a fan of the movies all over again:

MYSPACE: This film has all the book’s really shocking moments, like the sex scene, the birth scene. Was there any trepidation entering into this, like “Okay, we’re going to do this.” What was that like for you coming in as an actor?
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ELIZABETH REASER: You know, it was fun, I mean, it was different. It put us in different situations as actors and we were suddenly dealing with blood and things that we hadn’t really been dealing with, even though we’ve been playing vampires all these years. So I thought it was really fun and I think that Bill handled it so brilliantly. I mean, we also knew we were in great hands and that was going to be tasteful and riveting and scary freaky, and I think that that’s what it is. I think he was able to make it this really high-end kind of movie and yet it still has all these scary freaky sexy moments in it and – he’s amazing.

MYSPACE: As Esme you are mama bear and you’re going to protect Bella! And you get an action sequence in order to do that!
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ELIZABETH REASER: (laughing) You know, it was so, so scary, because there was one point, and I don’t know if you even see this in the movie, but I was in a harness and I was hanging over a natural river, a real river – like off of a cliff! And nobody actually told me before I went to go shoot this thing, which I think was probably a very good move, but I remember calling the producer on the day and I was like, “Do you know that I’m hanging over a river off a cliff?” And we were laughing about it later, because I have a real fear of heights. So I was flipping out. But then it actually was so fun – and then you could see it all put together and you know, it’s worth it, because you know, I want Esme to have those moments. And I think that Bill was really committed to Esme being stronger in this movie, because I think a lot of times in the past Esme sort of like literally been in the background and or the side of the room or something and not as present. And I think that that to me wasn’t always believable. I think that she’s probably the strongest person in the family. And you know, actually this is the first time you see her and Carlisle not agree about something – He’s very much not in favor of Bella having this baby and I’m very much in support of whatever Bella wants, so it’s caused a rift in our relationship. We haven’t fed and we were having a lot of tension in our marriage, so I think it was cool that Bill really saw that and saw that even just physically that Esme was a stronger character.
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MYSPACE: Is there anything in you that relates to that experience of fighting for something you love? Were you able to tap into a personal experience?
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ELIZABETH REASER: Yeah, I have two sisters and I have nephews and I think they could be like the most irritating person in—in your world for a moment, but if anyone ever did something to hurt them, you know, you just instantly, it’s not anything you think about, it’s not a conscious response, it’s a completely involuntarily response to protect the people that you love. And I think that Esme’s built that way, you know? That’s her whole makeup.
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And you know, this is her world, more than anyone. I think the family is the most important thing to her and so she’s extremely vulnerable more than anyone in that sense and wants to have this grandchild.