Twilight’s Laurent – Biography, History, & Character Information

• Name: Laurent
• Type: Vampire
• Special Ability: None

A dark-haired and abnormal olive-toned vampire, Laurent is a member of James’ coven along with Victoria. When James and Victoria choose to track and murder Bella due to James’ obsession, Laurent warns the Cullen family of James’ lethal abilities. Laurent then leaves James and Victoria both and travels to Denali, Alaska in hopes of finding solace among another coven of “vegetarian” vampires. However, Laurent struggles to adopt their strict diet of drinking animal blood, and so he “cheats” by occasionally feeding on humans. During his extended stay-which was hard for a nomadic vampire such as himself-he takes a special liking to a vampire named Irina, though the infatuation is not strong enough to keep him there. Later in the saga Laurent returns to Forks in as a favor to Victoria but during this visit he stumbles across Bella and in his weakened, hungry state tries to kill her. Yet Bella was not alone as Jacob and his werewolf pack ambushed Laurent and subsequently destroyed him.

Early History

Nothing is known about Laurent prior to Twilight. How and when he became a vampire is a mystery and how he ended up in James’ coven is left up to our imagination. We do know one piece of information however, as Laurent when warning the Cullen family about James, he states that “I have never seen anything like him in all of my 300 years.”

Actor Biography

• Name: Edi Mue Gathegi
• Nick Name(s): Ed Lo, Edi G
• Date of Birth: March 10th 1979
• Height: 6’1”
• Hair: Black
• Eye Color: Brown

Fun Fact: Tried to immerse himself in all things French to prepare for his role as Laurent. (he even learned some French and tried to land a French girlfriend)

Hometown(s): Nairobi, Kenya; Albany, California; New York City, New York

Career: Gathegi’s first professional role was playing a Haitian cabbie in the 2006 film Crank. While he had originally auditioned for the role of Kaylo, the producers instead offered Gathegi an appearance as the Haitian cabbie. Intimidated about performing with a Haitian accent, Edi recruited his Haitian friend to help him. Edi has also starred on Lincoln Heights, Veronica Mars, Death Sentence, The Fifth Patient, and Gone Baby Gone. He later had a recurring role as Mormon Dr. Jeffrey Cole on the television medical drama House. Edi then guest-starred on CSI: Miami, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Life on Mars in 2008 just before being cast as the vampire Laurent in Twilight. When Gathegi first auditioned for the 2008 film he had not heard of the series and was not aware that his character was a vampire. Gathegi is appearing as Deputy Martin on February 16th 2009 in My Bloody Valentine. He plans to star in a spring Broadway production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and will reprise in his role of Laurent in Twilight sequel New Moon due to be out in theaters November 2009.

About Them: Edi Mue Gathegi was born in Nairobi, Kenya, Gathegi but grew up in Albany, California. Edi was an undeclared undergraduate at University of California where the love of his life was in playing basketball until he was training with some of his teammates and he blew his knee out. He then took up an acting class as an “easy course” because he was depressed and discovered a love for acting. Afterward UC he attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University for a graduate school acting program. Gathegi’s career then began in theatre, and his stage credits include Two Trains Running at the Old Globe Theatre, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Cyrano de Bergerac, among others. Edi has an older brother and a younger sister-“Betty G” and “Nate Dawg.” He enjoys playing characters very different from himself: “I have found that because I am generally a happy person, it is kind of fun for me to explore that darker side. Villains are fun to play.” Edi loves to travel, play sports, read, and watch films. He is also known for always having a hat-as his collection is massive and growing. Edi has read the whole Twilight Saga and calls himself a “hardcore” fan.

Quick Quote: (after being asked what his favorite scene from the book Twilight was) “I LOVE the moment where Bella realizes that she is in love with Edward.”