EXCLUSIVE: Ashley Greene Ponders ‘Breaking Dawn, Part 2’ Finale

Actress Ashley Greene arrives at the Los Angeles premiere for ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2’ at Nokia Theater L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California on Monday, November 12, 2012. Jesus Jimenez_Pacific Rim Photo Press.

By ANGELA DAWSON

Front Row Features

HOLLYWOOD—Ashley Greene is stuck, literally. If only she had her “Twilight” character Alice’s precognition ability. She would have seen that she would get stuck in the Big Apple during hurricane Sandy, and then face a blizzard so she couldn’t fly to her adopted home in L.A.

Still, the perky Florida native isn’t grousing. She’s too excited about the upcoming release of “The Twilight Saga:  Breaking Dawn, Part 2,” the fifth and final installment of the wildly popular vampire franchise.

Greene says it’s too soon to say how she feels about the franchise, based on Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling novels, coming to a close. Though she wrapped production on “Part 2,” which was filmed concurrently two years ago with “Part 1,” Greene says she’s been so busy traveling the globe promoting the movies, it hasn’t hit home that her association with the series is coming to a close.

As Alice, she has been the wise and kind vampire friend to Bella (played by Kristen Stewart) and “sister” to hunky fellow vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson). Her uncanny ability to see the future makes her a pivotal character in the finale.

The 25-year-old beauty  recently spoke by phone from the Big Apple where she was patiently waiting on news of whether she would be able to fly to L.A. and make it to the premiere. (She did and stood out in her shoulder-baring Donna Karan gown.)

Q: You wrapped this a while ago and have done some other films since.  Does it feel like a closed chapter to you?

Greene: I’ve come to terms that we’re done, but I was doing press for it in South Africa, and they had this Alice montage before I came on, and I was kind of fanning my face a little bit and saying to myself, “I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to do it.” I was about to go on stage and interact with the fans that were in the theater. That part is setting in when you see the journey you took and have to come to terms that it is ending. It’s hard to get your head around it.

Q: It’s interesting that this has become an international phenomenon. When you travel to other countries, do you get a sense of what your fans like about it?

Greene: Definitely. It’s pretty insane flying 16-18 hours, and having our fans just as passionate in South Africa as they are here in America and everywhere else we’ve been. It’s crazy that this one thing can touch so many people in so many different countries.

Q: What will you miss most about the “Twilight” movies?

Greene: The thing I’ll miss most about them is I fell in love with the character Alice when I read the books and I was so desperate to be a part of this franchise, not because I knew it was going to be a huge success because honestly we didn’t know it would, but because I was so obsessed with the character and knew I had to play her. I’m going to miss playing that character. She’s very positive. Whenever I’d go off set I was in a very positive place because she’s such an optimistic character and such a bright light and breath of fresh air. I’ll miss that and the fan interaction.

Q: What will you miss least?

Greene: The thing I’ll miss least is filming outside in the middle of the woods freezing. (She laughs.) We’re vampires. We’re not supposed to get cold, so that was a little miserable. Like when it was misting, but not raining hard enough that it registers on screen, and you’re wet and cold, that was a little rough.

Q: What about the contact lenses you wore?

Greene: I always put my own in but you never get used to them. They make your eyes kind of scratchy and they take away your peripheral vision. But I’m from Florida so I’m all about the heat. I think it’s a close one, but I have to go with the most miserable thing being the cold.

Q: Speaking of Florida, did you get a chance to vote in the election?

Greene: I did vote and let me tell you it was fiasco trying to make sure I could, because my flight got canceled and I couldn’t be in L.A. I registered so I could vote in California even though technically I’m still a Florida resident. I had to go and sign a piece a paper and then I found out I was going to be in New York and it was too late to get an absentee ballot so I had to get a special voting ballot that I faxed in.

Q: Have you finished filming “CBGB?”

Greene: Yes. I think it comes out soon. I can’t wait to see that one.

Q: You represent DKNY and Avon, but what is your personal fashion sense like?

Greene: I had a lot of things to learn about fashion when I moved to L.A., but I think the biggest thing that has changed for me is that I’m now comfortable in dressing for myself and confident in my decisions in what I’m going to wear. I feel like I’m much more precise as far as seeing something and knowing that I love it and I want it. I generally lean towards more classic looks. I have a basic uniform and then I add an amazing bag and shoes. I can never have too many bags or shoes.  (She laughs.)

Q: It’s interesting that when you colored your hair red, it made the news in all the fashion and celebrity magazines. Are you used to that scrutiny now or does it seem weird?

Greene: It’s kind of funny to me that it makes news when there’s so much more important stuff going on. I had a feeling, my new hair color would get some attention because I couldn’t decide whether I wanted just highlights or something else, but when I got to the salon, I said, why not do a crazy red. I’ve never done it before. It’s hair. You can always change it back. It definitely got a lot of attention.

Q: Are you still doing the press tour now and where do you go next and film-wise?

Greene: I have to go to L.A. for the premiere and I have some stuff in New York. I was going to travel to a few more places but things got crazy with the schedule so unfortunately the biggest place I got to go was South Africa, where I’d never been before but I feel pretty good about that. South Africa was amazing. I’ve just signed on for a film but it hasn’t been announced yet. I wanted to fit in one more movie if I could before the end of the year.

Q: Have you seen the final “Breaking Dawn?”

Greene: I haven’t. I literally have been trying to see this movie since we did reshoots. (Director) Bill Condon and I are never in the same town. When I’m in L.A., he’s in New York and vice versa. I was going to do a screening with him. Now that it’s so close to the premiere, I’d rather wait and see it with my friends and family.

Q: Hopefully, you’ll be able to leave New York soon.

Greene: I hope so. As much as I love New York, I’m missing L.A.