Although my favorite vampire may belong to another supernatural franchise (*cough, Eric Northman, *cough), there’s something especially satisfying about discovering that actors who played an onscreen family actually enjoy spending time together off camera.
Nearly 20 years after Twilight first premiered, Kellan Lutz and Peter Facinelli are proving that their fictional Cullen family bond has become something of a reality. The former co-stars recently reunited for a vacation with their families in Turks and Caicos, and their conversations about the Twilight cast revealed just how much their friendships have endured.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Lutz, who played Emmett Cullen, and Facinelli, who portrayed family patriarch Carlisle, opened up about the multiple group chats that keep their former castmates connected.
One is called “Vamily,” a combination of vampire and family. Another, simply called “The Cullens,” includes a larger circle of their former costars, including Nikki Reed, who played Rosalie.
And apparently, the supernatural guest list doesn’t end there. “We have a larger one that has some werewolves in it, some Volturi,” Lutz explained, referencing the rival supernatural groups from the franchise.
Facinelli also joked that Robert Pattinson, who played Edward Cullen, has his own special line of communication. “Rob has his own bat phone, so we just call him on that,” he quipped.
View this post on Instagram
The group chats are only part of the friendship. Lutz and Facinelli have vacationed together with Jackson Rathbone, who played Jasper, and are hoping Ashley Greene, who portrayed Alice, can join a future getaway.
Their recent tropical vacation also gave Lutz, now a father of two, an opportunity to reflect on how his relationship with Facinelli has evolved. During filming, he looked up to his older costar for the way he balanced acting, marriage and fatherhood. Now, Lutz is experiencing that chapter himself. “It’s just magical watching our kids play together,” he said of the trip.
The vampires may have been immortal on screen, but the friendships they formed have managed to last through marriages, parenthood and nearly two decades of life beyond Forks.