'Lemony Snicket' Star Emily Browning Doesn't Regret Passing on 'Twilight'

Gasp! Passing? On the chance to play the role of Bella? In 'Twilight?' Who does that?

Well, Aussie actress Emily Browning, she of the voluptuous lips and roles in both 'Lemony Snicket' and eventually 'Pompeii,' did just that. The actress, now 25, insists she has zero regrets about saying no to an audition for the role that made Kristen Stewart as super-duper star. No, seriously!

Browning declined to audition, even though 'Twilight' series author Stephenie Meyer was vocal about her desire for Browning (and her pout) to play Bella. Prior to casting, Meyer blogged, "Right now, my favorite choice is Emily Browning… Just look at those lips! Love her!"

With that kind of endorsement, Browning could have been a slam dunk for the role. But it wasn't her time.

"I definitely don’t think I would have been ready at that time to handle that crazy attention," Browning, who went on to star in 'Sucker Punch,' as well, said.

She furthered, "People knew that 'Twilight' was going to be successful but I don’t think anyone guessed that it was going to be as huge as it was."

In fact, Browning thinks that had she auditioned for and won the role, and was then subjected to the ancillary fame and other assorted pressures, paparazzi flashbulb glare and media spotlight that came with it, she might be on a very different path now.

She reasoned, "If that had been me, I might not even be acting anymore because just thinking about the way they were constantly hounded by people after that film makes me feel anxious. I don’t think I could have handled that. I’m pretty happy with the choices and decisions that I’ve made. I don’t really have any regrets in that sense."

Would Emily Browning have made a good Bella? Guess we'll never know. Still, this could be what Browning tells herself to feel better about not chasing what could have been the role of a lifetime. Or not.

Keep in mind she turned down the chance to audition -- she was not offered the role outright.

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