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Taylor Lautner: I’m Tired of Being Asked to “Take Off My Shirt”

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Taylor Lautner is known for his ripped arms and perfect abs, but the actor, 18, worries people won't see past his beefcake status.

"Originally I was supposed to take off my shirt. The script [for Valentine's Day] said we were walking into school and Willy takes off his shirt," Lautner tells the July issue of GQ . "I said, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa. Time out. He's going to take off his shirt in the middle of school? No, no, no.'"

Related: PHOTOS: See Lautner's six-pack abs

But Lautner admits he doesn't mind showing off his body if it fits into a movie's storyline.

"The reason I took off my shirt for New Moon is because it's written in the book that way," Lautner says. "And there's reasons behind it."

Related: PHOTOS: Find out what the Eclipse stars looked like as kids

Ironically, the actor almost lost his role as werewolf Jacob Black in New Moon. As rumors swirled that he would be recast, Lautner fought to stay in the movie franchise by hiring a personal trainer and ended up packing on 30 lbs. of muscle.

"I'm in the gym and I'm doing reps, and I'm reading the books, and I'm studying the character," Lautner says. "I'm just saying to myself, 'I want this role. I love this role. I'm not gonna lose it. And I'm gonna know it better than anybody, and I'm gonna do that extra rep, because I'm gonna be Jacob Black.'"

And now? Lautner — who has been linked to Taylor Swift in the past year — inked a $7.5 million deal to play Stretch Armstrong and regularly rubs elbows with Hollywood big shots like Will Smith and Robert Downey Jr.

But despite his whirlwind success, the actor still lives at home in Valencia, Calif. with his family and remains level-headed.

Related: PHOTOS: Check out the star-studded red carpet at the Valentine's Day premiere

"If I start thinking, Is this movie going to open? Is this movie going to do well? I'm not focusing on the job," the single star says. "The job is to make a good movie."

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