Don’t let her serene energy and stunning looks fool you — Bryce Dallas Howard knows how to go for the jugular. “I had to get in touch with my animal instincts,” says the 29-year-old actress about taking over the pivotal role of Victoria, the villainous vampire out for heroine Bella’s blood in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. “At one point, I was actually working out in my head, ‘How would you physically suck blood from someone’s neck? Would you take a breath first? Would you open up your throat to drink?’” Before heading to the theater on June 30 to see exactly how Victoria goes about hunting her prey this time, get to know the actress who brings her to life. Here, Howard — photographed exclusively for LIFE by editor-at-large Jeff Vespa — opens up about stepping into the high-profile franchise, branching out into other aspects of Hollywood (just like her famous dad, Ron), and becoming very good at playing bad.

Read the entire article here.

I have several gallery updates for you guys. Several new candids of Bryce along with Jessica Alba and Eve Mendes. Then Stella Magazine and New York Minute magazine.

Hanging with Jessica Alba and Eva Mendes – June 21st

Stella Magazine – June 2010

New York Moves – Summer Issue

With only one week to prepare for your role, how did you get up to speed on the franchise so quickly?
”I had already read all the books and I had seen Twilight, like, four or five times in the theater. One of my closest friends even made me a stack of Post-it notes for my birthday with Robert Pattinson’s face on it, because he knows how obsessed I am with Edward Cullen. I love him.”

In “Eclipse,” Bryce Dallas Howard may play villainous vampire Victoria – but when it comes to dessert, the star says she’s more like a wolf.

“Indulge every now and then. It’s good for the spirit! I literally wolfed down three pieces of chocolate cake in celebration of my brother’s graduation an hour ago,” she told the July issue of SELF Magazine. “Tomorrow I will be better behaved, but I don’t regret a single bite!”

However, the svelte star said filming “Eclipse” helped her kick up her fitness routine.

“Everyone got quite fit during ‘Eclipse,’” she said, adding that the tough part was keeping it up after. “One method that I am beginning right now that I love is a ‘group fitness club’… we have created a system of group rewards… and group penalties if one of us slacks off.”

Having friends involved keeps her from taking it easy, she added.

“I realized that in regards to fitness it is often so much easier to let myself down than to let someone I love down,” Bryce said.

Beyond the gym, the actress also shared some of her beauty tips with the mag.

“I really feel like a good haircut is critical. I will spend money on a good cut, just so that I only need to get my hair cut twice a year, because if it is good — it will grow out beautifully,” Bryce said. “I also drink tons of water, and try to dry brush my skin before showering – it’s detoxifying. And Elizabeth Arden hour 8 hour cream as a lip gloss is fantastic.”

She’ll put her good looks to evil use in “Eclipse,” due June 30, as Victoria, a vampire out for revenge against Bella (Kristen Stewart).

“I had read all the books before I saw ‘Twilight,’” she said. (Rachelle Lefevre played the role in “Twilight” and “New Moon” before Bryce stepped in.) “So I am what could be described as a ‘Twi-hard.’ I found the character of Victoria to be quite complex. On the one hand she is of course, a blood-thirsty vampire, but on the other she is a grieving widow, seeking vengeance. Both of those traits lend themselves to a pretty dangerous creature, which I must admit was very fun to play!”

Extra TV caught up with the stars of Twilight during the convention this past weekend. There is several photoshoot pictures of the cast in a photobooth. Bryce was photographed with Xavier and Dakota.

I hope there will be more to follow and some solo shots of Bryce. For now here is another outtake featuring Bryce along with the other Eclipse gals.

Screen captures of the interview

Photograph from the photoshoot

Bryce Dallas Howard, a replacement actress playing vampire-with-a-vengeance Victoria, is a Twihard: “I had seen Twilight innumerable times. After I saw it for the fourth time, one of my best guy friends, for my birthday, made me Post-it notes with Robert Pattinson’s face that said, ‘Live Dangerously,’ because I was so obsessed. My husband actually said to me, ‘Do I need to be worried about this?’”

You all might recall a photoshoot Bryce did with Alexi Lubomirski back in 2006. The pictures were stunning. Either way, here is an untagged picture from the photoshoot. I hope to find more but for now, enjoy!

Two more outtakes from the Kevin Scanlon photoshoot, click the picture for the full set of the photoshoot.

Here are outtakes from the Patrick Fraser photoshoot.