Twilight actor Gil Birmingham reflects on his time in the franchise
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Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Birmingham says he meets "passionate" fans "all the time"
The actor, who portrayed Billy Black, said he still feels "fortunate" he got to be in the films
Gil Birmingham is looking back at his experience in theTwilightfilms on the heels of the franchise's 20th anniversary.
"I just think about how fortunate I was to be part of it, because any project you start, you have no idea how many people or how widespread it might be, and to watch a resurgence happening," theMarshalsactor, 72, exclusively tells PEOPLE on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
"I went to a convention just about a year ago that I knew nothing about, and there was 1,500 people from all around the world that are as passionate about it as they were when the films were being created," Birmingham adds.
TheSirenactor played Billy Black, the father ofTaylor Lautner's character, Jacob Black. As a member of the wolf pack, Birmingham appeared in subsequentTwilightfilms, includingNew Moon,Eclipseand Parts 1 and 2 ofBreaking Dawn.
Based on the best-selling novels fromStephenie Meyer, the film franchise — which grossed over $3 billion worldwide — spanned four years, beginning withTwilight's premiere in 2008 and concluding withBreaking Dawn Part 2hitting theatres in 2012.
Birmingham shared that he still gets approached "all the time" by fans and has kept in touch with his former castmates from "time to time."
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"I did a convention,Peter Facinelliwas there,Kellan [Lutz]was there.Jackson [Rathbone]was there,Chaske [Spencer],the Wolfpack," he says.
As for Birmingham, he currently stars as Thomas Rainwater in theYellowstonespinoff seriesMarshals.The show finds Luke Grimes reprising his role as Kayce Dutton, who joins a team of U.S. Marshals assisting in Montana.
"I love the character. I love Rainwater. I love the concept. I love the representation. I love the relationship that Kayce's character has with Rainwater and the dynamics that got developed within that community," Birmingham tells PEOPLE at the show's premiere.
"The show's still developing, but we have opportunities to address real-life issues that are related to the res," he says. "We've got mining companies, we've got conflicts with some of the local community trying to protect the land, issues of missing and murder of indigenous women. Some real-life issues that we can represent and portray and make people aware of."
Birmingham andYellowstonecreatorTaylor Sheridanfirst started working together 10 years ago, as the actor pointed out. The two acted alongside one another in 2016'sHell or High Water, a Western film that Sheridan co-wrote.
The first season ofMarshalspremiered on Sunday, March 1, on CBS and Paramount+.
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