Cool it down this summer just like superstar actor and one of the icons of the Twilight series—as Emmett Cullen. He’s also keeping it cool as the new face of Calvin Klein Underwear as well as a really hip, down-to-earth chap who loves his family and dogs

You may know him from the Twilight series or Generation Kill, or as one of the early casualties of the latest version of A Nightmare on Elm Street, but be prepared to see lots more of Kellan Lutz in some amazing movies over the next several months.

DA MAN: Tell us about Twilight: Eclipse.
Kellan Lutz: Eclipse comes out June 30, and I’m really excited for that. I actually did a lot of hard work, which I enjoy. But it’s great. All these movies, they’ve been growing and growing with more excitement. They’ve always been romantic with that love sense, but the third one has even more action. That’s my style. It’s a great movie because it has everything. Everything for the guys, the girls.

DA MAN: So will we see you in action?
Kellan Lutz: Yes, finally. You read these books and you can’t wait to do some of the cool stuff. For myself, I read all four of the Twilight books as soon as I could and then I was so excited to get to Eclipse. You never know if you are going to make it that far. It’s up to the fans if they want to see the sequel, or see the second book, on the big screen. I’m just glad we made it this far. I love my character. I love this franchise.

DA MAN: When you first took on your Twilight role, did you think it was going to be a huge hit?
Kellan Lutz: Not at all. When I first read the script, I didn’t know it was based on a book, so I thought ‘this is a cool story.’ It was real lovey-dovey, but with vampires. I normally was accustomed to seeing vampires always depicted as the evil ones. But this is probably one of the first times where I’ve seen them depicted as the really good guys. But I loved it. I fell in love with it, with my character especially. And when we started shooting it, by then I’d realized it was a very popular book and I read it, but it didn’t really hit us that we were really part of something until the fans came out, until they found out where we were shooting and really showed support. Then, the day of our first premiere for Twilight—if you put all the premieres together that I’ve ever been a part of, they do not add up to what we experienced for the first Twilight. I’ve done a bunch of films, but when you get out of your car you’re just like dumbfounded. These fans really embrace it and they are so loving. They scream your name and you’re like ‘aaah what do I do?’ But they are amazing.

DA MAN: How has your life changed since the success of Twilight … the paparazzi, the tabloids?
Kellan Lutz: You know it’s really funny because … It hasn’t really changed my life as Kellan outside of acting. I still hang out with my dogs. I still go to the same places and shop. It’s funny, maybe I have to make sure I’m wearing the same color socks or the same shoes or I don’t look like a bum … But really the only thing that has changed is the fans are great, we have more fans. The paparazzi are more annoying and we’re in these tabloids, not for good deeds that we’re doing. They are just outside your house waiting for you to go to the gas station or go walk your dog to the park, which I do almost every day when I’m [home in L.A.]. So it’s nothing new, but it’s really opened up doors for us as actors. It’s really been a golden ticket, in a way. I think every actor who is new or making a name for themselves—or on that journey—really strives for that. It’s really been a dream project. This has allowed me to have many new experiences. The Twilight conventions are amazing. It’s great to meet the fans in different cities.

DA MAN: Twilight conventions?
Kellan Lutz: Yep, Twilight conventions. I’ve gone from Australia to London to Middle America—I’m from the Midwest, born in North Dakota and raised all over and landed in Arizona—so it’s great to go to places where the fans are. And the fans are everywhere. It’s great when you come to their smaller town versus the big places like New York, Boston or Chicago. So I really like those. I like seeing new cities that I’ve never been to. But it’s really opened up doors for other projects. I know where I want to be five years from now, 10 years from now and I have a great [support] team, so it’s great to be able to read scripts and say yes or no as opposed to: ‘Can I read that script, can I? Can you get me that script? Can I go out on [an audition for] that?’ It’s kind of a new platform that we’ve reached.

DA MAN: Any new projects in the pipeline?
Kellan Lutz: I finished shooting A Nightmare on Elm Street [which hit theaters in early May 2010], which was great. It features Jackie Earle Haley. Working with the Platinum Dunes production company and director Sam Bayer was awesome to work with, such a fun guy. And it’s a [Producer] Michael Bay film. And it’s Freddy Krueger, which is great! There is also Meskada, which is a great crime investigation-type of movie—a real crime drama. That had its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival [in late April 2010 and will hit theaters worldwide later in 2010 or 2011]. Then, there are these three movies that I’m working on or going to be working on—I’m going to be really busy. Love, Wedding Marriage, which will have me along with Mandy Moore, James Brolin, Kathy Bates … and Dermot Mulroney is directing. Great cast, great director, great producers, I’m really happy for that one to go. Then there is Dawn of War, or it might be called The Immortals, which Tarsem Singh is directing, who is one of my favorite directors ever. He did The Fall and The Cell. I’ve always been obsessed with his movies, he’s quite visionary. And I play Poseidon in this movie. It’s about Theseus, played by Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto’s in it, Isabel Lucas, Mickey Rourke … a lot of great actors. This is like a dream cast for me to be a part of and I play the water god. I’ve always been obsessed with water. I’m a Pisces at heart, since March 15 is my birthday, and I just love to swim. So, to audition and get the role Poseidon … It’s just so visionary, it’s such a great script and it’s one of those that I’ve been after for a while. Again, I love Twilight because it’s allowed us to step it up and get to this new platform.

DA MAN: So for the past couple years you’ve been working non-stop?
Kellan Lutz: Yeah, because those movies are in New Orleans and the third one is Montreal. And then this fourth one [Breaking Dawn] might be in the works. I heard that we may be starting that, if we do it, as early as November 2010. So, yeah it’s just go, go, go and I always shoot more stuff out of L.A. So, I have my two dogs and have all my friends and family in L.A., but I’m never home, so it’s really tough. It’s like… I just wanna sleep in my bed, not a hotel. I live in hotels.

DA MAN: Have your parents been very supportive of you becoming an actor?
Kellan Lutz: No. I tried really hard in high school. I got great grades, SAT scores, full résumé. I played sports, played trombone in the marching band. I was president of the racquetball club, I did Latin club and Spanish club … All these things to make an average caucasian stand out to colleges. So, I got scholarship offers for chemical engineering and was going to school at Chapman College. And Chapman is in Orange County, just south of L.A. and that’s where I kind of fell into acting. Once I moved to L.A. I didn’t know… I didn’t have the dream to be an actor. I didn’t know you could just be an actor. And, well, once I got out of Arizona, I kind of found my own freedom and kind of wanted to experience life on my own and figure out what I wanted to do. So then, I put school aside, got rid of all my scholarships, pursued acting. So obviously that pissed my mother off. She didn’t know what acting was. She had really pushed me to do the best I could in school and she helped out on essays when I had issues … So then it was kind of like ‘what are you doing? You’re giving our dreams up’ in a way. So then it was really tough … and then my father, he’s always lived in L.A., he didn’t really care what I was doing, and then I started working [getting acting jobs] and then people realized, ‘hey there’s good in this industry.’ It’s not like you’re going to be naked, running around doing movies … I don’t know what they thought, but they are very supportive now.

DA MAN: Growing up, which actor was an inspiration for you, someone you’ve always looked up to?
Kellan Lutz: Robert Redford … big time. Yeah he’s very charismatic and very easy going. I’d love to work with him. He seems like a really straight-up gentleman and just a stud. I never really grew up with my dad, so I always looked at guys that I wish were my father, in a way, who were really nice as you’d watch them in films. I didn’t watch too many films, but just remember he was always that fatherly figure. And there is also Matt Damon. I just think he’s an awesome actor. From The Informant to Green Zone, Bourne … all these movies. He’s so versatile.

DA MAN: Speaking of Matt Damon, his career has come full circle from Good Will Hunting to now being an action star. How do you think your career will unfold?
Kellan Lutz: Careers do change and unfold differently. Especially now as it’s very saturated where you have to be choosy, and can’t just take it for the money. You really have to be smart. You have to know who is directing it and who you’re working with. It’s all about longevity. You need to play it smart, just like any job.

DA MAN: A lot of magazines and TV shows are featuring younger up-and-coming talent, have you noticed that too?
Kellan Lutz: In some of the new, riskier magazines, I think it’s a great thing, just like a director, to find the new, up-and-coming actor to make a hit. You have to put ‘em in your movie before anyone else gets him. Like, ‘I made him.’ It is time for the newcomers to take their place. There’s all these A-listers doing TV shows, but it’s always fun to see new faces.

DA MAN: You’re now the face of CK Underwear, how do you feel about that?
Kellan Lutz: It’s really a blessing. My whole career, my whole life, has really been a blessing. I really feel like I have a calling out here. God’s using me to be a light in whatever way I can be and so I’m very accepting of it all. That’s why I don’t mind if I lose out on some role. It’s always great just shooting for the stars. With CK it’s just great to have a team who believes in you and who wants the best for you because that’s what you want in your own life. And people can blow smoke up your butt and say ‘you’re the best, you’re the next Brad Pitt…’ But to have agents and managers, who are like your best friends and say, ‘Look, you gotta stop going out, you gotta stop drinking.’ So my team just kept on shooting for the best clients to work with and I’ve always loved CK. It’s very sexy and provocative. They had a new campaign coming up and I threw my hat in the ring.

DA MAN: Did you meet former DA MAN cover guy Nakata during the shoot?
Kellan Lutz: No, I didn’t. Great guy, though. We shot on different days, I shot with Mehcad [Brooks]. It’s funny, you see these billboards and these guys are super cut [high muscle tone and low body fat]. I’m not a super cut guy. I’m a bigger guy. I like being big and like eating food—pizza, tons of candy and whatever. But it was really nice that CK was not so much making us act like models. They wanted us to just do what we do and just show our personality. I think that’s really cool and that’s what sells. You can take a model and then computerize the face … but when you get the personality in there, I think it really sells the product.

DA MAN: Speaking of being big, what sort of fitness regimen do you do?
Kellan Lutz: I don’t have time to workout seven days a week at the moment. But I’ve got some car weights and bands because I’m always in traffic in L.A., or little grip things that I can work out with. I always take my dogs for runs, but I hate cardio workouts, so it’s kind of nice to do that to get my heart rate going. But when I weight lift, I maybe lift two or three times a week, and then I’ll swim a lot in my pool—that’s usually my favorite cardio. I also have a P90X Workout system (accompanied by a DVD), which is awesome. It’s like having a personal trainer urging you on. I need that because my attention span is like this [snapping fingers]. If it gets boring, I’m not into it.

DA MAN: What do you do to relax?
Kellan Lutz: I love being outside. I love camping, love going to the beach or being with my dogs outside, so they can have fun. ‘Cola’ smiles. She’s my biggest dog. You can see the smile on her face when she’s outside and it makes me happy. It warms my heart. I also love listening to rhythmic music. I don’t really listen to the words, just the melody, the beats. I also love to draw and to do oil paintings. I really like reading, which just mellows me out and allows my mind to relax. I used to watch a lot of TV, but now I’ve been finding so many good books that I can’t put them down. I want to finish the book, turn the pages. TV just kind of doesn’t do that for me. I do, however, enjoy a good TV show or movie when I just want to numb my mind and just not think.

DA MAN: This dog [at the shooting location] really seems to like you …
Kellan Lutz: I love dogs [kisses it and nuzzles it].

DA MAN: So how would you describe your state of mind at this point in your career?
Kellan Lutz: I’m really relaxed right now.

DA MAN: Even with your full days and hectic schedule of shooting movies and doing interviews?
Kellan Lutz: For me, I like being busy. As long as it all fits in. It annoys me if I’m late for something or if I can’t make some commitment, but if all the plans go well, I’m really fine with being busy. It’s when I’m not busy that it can be stressful, like when movies get pushed to different times and then I’m supposed to be working, but I’m at home. That’s the toughest thing, because I love to travel. If I’m not active, I just get antsy.

DA MAN: How would your friends describe you?
Kellan Lutz: Random, unique, adventurous, crazy.

DA MAN: Have you ever been to Asia?
Kellan Lutz: No, I haven’t gone over there yet.

DA MAN: Do you surf? If so, you should definitely come to Bali.
Kellan Lutz: Yes. That’s why I want to go there … great surf. All those places, though. I’ve been a history nut and there are so many historical places I want to travel to and see different continents. I’m still trying to do that, each time I get some time off. I’ve been to Europe, I’ve done Africa. It’s Asia time. I want it. I want to do it. And I also want to do South America.
DA MAN: Do you have any message for your fans in Indonesia?
Kellan Lutz: I heard there is an awesome website called ‘Indonesian Twilight’ [twilightindo.ning.com].
I met some fans at a couple of conventions and they weren’t from Indonesia, but they knew of the site and they were amazing. It’s one of those things … you meet all these people at conventions and they say ‘why don’t you come to Brazil? Why don’t you come wherever?’ We, as actors, want to. I want to. I love traveling and meeting fans from around the world. We went to Australia and everyone’s so nice and loving, but you get a sense in each culture of how much they love us, and the different feelings of love and they are just so genuine and nice and shy. I just love meeting the people because, again, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. I wouldn’t be able to bring Emmett [Cullen] to life a couple more times if they didn’t support the first movie. And they are just amazing, so for us to have the opportunity to meet any of the fans [in Indonesia] would be great. Let’s do some conventions over in Indonesia. I want to hang out there and would just love to say thank you to everyone.

DA MAN: What’s the craziest fan moment you’ve ever had?
Kellan Lutz: I had one try to handcuff herself to me and she wanted to take me home. I thought she was joking, but she had really brought along some handcuffs. And then another time, these fans found out where my hotel was and I was showering as they knocked on the door. I thought it was one of my co-stars so I answered it with only a towel on, and there they are saying: ‘hey Kellan…’ But they are always great, so respectful. They’re amazing! And that’s the thing, I love the fans and I’m more than happy to take pictures with them or to do whatever, because I’m just Kellan. If you want a picture of me, cool. But that’s what is always so weird when you sort of lose that ability to just reach out to someone and give them a hug. You sort of need to separate yourself. But the fans are so loving, they are great. The paparazzi are still annoying.

Photographs Mitchell Nguyen McCormack
Interview Ronald Liem

To see the full feature with more full-size images, click here for the DA MAN June/July 2010 back issue.

Kellan Lutz Talks “Twilight” and His Foray Into Fashion