May is a big month for Kellan Lutz as it not only sees two of his films (Java Heat and Syrup) debut, but he's hard at work on Tarzan, a motion-capture retelling of Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic story.
It's all part of Lutz's meticulously plotted career path, which will next see him slipping into the iconic role of Hercules.
ETonline caught up with Lutz to talk about each of those movies and trusting his gut, above all, when it comes to picking projects.
ETonline: What attracted you to Java Heat?
Kellan Lutz: The script. I really love action movies; I love being physical, I love being the hero. But there's not a lot of good ones that are well-written, so when I read Java Heat, it piqued my interest. I was excited to work with Conor Allyn [director/writer], who had such a great, clear vision. Plus we got to film in Indonesia, where I'd never been.
ETonline: How did you like Indonesia?
Lutz: I was pretty busy working, but our movie shot on 35 different locations, so it was a blessing to be able to see the countryside and the palaces while filming. It's a really beautiful place, but to see the poverty in that way blew me away. It's tough for them, but they always have smiles on their faces even though some of them have so little. But the government really opened their doors and said, "You wanna crash a car on our streets? Sure! We'll lock the streets down!"
ETonline: The action is really amazing -- how did the required physicality compare to your past roles?
Lutz: I've done some really cool action movies, I have to say, and it always puts a smile on my face to reminisce about the fight training I've done, or learning how to use a trident. But doing a movie where you're using practical explosions and put fire gel on yourself and feel that blaze all over your body while shooting guns, is just incredible. And everything I learn for every project gets put into the next one. Like for Generation Kill, I learned you are supposed to tuck your shoe laces into your boots because otherwise it's disgraceful. My brother is in the Army, so when my brother says, "I noticed your laces were tucked in, good job bro," it makes my day. The causal viewer may not notice, but I take that stuff into every role I do, and it makes me smile even if no one else notices. That education is one of the great things about every new role I take. I am applying previous work to every new character.
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