Kellan Lutz has quickly become a Hollywood “it” man, starring in
roles that range from action star to brooding vampire. Best known as
Emmett Cullen in the
Twilight series, Cullen is now starring as marketing genius Sneaky Pete in Aram Rappaport’s upcoming film
Syrup.
The film centers on Pete’s roommate and business school peer, Scat,
who comes up with a million dollar idea for an energy drink to pitch to a
marketing firm. But as Scat soon discovers, the biggest obstacle in the
marketing world is figuring out who to trust – and whether or not you
can even trust yourself when you hit it big.
Lutz is playing a character unlike anything he has been dealt before.
For starters, Sneaky Pete’s appeal in the marketing world depends on
one big detail: his decision to never speak. It’s not that he
can’t speak – he just decided that it would work well as part of his image. Lutz was on board with this aspect of the part.
“I found that playing this character, who chooses not to say much due
to his sneaky persona, pushed me to act more and depend on my facial
expressions and mannerisms to express a feeling or emotion,” says Lutz.
“I wasn’t going full method or anything, but… as soon as I put my
sunglasses on… I was Sneaky Pete.”
Pete and Scat, though roommates, are still business rivals, and
immediately launch into the world of marketing when opportunity comes
knocking. They quickly find that it’s a cutthroat world with no rules
when it comes to personal relationships; feelings get hurt, bridges are
burned, and someone has to come out on top when the day ends.
Thankfully, in his personal life, Lutz does not have to deal with that
kind of mentality, but playing it sure was fun.
“I’m only [competitive] when I work out with friends, or gamble –
otherwise I’m happy with everyone’s success,” he explains. “I never get
out of shape when I don’t get a role and a friend does. If someone gets a
role you want, then it was meant to be for them. I just know I worked
on it and did the best I could, and then that just takes them out of the
running for the next one!”
Going into the film, Lutz had a bit of marketing knowledge up his
sleeve – helpful for playing someone who knows his way around the
industry: “Having endorsed a few celebrity campaigns and [done a few]
modeling campaigns before that, I have definitely seen how marketing,
and sex, sells. I also understand the premise of people wanting what
they can’t have, and also wanting what celebrities have. I think in
today’s world of media, marketing, publicity, and celebrities, it’s
fascinating to see trends come and go, and what keeps some brands on
top. I liked playing Sneaky Pete because I got to play the brains behind
an operation, not just the muscle.”
Of course, it wasn’t always celebrity endorsements and campaigns for
Lutz. Before his career took off, he had to find odd jobs to make ends
meet, just like his character. In the opening scene of the film, the
roommates are seen filling out forms to donate sperm. Lutz had much
better luck on the job front, but it was still odd nonetheless. He once
got paid to stand shirtless in front of an Abercrombie & Fitch store
and greet shoppers at the door.
Lutz is known in his career for playing the “good guy,” but as Sneaky
Pete, he gets to tackle a role with an antagonistic streak. In the
future, he’ll be looking for characters that have a story that he can
tell.
“Normally I enjoy being the good guy, but every now and again it’s
fun to play a little evil,” he says. “Ultimately, I look for characters
that have some sort of redeeming quality and have an arc in a storyline.
I like characters that have obstacles to overcome and fears to face. I
also like kicking ass.”
Source:
ScreenPicks Via:
KLutzOnline
