Actor, action-movie star, farmhand, Calvin Klein underwear model, and nascent motivational speaker, Kellan Lutz is the man of the moment. The determined 25-year-old Lutz has made a name for himself with roles as a cocky, good-looking jock with rich parents on CW’s 90210, a soldier stationed in Iraq in HBO’s Generation Kill (2008), and a vampire in the Twilight series—a trifecta of mainstream masculinity. He is a superhero-in-waiting, unbothered by an unbuttoned shirt, and thirsty for a franchise phenomenon of his own.
Born in North Dakota and raised in Arizona with frequent visits to the family farm in Iowa, Lutz has a backstory that is authentically rugged and thoroughly American—a Bruce Weber–esque narrative that became an actual Bruce Weber narrative in 2004 when Lutz appeared, photographed by Weber, on the cover of the A&FQuarterly magazine. But it’s Hollywood time now, and Lutz is hard at work. There’s this month’s A Nightmare on Elm Street remake; a turn as a hotheaded lacrosse player opposite fellow Twilight-er Ashley Greene in Warrior; the independent murder mystery Meskada with Nick Stahl and Grace Gummer; and then, most importantly, more Twilight (the third installment, Eclipse, is out in June). Lutz believes in paying it forward and the laws of attraction. Even stray pups follow him home.
MARK JACOBS: Hi, Kellan? Where are you right now?
KELLAN LUTZ: I am in my backyard in L.A. hanging out with my two dogs.
JACOBS: Who are your dogs?
LUTZ: Kola is a shepherd-husky mix I adopted from the Compton animal shelter. Kevin is the newest, most adorable member of our family. He’s a Chihuahua. I found him on the street when I came back from one of my trips.
JACOBS: You spent time on a dairy farm in Iowa while you were growing up?
LUTZ: Iowa is where the big farm was, where my grandparents lived. After my parents divorced, we would visit them. My mom would send me out to the pigpen, where we had these huge, huge pigs. I would stand there for six hours holding a hose, watering pigs. They’d dive in the mud and shake it off, and I’d go home covered in it. I loved the whole thing of getting wet and dirty and then getting in a warm bath.
JACOBS: You also have experience spraying crops and building silos. Are you aware of how this story reads in New York and L.A.? Anything involving uncontrived hard labor is irresistible to the style industry.
LUTZ: I’d rather do manual labor than sit behind a desk. And as my grandparents got older, I’d fly out there and help out around the farm. We’d tear barns down; we’d build barns. I’d rather be outside rolling hay or driving the tractors.
Very soon Eclipse Mania will be upon us! From Pre-Sale Tickets, to Merchandising to the big day itself!! The Love Shack needs YOUR help! If you live in a country OTHER than the US and want to be a part of International Eclipse Mania on our blog we need you!
Ok, Lisa, so what EXACTLY do I need to do? Well it's pretty damn easy! Be able to take a few pictures and write a few emails! That's it! We can give you lots and lots of Cullen Love and complete credit!
We need you to keep up on the goings on for Eclipse in your country! Let us know when and where tickets are available, maybe take some pictures of the merchandise that is for sale- and then on the BIG NIGHT! Take lots and lots of pictures and send us an email report of all the fun the next day!
If you would like to commit to help us make this movie the BIGGEST ONE YET on the blog just send me an email to CullenLoveShack@yahoo.com or tweet me @CullenLoveShack!
“I have a big mouth, so watch out.” This is Justin Furstenfeld’s warning to me at the beginning of our conversation. Furstenfeld is the lead singer of Blue October, a band with known hits such as “Calling You” and “Black Orchid.” His warning proves true, as throughout our discussion, he elaborates on such subjects as depression, divorce, and broken promises.
Blue October, Furstenfeld’s brainchild, had its beginnings under a different name. He started a band in high school called Last Wish. But the chemistry in the group was off — they all accused Furstenfeld of being too dramatic. “So I fired them,” he said. Naturally.
Furstenfeld eventually formed Blue October as an outlet for his diagnosed depression. “I wanted to do something positive with the negativity,” Furstenfeld said. He describes Blue October’s music as “bipolar art rock; up and down, all over the place.” The content of the music isn’t something meant foFr dinner conversation. “I like to bring shit up that people don’t like to talk about so we can get it out in the open — the elephant in the room.”
Furstenfeld did just that during our conversation — he talked about his love for “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer and his disdain for her representation. Rumors circulated last year that Blue October, who toured with Meyer, would have a song on one of the Twilight soundtracks. But it never came to pass, and the reasons behind it remained a mystery.
“Me and Stephenie Meyer are great friends,” Furstenfeld said. “I hate her camp, but I love her. Stephenie Meyer had the balls to take me to dinner…she said, ‘I wanna put your songs in my movies…’ and I was like, ‘Wow. That’s my dream — let’s do it.’ First movie comes out, no song. Second movie comes out, no song. Her management was like, ‘Everything we told you was a lie.’”
The other elephant in the room that Furstenfeld wanted to talk about was his highly publicized breakdown and tour cancellation last year. After not seeing his daughter, Blue (“I didn’t name her after the band”), for three months, Furstenfeld blacked out in an airport and had to be hospitalized. “They don’t like it when people go crazy in airports,” he said.
After recuperating, Furstenfeld is ready to go back on the road again with the Pick Up the Phone Tour. Blue October, in conjunction with To Write Love On Her Arms and Postsecret, are touring to spread suicide awareness. He’s got his mind set on his daughter and on is own mental health. “Believe in the Lord. That’s what my mom says. Trust in God.”
Be sure to catch Blue October along with Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Stars of Track and Field at the House of Blues this Wednesday, April 14.
WHOO HOO!!! Eclipse Official Movie Soundtrack will be released on JUNE 8th!! Mark your calendars and get ready to grab your favorite music format. The bad news, we have NO IDEA who is on the soundtrack.
If you still buy CD's you can pre-order it on Amazon now. Not sure if I would actually do that or not because it's a little pricey on that pre-order. We will keep our eyes out for an iTunes pre-order which usually comes with exclusive extras!
Want to be seen in an upcoming Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon flick? Producers of "Water for Elephants" (which will also star recent-Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz) posted an ad this morning on Craigslist in Los Angeles seeking extras of various types for the film, which currently in pre-production. If you’re in L.A. and available for the casting on April 17th, this could be your chance at cinematic glory!
“Water for Elephants” pairs Robert and Reese together once again (remember when Robert played Reese’s son in 2004’s “Vanity Fair”?) in a tale based on the historical novel of the same name by Sara Gruen. The story, as told in the novel, follows a series of intense memories by Jacob Jankowski, a man in his 90s. Jacob remembers the year he was 23, preparing for his final exams at Cornell University, when he received news that his parents were killed in a car accident.
As "WFE" continues, Jacob leaves school to join the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth and put his skills to use during the Great Depression. When Jacob — who presumably aspires to be like his veterinarian father — sees how badly head trainer August (Christoph) treats the animals, he struggles to reconcile August’s brutality with his at times charming personality. The plot thickens as Jacob, a virgin, falls in love with August’s wife Marlena (Reese). Sounds juicy, eh?
The Craigslist ad (which is "verified," according to the "WFE" Twitter account) notes that the production is currently seeking the following:
- Caucasian men with very 1930s looking period faces
- African American men with short 1930s period haircuts, all size 46 coat or smaller
- Caucasian women with shoulder length hair or shorter, size 6 or smaller
- Also you should note: "No piercings, tattoos, no breast implants, no artificial nails, no highlighted or colored hair."
Screenwriter Richard LaGravenese is adapting Gruen’s novel and Francis Lawrence of “I am Legend” and “Constantine” fame will direct. All signs point to this becoming R-Pattz’s next big hit, so get your pictures together NOW!
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