KELLAN LUTZ TALKS ABOUT BEING “HERCULES,” HIS DIET AND THE ROLES HE LOST TO GET HERO STATUS

Kellan Lutz talks about his new movie The Legend of Hercules, how he got buff and the roles he lost in order to get to play his favourite hero.

Former Twilight heartthrob Kellen Lutz is not afraid to take his shirt off. And, in his new movie, The Legend of Hercules, Lutz shows his strength as the legendary mythological hero.

It’s not surprising that Lutz finally gets his leading role as a strong hero. Thanks to roles like Emmet Cullen in The Twilight Saga films as well as Poseidon in Immortals and Smilee in The Expendables 3, Lutz has maintained a persona as one of the toughest men in Hollywood, something he says he works hard to maintain. “I live an active lifestyle. I’m a thrill junkie by heart and I love just pushing myself to the limits, risk-taking but living an active lifestyle,” Lutz told OnTheRedCarpet.com.

The Legend of Hercules follows the story of Hercules’ start as a young boy who discovers he is the son of Zeus and his growth towards becoming the most popular mythical hero in history.

But beefing up to play the part of the strongest man in the world wasn’t as easy task. Kellen openly admits to a grueling exercise routine and a strict diet. “While shooting Hercules, I adopted the Paleo Diet,” he said. “So I really deleted sugars and deleted carbs and dairy and some other things. And you really just notice that your body will adjust, and you feel healthier. I also worked out a lot. Riding a horse works out your legs and your stomach. Wielding the sword works out your shoulders and your chest. And then I was pretty much in a skirt the whole movie, so [I was] doing pushups for the chest,” he continued. “You know I worked hard. I really did.”

However, the role didn’t only require a massive amount of physical training, it also called for mental training. While talking to Variety, Lutz admitted he had to refer to his faith for some of the film’s more emotional and difficult scenes. “There’s a scene halfway through the movie that’s the crucifixion, where I ask my father Zeus for help,” he gave as an example. “I’m a man of faith, so I would just religiously watch The Passion of the Christ, and I’d use that.”

Despite his reputation as a strong man, not many people know that Lutz has faced his fair share of rejection in Hollywood. “I went out for Thor, and Chris Hemsworth got it, but he is Thor. I got pretty close for Captain America, but Chris Evans got it and he deserves it. He is Captain America,” Lutz told the Belfast Telegraph. “I’m happy for them. I don’t get competitive. I do my best. If I get something, then it was meant to be. If I don’t, then it wasn’t.”

Pushing on paid off when Hercules, a personal favourite of his, landed in his lap. “As a young boy, I always had the dream of being Hercules,” he told the Belfast Telegraph. “With Hercules, I just knew it. I didn’t grow up loving Thor, or really knowing much about Thor or Captain America, but with Hercules, I did. I think [director] Renny [Harlin] saw my passion for it, and quite easily.”

The Legend of Hercules is one of two movies based on the mythical hero to be released this year. The other one, Hercules: The Thracian Wars stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the titular hero with Brett Ratner in the director’s seat. Unsurprisingly, Ratner’s adaptation has been getting all the attention, but Lutz isn’t worried about the competition. “I wish them the best. They have a great cast, but the story is completely different. Our movie is really a story about a man and the journey to get back to his love,” he told ScreenRant.com. “A man not understanding the strengths he has because he’s in denial because he doesn’t believe in gods at first and doesn’t believe that he’s the son of Zeus and just really feels rejected by who he thinks is his father. It’s just really going through the story of what a normal boy would go through and the situation that he’s forced into.”

The Legend of Hercules opens on January 10 and also stars Gaia Weiss, Roxanne McKee and Liam McIntyre.

—Sarah Khan