So many stray dogs in Sofia. These guys reminded me of Kola and Kevin, and were 2 of the many reasons the cast of THE LEGEND OF HERCULES and I want to help Animal Rescue Sofia.
Kellan Lutz talks 'Hercules,' his mom, farm upbringing: 5 highlights
OTR Kellan Lutz of "Twilight" fame takes on the title godly role in director Renny Harlin's new film "The Legend of Hercules," fulfilling a childhood dream of a little boy who used to live on a farm.
The 28-year-old actor lived in rural areas of North Dakota and Iowa before he moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, later taking on the role of Emmett Cullen in the "Twilight" films. During an interview with OTRC.com, Lutz reminisced about growing up without watching movies. Check out videos above and below and 5 highlights from the interview below.
1. He wanted to BE Hercules as a kid ... and other fictional heroes.
"Renny could've hired a multitude of actors. I think, when sitting down with me, he saw the passion that I had for the Hercules story. Ever since I was a little boy, growing up on the farm, I envisioned myself as Hercules, as Tarzan, as He-Man -- these classic, iconic heroes, because they were the heroes for me."
"I was a middle child, so being at home was very chaotic. Being outside with the animals that I would just play with and build these worlds felt real to me and now that I'm an actor, I get to bring that fantasy world to life on screen and it's very rewarding for me because I never thought I would be able to do that."
2. His mother predicted he would become an actor.
"My mother always knew. I was a good liar, I guess. I'm very honest in real life but I used to play around, I used to put on shows. I just never knew about acting so it was not until I was 18 that I knew about it and she's like, 'I always knew.' She said that. 'I always knew that you would be into this thing that we had no idea what it was about.'"
3. "I didn't think Brad Pitt was a real person."
"I just didn't watch movies, really, growing up and I didn't think Brad Pitt was a real person. And when you're living there, it's not like he was some idol, it was just like ... you just don't think about stuff like that."
4. On maintaining his fit, healthy figure -- and dieting ...
"Well it's a lifestyle. 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. I just feel the best and I'd rather live each day to my fullest and know that I had a great day versus a bad day. Don't get me wrong -- I'll treat myself -- not right now because I'm currently doing the Paleo Diet -- but I've treated myself to a cheat day. Everything in moderation."
5. Speaking of his mom -- his fans chat with her on Facebook.
Lutz recalled how a group of fans from Philadelphia flew to Los Angeles to surprise him and came bearing gifts.
"My Philly moms surprised me. Came all the way from Philadelphia -- the weather's terrible there -- came in just to surprise me and these ladies, bless their hearts, sent me Christmas presents, Halloween presents for my dogs, for my roommates, they became family members. They chat with my mother on social media ... Facebook."
"And that's just one group. I've just been able to build a family out of my fans and I just want to honor them and we got to hang out and I took them to dinner. Thank you. Thank you guys so much."
"The Legend of Hercules" is set for release on Jan. 10. The movie also stars Roxanne McKee as Hercules' mother, Queen Alcmene, "Spartacus" TV star Liam McIntyre as fellow warrior Sotiris.
THR Entertainment chief Nina Tassler and TV president David Stapf broke out the pricey, high-profile Stephen King miniseries during the summer slump -- and inked a groundbreaking deal with Amazon for a reported $700,000 per episode that made the show instantly profitable.
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Dome spawned a financial model that makes summertime gambles of its size viable on broadcast. In addition to licensing the drama in more than 200 territories worldwide, CBS inked a rich, first-of-its-kind deal with Amazon that gave the streaming giant rights to episodes just four days after they aired. (It reportedly paid $700,000 per installment and helped make Dome instantly profitable for CBS.)
"It worked beyond our expectations," says Stapf of the experiment, with Dome ending its first season as the most watched summer series in more than two decades with, on average, 15 million-plus viewers. The series returns in summer 2014, with King set to pen the first episode.
"There wasn't as much pressure," notes Lefevre, referring to the lack of precedent. CBS execs "were able to make big, ballsy decisions as a result, and success is what comes from that."