Kellan Lutz (“Twilight”) chatted about starring in the action thriller “Desert Dawn,” which was released via Saban Films.
Colin Powell once said: “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” This quote applies to Kellan Lutz.
In “Desert Dawn,” a newly appointed small-town sheriff Luke Easton (played by Kellan Lutz) and his reluctant deputy John Sites (Cam Gigandet) find themselves in a web of lies and corruption when the murder of a mysterious woman leads them to a dangerous conspiracy involving shady businessmen and the cartel.
Lutz on ‘Desert Dawn’
On starring in “Desert Dawn,” Lutz remarked, “It was really great. I love what I get to do, especially in this industry. I got to work with some really talented people, who are just awesome human beings. I also got to work with Saban Films and Al Bravo.”
“Al found me this script that he felt I was right for. Chad Law wrote it and sent it to me, and we spoke a little bit more about it,” he said.
Working with director Marty Murray
“It was very collaborative,” he admitted about working with director Marty Murray.
“I also got to work with an incredible group of actors such as Chad Michael Collins (who played the villain) and Cam Gigandet, while Marty Murray was an amazing director. We were really collaborative with the beats, working with Marty was just awesome because he is really easy to work with. It’s a fun story,” Lutz elaborated.
Reuniting with Cam Gigandet
“Being able to work with Cam was awesome; it was a ‘Twilight’ reunion,” Lutz said. “I don’t think we said any lines to each other during ‘Twilight.’ We were more rivals, where my character killed his ‘Twilight’ character.”
“So, to have scenes with Cam and to be on the same side, and to really collaborate on the characters, we made this movie the best it can be. Cam has his own process, and I appreciated everything that he brought to the table because he is a really talented actor,” Lutz elaborated.
Working with Chad Michael Collins as the villain
“I was really impressed with Chad Michael Collins’ work and how great he was. I want to see more of his work now,” Lutz said. “Chad is super-talented, ripped, and he has a salty voice. Chad is the whole package. He is the kindest bad guy I’ve ever had to work with.”
Working with Niko Foster
“Niko [Foster] is a great actor and it’s tough to play a villain because he is such a likeable guy. People were going to think it’s him because he is too nice, or they will be surprised that it’s him. I loved Jeff Fahey, who I previously worked with in ‘Due Justice’.”
Lutz on his pivotal scene opposite Guillermo Ivan
Lutz had great words about working with Guillermo Ivan in that pivotal scene they both had together in the film. “Guillermo ate up that scene,” Lutz admitted. “It is really great working with such talented actors. Watching him eat, and do that scene was just so great.”
Working with Helena Haro as his female love interest
Helena Haro plays Luke’s love interest, Dr. Cheyenne Gomez.
“It is just fun to work with collaborative people who are so nice and gifted. We both had ideas and that’s one of the fun parts of being collaborative. Helena was awesome, especially in the end, when we didn’t have a roof to shoot on,” Lutz said.
“We only had two stories of staircases and that’s not dangerous, so we had to make it look like it was a lot higher than it was. It just turned out really good,” he admitted.
Working with Veronica Montes as the waitress
Lutz also complimented actress Veronica Montes, who plays the waitress named Honesty.
“Veronica is talented too. It is fun working with different superstars from different cultures. Helena and Veronica were from different cultures, and it was really cool,” Lutz said.
Lessons learned from the ‘Desert Dawn’ screenplay
On the lessons learned from the “Desert Dawn” screenplay,” he said, “I feel like a lot of things were added while we were on set; even the end of the movie.”
“For me, I’m a problem solver, so when there are holes, I like getting the team and solving them,” he noted.
The biggest thing that Lutz learned about himself while filming this action movie was finding peace and closure in the intense and dark moments (such as his character Luke does in a dramatic instance).
“When I was younger, I didn’t really grow up with a sister,” he said. “There were a lot of boys in the house. Then, later on, I had my daughter when I was shooting this. There is something about the purity, innocence and the man’s duty to protect the women in his life, so after I had my daughter, I would kill for my daughter.”
“Having Luke feeling so lost and the justice that he wants to seek, and when he does find his sister, and the closure he gets, that’s the hardest thing too sometimes,” he noted.
“We live in a very preserve world. There is a lot of evil out there; there is sex trafficking and body organ trafficking, it is crazy. I am glad that Luke was able to get some closure as bittersweet as it is,” Lutz added.
Lutz on participating in in-person fan conventions
Lutz shared how much he has loved participating in in-person fan events and conventions.
“I’ve done a couple of independent movies, and they keep on pushing. I think it’s a really interesting time in the industry, where financing is just tough,” he said.
“A lot of the big budget movies aren’t doing so well, so I feel like people are living safer and not taking as many risks. ‘Twilight’ is back on Netflix, so there is resurgence again for doing these conventions,” he explained.
“I just love the ‘Twilight’ fan-base, so it’s really fun having Peter, Ashley, and Jackson together. It’s really sweet,” he added.
Best thing about being his age
Most recently, back on March 15th, Lutz hit the ripe age of 40, however, he is a firm believer that age is just a number.
“I feel 25,” he admitted. “I’ve always wanted to be married and to have kids. Now, I have an awesome wife, where I am married to my best friend, and my kids are wonderful, and they are so much fun. They are 4.5 years old and the other is almost three years old. They are close in age, they are buddies, and they are so unique.”
“They grow up so fast,” he noted. “Right now, my son comes in our bedroom each morning, and he cuddles with us and kicks us out of bed. They just grow up so fast; it is really special.”
Lutz continued, “We live in Tennessee now; the sun is here, it’s beautiful, and a little hot sometimes. We have lightning bugs coming out, and I used to catch those on our farm in Iowa, and it just reminded me of my childhood.”
Speaking of his childhood in Iowa, Lutz admitted that he misses the Dorito Casserole that his mother makes.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Lutz revealed, “Being Present.”
His life at the moment is all about mindfulness.
Best advice he has ever been given
On the best advice he has ever been given, Lutz disclosed, “To always be sincere.”
“Always tell the truth because that is when you have the most peace in your life,” he acknowledged. “Also, always just show love. There is always love to be able to be shown.”
Simply put, honesty is the best policy for Lutz.
Superpower of choice
Lutz’s superpower of choice would be “flying.” “Even on an airplane, I just love being in the clouds,” Lutz said.
“I love being up high; if I could just feel it on my face, that would be so cool,” he admitted. “
Favorite motto to live by
Lutz’s favorite motto to live by is the following: “if you don’t learn to be happy where you are, you will never get to where you want to be.”
“Just live in the present; slow down because time by goes so fast,” he concluded.
To learn more about actor Kellan Lutz, follow him on Instagram.
Read More: “Desert Dawn” review.
