Actor Kellan Lutz (“The Twilight Saga” franchise) chatted about starring in the action thriller “Due Justice.”
The movie was released in theaters, On Demand and Digital on Friday, November 24, 2023, via Saban Films, which coincides with Black Friday. It was written and directed by Javier Reyna (“Ruthless”).
Aside from Lutz, it stars Jeff Fahey (“Lost”) and Efren Ramirez (“Napoleon Dynamite”).
This marks the first time that Lutz has played a father in his career, ever since the birth of his daughter back in 2021.
Walt Disney once said: “I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true.” This quote applies to Kellan Lutz.
Synopsis of the movie
The synopsis is: Max (Kellan Lutz) experiences a devastating loss when his beloved wife is brutally murdered in a cold-blooded act of violence, and then, he goes on a mission to find if his missing daughter is still alive.
Max is consumed by grief and driven by revenge, so he embarks on a relentless mission to hunt down those responsible.
Starring in the new action thriller
On starring in “Due Justice,” Lutz said, “I loved it. I really enjoyed working with Javier Reyna. When he brought the project to my attention and shared his vision, it was great. I’ve always wanted my own ‘Taken’ movie; I love Liam Neeson, and this movie reminded me of that.”
“Then, I have a daughter myself,” he said. “So, having the loss of my family member was all layered into my reasons to do this movie. It was just a lot of fun. It’s a lot less action than I’m used to and a lot more killings,” he said with a sweet laugh.
“Again, when you take everything a man has to live for, he just wants to end your life,” he added.
Portraying Max in the film
Lutz was drawn to playing Max for several reasons. “Max was just fun and a typical role for me,” he exclaimed. “It’s always fun; I like playing the hero. Just like in life, fighting against the injustices of the world that take place.”
“I just like those roles and then adding to it that my character does drift driving. I liked bringing that backstory in,” he said.
“I love working with Javier because his son made that characteristic for the character because his son does that professionally,” Lutz acknowledged.
“I got to learn from Javier’s son, who is amazing at it, and he taught me how to drift drive, so that was really cool.”
Lutz on working with Jeff Fahey and Efren Ramirez
“That’s what’s so fun about doing action movies,” he admitted. “You get to learn how to ride motorcycles, you get to shoot guns, and you get to do cool fight scenes. Everything Is sort of different, and then I got to work with Jeff Fahey and Efren Ramirez, whom I never got to work with before.”
“You get to work with new actors who are super talented, and they have their own way of doing things. Then, you put it together and you really enjoy the process,” he said.
“We’re making art in a creative way. I love my job,” he exclaimed.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Lutz said, “Everything is changing, even with AI. Soon AI will be acting, and I still think there will always be a place for real-life actors. You want fans to have a human to interact with, and with social media, even being able to do an interview like this, we’re using technology.”
“With streaming networks and social media, you can spread awareness. I think it can all be beneficial if it’s used in the right way,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Lutz said, “It’s my own superhero movie with having babies. It’s just so much fun. I love creating art, and then you get to create life with your best friend, and the kids turn out like you.”
“My daughter looks just like me, and my son looks just like my wife. They’re different, and my wife and I are different. Life is very full, and very content. It was really nice, actually,” he acknowledged.
Kellan Lutz: The Family Man
In his personal life, he is the husband of Brittany, and a father to two kids, a boy named Kasen Lane, and his girl Ashtyn Lilly.
For Lutz, his family life is of utmost importance. “I know that the strike was really hard for a lot of people, but for me, I really took it as an opportunity to just be intentional with my family,” he underscored.
“I know my career has always been ups and downs. I’ve been really busy then not so busy, and a lot of times that’s by choice,” he said.
“For this movie, it was nice to know that I didn’t have to worry about working or auditions or meetings that I could just be with family, especially when the kids are so young. They’re so cute and they’re always growing,” he elaborated.
‘The Twilight Saga’ was a career-defining moment
He described “The Twight Saga” as a career-defining moment, and rightfully so. “I feel like that was remarkable to be a part of, especially an experience like that,” he said.
“Also, you learn a lot from it,” he admitted. “I feel like a lot of actors chase the fame bug, and that was never me. It just kind of happened with those projects. Then, you get a taste of the fame and you’re like ‘oh this is cool’ but again, I don’t need it.”
“I appreciate it and I am grateful for it and for all the doors that it has opened. It has allowed me to make a name for myself… to get direct offers and to do some fun projects but also, I’m not chasing it. I never was chasing it, and I just use it to my benefit,” he expressed.
“Now, I just love that I get to make movies, and I love that I get to play pretend as a job. It’s really cool,” he added.
Guillermo Ivan
Lutz had great words about working with actor Guillermo Ivan, who will be starring with him in the upcoming movie “Desert Dawn.” “Guillermo is great, he is so fantastic. He’s awesome; it was really cool to work with him,” he exclaimed.
Favorite mottos to live by
On his favorite mottos to live by, Lutz revealed, “There is a motto at the bottom of my email which states ‘if you don’t learn to be happy where you are, you will never get to where you want to be.”
Advice for young and aspiring actors
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “I have no idea now. The industry has changed so much. I ask my agent this: ‘how do new actors get a career?’ and she even said, ‘I have no idea.’ There are no meetings, how do they meet? I’ve had some people ask me and I would tell them ‘I have no idea right now’ because everything has changed, and it’s kind of sad.”
“I would just build out the social media but don’t let it rule your life,” he said. “I would create scenes and put them on tape. I would do some scenes with actors and just create an acting social media page, and get discovered that way,” he added.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Lutz said, “I am living success right now. You know, just a happy family, a roof over my head, doing what I want to do, and being with my loved ones.”
Speaking of success, Lutz is a firm believer of this quote by Albert Einstein: “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”
Lutz shared his thoughts on the acting industry
“Acting is interesting. There is a lot that you can learn from a lot of people,” he said. “It sucks that everything is so public, but I also think that the industry, especially in Los Angeles, people are chasing fame.”
“So, if you are chasing something, you can usually try and capture it better on your own. As a result, it’s a very solo mission thing,” he noted.
“It’s hard to bring other people with it and have them understand it. That’s why a lot of people stay single, or they get divorced,” he acknowledged.
“A lot of people just want to work. Acting is selfish as well, so I don’t think people really understand what it means to be married and now things need to change. Or if you have children, those kids need to be your priority. Everything just gets upside down in the industry,” he elaborated.
Closing thoughts on ‘Due Justice’
For fans and viewers, he remarked about the film, “Don’t sell your children for organs. It’s just fun. Our movie is good, and I just love entertainment. There was a season in my life where I wanted to be entertained by bad, scary and not scary clown movies. I was just intrigued by clown movies.”
“Then, I really got into ‘Sharknado’ and other forms of cheesy entertainment,” Lutz said. “Our film is not cheesy, and it’s a good movie. I just want to encourage people to just shut off the world and be entertained for 90 minutes.”
“Go check out the movie at a theater near you, or on VOD on the day after Thanksgiving and enjoy it. Eat some leftovers and be entertained,” he concluded.
To learn more about actor Kellan Lutz, follow him on Instagram.
Read More: Kellan Lutz seeks justice in the action thriller ‘Due Justice’
