Kellan Lutz: Kellan Me Softly

Teenage girls may moon over Kellan Lutz as vampire Emmett Cullen in the Twilight saga — the penultimate installment, Breaking Dawn Part 1, premieres November 18 — but it’s his racy Calvin Klein underwear campaign and his oft-photographed shirtless workouts that really get gay men’s blood pumping. Also playing the god Poseidon in Immortals, which is in theaters November 11, the 26-year-old heartthrob opens up about being worshipped.

The Advocate: I’m not much of a Twihard, but I’ve been a fan of yours since HBO’s The Comeback in 2005.
Kellan Lutz: I love that! Brandon, you’re the shit. Thank you.

What did you take away from that experience?
I loved working on The Comeback, but I faked that whole experience. I was just a happy-go-lucky kid who fell into acting. I was going to college at Orange County’s Chapman University for chemical engineering. I met this checkout lady at Ralph’s named Maria and, long story short, she said that I should be an actor and opened up my eyes to the world of acting. I started taking acting classes, auditioning, doing extra work, and I fell in love with acting. I didn’t even notice Lisa Kudrow in the room when I did my last callback for The Comeback, because I didn’t watch TV, but I was bouncing off the walls with energy. I just thank them all for giving me a chance. It opened so many doors for me.

Michael Patrick King, the co-creator of the series, has taken credit for discovering you. What did you learn from him?
I quickly learned that there’s a lot of insecurity and a lot of sharks in Hollywood, but I saw that Michael Patrick King, who’s a genius, still has the same passion and zeal he’s had from day one. That’s what I look forward to in my own career. I love acting, but I always want to view it as a hobby and not a job.

You star as Poseidon in Immortals. Has playing a god gone to your head?
Nah. I’ve been playing a pale vampire for years, so I’m just glad to finally have a tan in a movie. I love that our director, Tarsem, saw the gods as youthful. If you were a god, wouldn’t you rather be in your 20s or 30s as opposed to old and gray with a beard down to your ankles?

Your gay fans will appreciate the sexier vision.
Oh, they’re the best. I love them. When I meet gay fans out and about, they’re so great to talk to — and I’m big on hugging, because I’m from the Midwest. They’re just so energetic and loving. I’m proud to have those fans, and their support means a lot to me. I don’t want just girls coming to my movies; I want guys to come too.