Matthew Eisman/Getty Images for Amazon(NEW YORK) — Actor Kellan Lutz is a classic Hollywood heartthrob. His face has graced the ad campaigns of Abercrombie & Fitch, Levi’s and Calvin Klein, he’s landed leading roles in the Twilight film franchise and The Legend of Hercules, and makes cameos on TV series, including HBO’s The Comeback.
When Lutz is not on set or posting inspirational quotes on Instagram, the North Dakota native spends his time traveling the world and working with philanthropies like PETA, the Royal Family Kids’ Camp and the St. Bernard Project.
On a recent episode of “Real Biz with Rebecca Jarvis,” Lutz shared details about his past — like growing up in a big family — and how he manages to stay on top of his busy Hollywood career.
Here are three things you might not know about Lutz:
1. He is an entrepreneur with multiple patents
For anyone ever caught wearing an unflattering sleeping mask, Lutz has solved your problem with Blackout Bands.
“It’s pretty much a new age sleep mask,” said Lutz. “They’re sunglasses that are completely blacked out.”
His other inventions span the spectrum, from gadgets to games. Partnering with friends and family, Lutz has over 30 patents that he’d like to test out — where else, on the entrepreneurial ABC reality show Shark Tank.
“That’s a huge dream of mine to be in there,” he said. “That’s just always where I envisioned the products.”
2. He was almost a chemical engineer
“I was going to school at Chapman University for chemical engineering, and then you know, doors opened up,” Lutz said. “Modeling turned into commercial work and acting, and I kind of caught the acting bug. I found a passion for myself at the age of 19 and I just followed it.”
And because Lutz never grew up seeking stardom, it doesn’t break his stride if he doesn’t get called back from an audition.
“I don’t get desperate acting because it never was a dream of mine,” he said. “So if I don’t book a role, it wasn’t meant for me.”
3. Having seven siblings might have helped him become a successful actor
Sharing everything with six brothers and one sister can’t be easy, but it did teach Lutz some of the skills that have pushed him to Hollywood stardom.
“We had to fight for our food so I’m very competitive at heart but not with myself,” he shared. “I had a lot of alone time and I took advantage of that by building, drawing, painting, creating and just using my imagination. That’s a big part of what acting is.”
With a family farm in Iowa, Lutz and his siblings grew up working outside and staying active.
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