Twilight Star Kellan Lutz Reveals He Turned Down Audition for Edward Cullen
CHICAGO,IL – kellan Lutz,best known for his role as Emmett Cullen in the Twilight saga,recently disclosed that he was offered the chance to audition for the iconic role of Edward Cullen but ultimately declined. Lutz shared the story during a Fan Expo Chicago round table discussion with co-star Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale) on August 17, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
Lutz explained his decision stemmed from the emotionally taxing experience of filming Generation Kill in Africa for seven months. “I have been shooting Generation Kill in Africa for seven months, so it was something very sensitive, with a lot of dead, a lot of destruction and far from my family,” Lutz said, adding, ”When this hearing arrived and I read it, I was simply not in this state of mind.” While he passed on the opportunity to play the brooding vampire, Lutz’s involvement with Twilight wasn’t over.
The role of Emmett Cullen later became available after the initial casting choice proved unsuitable, and Lutz successfully auditioned. He recalled reading four different versions of Emmett’s scenes, finding them humorous and connecting with the character’s comedic role within the story. “I said to myself: ‘oh, it’s cool, this guy is cool.’ And I read the character in the books and I said to myself: ‘Yes, he’s grate.’ It brings a comic touch,” Lutz stated.
Interestingly, Jackson Rathbone also revealed he was a frontrunner for the role of Edward, favored by director Catherine Hardwicke, but author Stephenie Meyer ultimately vetoed his casting. Rathbone expressed his full support for Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of Edward, stating, “I think Robert Pattinson was the right choice 100 %. I love his interpretation of Edward.”