Twilight Alum Kellan Lutz Reveals Why He Turned Down The Chance To Play Edward, And I Get It

These days, when you think of the cast of Twilight, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are probably the first names to come to mind since they played the leads, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. However, imagine if Kellan Lutz, who had a supporting role in the franchise as Emmett Cullen, was the lead instead. It'd be different, right? Well, it turns out there was a possibility for it to be a reality, as Lutz revealed that he had the chance to portray Edward. However, he also explained why he said no.

There were plenty of dashing actors in line to play Twilight’s Edward Cullen, like Ben Barnes, Shiloh Fernandez, and Josh Peck, who were finalists. Even the book's author, Stephenie Meyer, would have picked Henry Cavill if he hadn’t aged out by the time casting was done. But as we know, Robert Pattinson ultimately led The Twilight Saga as Edward, a breakout role that earned him international fame.

However, back when auditions were happening, Emmett actor Kellan Lutz had the chance to audition for Edward, and he explained why turning it down seemed like a good idea at the time during a Fan Expo panel (via EW) with co-star Jackson Rathbone:

I completely understand why Kellan Lutz wasn’t in the right frame of mind to audition for Edward. Since Generation Kill was an HBO TV show about life in the military, he didn't want to take on anything heavy. And while Twilight certainly isn't the same as Generation Kill, it is very dramatic and serious.

So, with Emmett getting to take part in fun scenes like the iconic Cullen baseball game or arm-wrestling with Bella, a role like that would indeed be a nice change of pace.

While we know the Twilight films are great movies about young love, we also learn from Edward that being a vampire is more than just being super speedy and reading thoughts. The Stick It actor explained that he found something in the brooding vampire that made him turn in the other direction:

There’s no doubt that Edward Cullen was a moody role. Having to be 17 for 90 years because of a choice made by his vampire doctor, Edward was forced to watch his foster siblings find love while all living under the same roof. Not to mention having to live a “vegetarian” lifestyle of drinking animal blood and staying away from sunlight has to be hard.

Not every actor wants to dive into the inner struggles of eternal youth. Especially when the thought of having to be that “depressing” for “multiple” movies seemingly scared Kellan Lutz. All the more reason why Emmett was the perfect fit for the talented actor in the Twilight movies.

While the FBI: Most Wanted actor turned down the offer for Edward, it didn’t mean there wasn’t room for him in the Cullen Clan. Lutz gave his honest take on what intrigued him about playing Edward’s foster brother, as well, saying:

Yes, Emmett really did “eat” up his lines like a pro. He was probably the one standout character who acted more human and modern than his vampire siblings. And, we gotta give the Cullen Clan member props for delivering the franchise’s surprisingly funny quotes.

I still laugh rewatching the part where Emmett said Edward’s new girlfriend would love the Italian food his family made for her because her name is Bella, as well as his wedding toast to her of not “getting any more [sleep] for a while” in her marriage. Yeah, you gotta love him.

While it would have been interesting to have seen Kellan Lutz’s take on Edward Cullen, I understand why he turned down the audition for him. To go from playing a military man during the invasion of Iraq to a “depressed” vampire is reasonably not the career move he wanted to make.

But that’s probably all the more reason why playing Emmett was like a breath of fresh air to the actor in bringing light to a dark storyline about forbidden love. He showed a different side of his range while still stepping into Stephenie Meyer’s world.