Kellan Lutz

His mere presence sent teens worldwide into shrieking fits of excitement, yet Kellan Lutz never once lost his cool. The actor achieved cult-like fandom after playing the muscular and imposing vampire Emmett Cullen in "Twilight" (2008) and the subsequent sequels, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (2009) and "Eclipse" (2010), based on the best-selling novels by Stephenie Meyer. Prior to his fanatical following as a thirsty bloodsucker, the actor had earned his acting stripes as a struggling sitcom star opposite Lisa Kudrow on the critically-lauded but ultimately short-lived series "The Comeback" (HBO, 2005), as an Iraqi soldier on the deadly frontlines in the miniseries "Generation Kill" (HBO, 2008), and as a suburban teen visited by Freddy Krueger in his dreams in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (2010), a remake of the horror film classic. Lutz may not have possessed the Byronic presence of his "Twilight" co-star Robert Pattinson, but his portrayal of a protective and fun-loving vampire in the blockbuster film saga proved there was no shortage of talent and charisma under all the brawn.

Kellan Christopher Lutz was born on March 15, 1985 in Dickinson, ND. His family, which included six brothers and one sister, moved quite often and lived throughout the Midwest, North Dakota, and Arizona. Lutz moved to California after graduating from high school and attended Chapman University to study chemical engineering. The baby-faced yet athletic young man considered becoming a Navy SEAL for a time but eventually decided to quit school and pursue acting. While dropping out was a risk, Lutz was confident in his quest to become an actor.

With very little experience, aside from a few modeling jobs as a teenager, Lutz booked a minor appearance on the daytime soap opera, "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS, 1987- ). He quickly graduated to primetime with a featured role on "The Comeback," a show-within-a-show comedy series that starred Lisa Kudrow and was co-created by "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004) producer Michael Patrick King. The "Friends" (NBC, 1994-2004) alum played Valerie Cherish, a washed-up TV star who agrees to do a reality show that follows her glorious comeback to the small screen. Lutz played Chris MacNess, a handsome and underpaid actor who ends up working with Kudrow's character on a sitcom. Even though the show received Emmy Award nominations - including an acting nod for Kudrow - "The Comeback" debuted to low ratings and never gained steam. HBO dropped the series after 13 weeks on the air.

Lutz made his feature film debut in "Stick It" (2006) as a BMX biker and friend of a rebellious 17-year-old (Missy Peregrym) who, after a run-in with the cops, is forced to join a strict competitive gymnastics program. That same year, the actor landed a supporting role alongside fellow Hollywood up-and-comers Justin Long, Jonah Hill and Blake Lively in the college comedy, "Accepted" (2006). Although considered a bit of a step back for a rising actor, Lutz co-starred with the very popular Hilary Duff in a spy-themed television commercial for her fragrance "With Love Hilary Duff" that same year. However, it proved a wiser move than any agent could have foreseen. Because the promo was so cinematic in scope, it was re-released as a full-length music video in 2007 for the pop star's dance track, "With Love." The ad and accompanying video featured Lutz' character chasing Duff throughout a hotel until they end up stuck in an elevator - all of which - for just a video and TV spot - effectively showcased the actor's debonair charm and leading man potential.

In 2008, Lutz made the leap from pop singer lust object to ensemble cast of the miniseries "Generation Kill," based on journalist Evan Wright's book of the same name and co-executive produced by actor-director Ed Burns. The respectable program followed a Marine Corps special operations unit during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Lutz portrayed a soldier from the Second Platoon of the First Reconnaissance Battalion's Bravo Company, part of the first wave of the American military assault on Baghdad. "Generation Kill" was shot over a six-month period in the summer of 2007 in Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa. During that time, Lutz received a script of the feature film adaptation of Meyer's New York Times best-selling 2005 novel, Twilight and was asked to read for the role of Edward Cullen, a human-loving vampire and the "Twilight" saga's leading man. Fortunately for little-known actor Robert Pattinson, Lutz found the brooding hero too complex and depressing, and upon his return to Los Angeles, turned down the audition, as he might have given the British actor a run for his money."

Twilight" fans - about to be coined Twi-hards" - waited with baited breath to find out who was going to cinematically bring to life the beloved lead vampire. Even after Pattinson was eventually cast, the film's producers were not quite ready to let Lutz go that easily. He was asked to play the part of Emmett, a fellow vampire and brotherly figure to Edward. The character was more in line with what the actor had sought out; someone more fun-loving and far less intense as the series' main bloodsucker. The actor underwent a physical transformation for the role, bulking up and bleaching his blond hair jet black to play the brawny vampire. Released to near-insane fanfare in 2008, "Twilight" was a commercial hit, grossing $35.7 million on its opening day. Along with cast members Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, Lutz found himself thrust into a world of "Twilight"-obsessed teens and their equally fanatic mothers who rabidly following the cast's every move. On several occasions, the actor professed his conflicted feelings toward this level of fame, yet he counted his blessings when observing the near-fanatical, clothes-ripping, screaming hordes that surrounded Pattinson on a daily basis. Moving from the Gothic arena, the actor further cemented his heartthrob status with a recurring role on "90210" (Fox, 2008-13), a reimagining of the seminal 1990s teen drama "Beverly Hills, 90210" (Fox, 1990-2000). On the popular series, Lutz played George Evans, a high school Lacrosse player who has a rivalry with the show's lead (Tristan Wilds). "90210" also starred AnnaLynne McCord, the resident spoiled rich girl on the show. Rumors swirled that Lutz and McCord were dating after the actress showed up at the red carpet premiere for "Twilight" and celebrity magazines published photos of the couple on vacation. Neither publicly admitted they were in a romantic relationship until Lutz confirmed in November 2009 that he was very much single, to the relieved sighs of "Twilight" fans. Lutz next essayed yet another Lacrosse player in the feature film "Warrior" (2009) opposite his "Twilight" co-star, Ashley Greene.

The ever busy Lutz reprised his role of Emmett in "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," based on the second book in Stephenie Meyer's saga. The spellbinding follow-up to "Twilight" was filmed in Vancouver, Canada and Montepulciano, Italy, and one-upped the previous film with an even larger cast and more dazzling special effects. Lutz provided comic relief during a pivotal scene when Edward's human girlfriend, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), celebrates her 18th birthday with the vampire clan. Emmett handed over an empty box as a birthday present to a confused Bella, only to reveal that he had already installed a brand new sound system in her truck. Even though the scene was brief, the interaction between their two characters delighted fans of the series and set the stage for Bella toward becoming an accepted member of her lover's vampire family. "New Moon" had not even been released in theaters yet when production began on "Eclipse" (2010), the third film in the series. Lutz' character, who had physically been the biggest presence in the Cullen clan, softened up throughout the films as he went from an intimidating brute who was standoffish towards Bella in "Twilight" to vowing to protect her from vengeful vampires by the third film. That same year, Lutz starred in a re-imagining of the 1984 slash-fest "A Nightmare on Elm Street." The actor played one of several teenagers terrorized in their own dreams by serial child killer Freddy Krueger, terrifyingly brought back to the big screen by former child actor, Jackie Earle Haley.