By Cindy Pearlman | Big Picture News Inc.
Kellan Lutz says you should not try this at home. He’s talking about the stunt he did on his Fox show “Bullseye,” premiering at 8 p.m. Wednesday on WFLD-Channel 32.
“I’m an adrenaline junkie, so of course I raised my hand to be shot out of a human slingshot towards a target,” said Lutz, 30. “Who wouldn’t want to do it?”
Uh … most of us?
Turns out, it was more than just a rush. He hit his head and the rest is TV history. “I was flying and bleeding and had to get five staples,” he said in a cheerful voice from the set.
“It’s fun though! As blood was dripping down my shirt, the producer said, ‘Kellan, do not make any fast moves. We have to take you to the hospital.’ ”
“My philosophy is: It could have been a lot worse,’” says the star of the “Twilight” films and “The Expendables.”
Good health is the reason why he can do such crazy things on TV and in the movies. “I don’t have a specific fitness plan in life other than to live a very healthy and active lifestyle,” Lutz says. “So many guys my age are hiding behind their phones, sitting on their couches and watching or typing while life is flying by.
“My rule is to make sure to do something active for at least 30 minutes a day or more,” Lutz says. “I don’t want to get bored, so I mix it up. I swim, which I love. I do mixed martial arts. The key is to find the activity that you love and that makes you sweat.
“If you like to walk, then walk. If you want to play with animals, then run with your dog. If it’s boxing, then take that class or get into the ring. Just be active. Put down your phone and get out there and use your body to the max.”
An active lifestyle means Lutz lets himself have a few cheat meals. “I do watch what I eat, but I’m like anyone else who needs to have a little pizza once in awhile or a handful of candy. I treat myself, but just not each day,” he says. “In general, I try to eat small meals throughout the day. My goal is lean protein and a lot of veggies. I basically stick to the Paleo diet and found that I love it and crave it.”
As for his new stunt-based show, he says, “You don’t have to be athletic to do these stunts. Just strategic,” he said. “We’ve had Olympian body builders who never make it to the second round. But there are video gamers who are very cool under pressure and make it.”
Lutz has a slew of movies in the works, including the upcoming “Extraction,” where he plays Bruce Willis’ son. But he also wanted the challenge of hosting. “I love these kinds of shows,” he says, mentioning a visit to the set of “Wipeout” convinced him. “I never thought about hosting before, but this was right up my ally. The thing that pushed me over the edge was that I could do some of the stunts myself.”
His favorite stunts on the show? “The other day, we had a contestant hang 35 stories up in the air. He had to rappel down and swing. We also had a James Bond-like stunt on a speeding train and a Jean Claude Van-Damme stunt on two semis racing down a road that were separating away from each other.”
“Of course, I want to do every stunt, but I was told, ‘You’re the host. If Kellan goes down, the show goes down.’ ”
