Q&A: 'New Moon' star Kellan Lutz

Kellan Lutz, who plays Emmett Cullen in the just sorta-kinda popular "Twilight" movie series, says it's harder to find someone who hasn't heard of the franchise than someone who's just lying about it.

"There was a guy [at a mall appearance], he had a 'Twilight' shirt under his jacket," Lutz recalls. "He's like, 'I'm here for my girlfriend.' I'm like, 'Really? Trying to get brownie points?' He's like, 'Yeah.' I was like, 'That's a "Twilight" shirt you're wearing.'"

Indeed, fans everywhere seem to be surging toward Chris Weitz's adaptation of author Stephenie Meyer's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," the second book in the series. In the film, opening Nov. 20, Emmett's fellow vampire brother Edward (Robert Pattinson) backs away from his human love Bella (Kristen Stewart) for her protection, which gradually leads to her growing relationship with werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).

North Dakota native Lutz, 24, appears briefly in the film but really can't wait for the third and just-finished-filming "Twilight" movie, "Eclipse," due out next summer. That's when Emmett and the rest of the Cullen family play more of a role in the plot and action-packed battles. (Also watch for Lutz next year in the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street.")

What would you say to someone who saw "Twilight" and says, "My girlfriend made me go, and I didn't like it"?
I probably would have said the same. I wouldn't have seen "Twilight" if I wasn't a part of it. My sister really wanted me to see it with her, so I saw it again with her.

And you walked out and said, "That sucked!"?
No, I walked in and said, "This is a love story about a vampire and a girl." [My sister] was reading the books and I was like, "Why are you reading that over and over again? Move on already. It's just a picture of hands holding an apple." And she tried to tell me about it. She's like, "They're vegetarian vampires." I'm like, "So where's the fun in that?"

What's the most extreme reaction you've seen any "Twilight" fan have?
Fainting. Just coming and seeing that we're all real and not CGI or made up. I remember this one girl, she wanted a hug and I picked her up—she was so small—and twirled her around and put her down and started talking to this other fan. And I hear this [thud]. Everyone [gasped]. I was like, "What?" And then you see her on the ground just laying there. And she wakes up right away and crying, she's like, "Iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou." I was like, "Whoa. Thank you. Don't do that again."

Why are vampires so popular now?
I think they've always been popular. I just think things have to come and go. So there's new hype. You wouldn't want to be happy your whole life because if all you knew was happiness it wouldn't be the same. But if you know what sadness is, or if something goes away and comes back, you get that excitement again. There's this mysteriousness to vampires, sexiness. You see a female wearing leather, like Kate Beckinsale in "Underworld." It's like "Mmm, yummy."

It doesn't even matter if she's a vampire in that case.
Oh, yeah, very true. But you kinda get that vampiric image, girls wearing all black and dark eye shadow. Vampires are just mysterious. I think they're forbidden and it's just mythical I guess.

Are you more attracted to vampires than werewolves?
I would rather have a cold girlfriend than a hairy girlfriend, yes. Yes, that'd be nice. I love all the creatures, mythical creatures, but definitely vampires.

What's the most ridiculous thing that's been discussed about "Twilight"?
It's pretty intense to be a part of something that's always in the tabloids. ... It's funny when you read the cover of the magazine saying, "Rob and Kristen get married," but it's really their characters in the book that get married. Or people are dating. I've read stuff where I'm dating three different girls at a time. It's like, "What? Where is this coming from? Do people just write stuff?" The rumors are really crazy. Having paparazzi follow you is a new thing for me.

So no one from the cast is dating someone else from the cast?
No.

I feel like most people on the street think you're all dating.
Ashley [Greene, who plays Alice Cullen] and I get that we're dating or we should get married and stuff like that. Why can't people be friends? I've been best friends with Ashley forever. She's a beautiful girl, there's nothing against me not wanting to, but she's my friend.

Plus she plays your sister. That would be gross.
Actually we did a movie ("Warrior") where we played love interests. So it's really nice to step out of those shoes and to be able to play that and have a connection with someone.

What's the most ridiculous rumor you've heard regarding "Twilight"?
That Rob's not real. That he's computerized. Or that we're real vampires.

What's something that isn't true that you wish was true?
That we know that we're doing "Breaking Dawn." People have said that, "Oh, it's confirmed, they're doing it here and then." It's one of those things where we all as a cast would love to do the movie. It's like, "Come on guys, greenlight it. Let's just know that we're doing it."

But it's not for sure?
No. And that's 100 percent truth. We do not know. And we kinda have to shoot it before we get older because us vampires aren't supposed to age.

Find showtimes for "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."