Meet Eric Lutz | Actor & Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Lutz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am from the same place that ‘Dorothy’ and ‘Superman’ were raised: Kansas. As a child I spent most of my time outside in nature, enjoying time with friends, playing every sport imaginable, and watching movies with friends.

My upbringing was very enjoyable, and although it was the center of the United States, most of my friends all traveled to that city from different cities, states, or even countries. I would have a new neighbor that would quickly turn into a new best friend, and then many times they would move away for work or deployment to a different location within a few years.

Those experiences of learning and experiencing different backgrounds from new friends and their families, as well as trying different activities and being a part of many different sports teams and groups really shaped who I am today.

I was also very lucky that we had a top notch movie theatre near us. One of my biggest escapes was going to the movie theatres with friends and watching the newest movie almost weekly. I remember coming out of the movies with such a high level of joy and excitement as my friends and I would recount the movie scenes and reenact them outside of the movie theatre while waiting for our ride home.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Moving to Los Angeles to pursue my dream of acting and having little to no connections was pretty crazy. I told myself early on that I was going to play the long game, so I focused on my goals and got to work.

Since I had such a pretty ’normal’ childhood and upbringing, I believe that I bring a relatability and believability to the projects I am apart of. Instead of having to do a deep dive into certain characters I portray, I just dig into my experiences and as of now it has worked out great for me.

I had a movie ‘The Engagement Plan’ that premiered very recently and I would say that is the project I am most excited about. There was a ton of footage of mine that ‘hit the cutting room floor’ and didn’t get used do to one reason or the other, but that’s how it goes! What is still in the movie made me very happy. We had a great team both in front of and behind the camera. I’m talking about heavy hitters and recognizable names from the 80’s, 90’s, 00’s and currently.

I am also very proud of our award winning short film ‘Cerebellum.’ A group of friends and I decided we needed to write our own scripts to showcase our talents. ‘Cerebellum’ is currently in the short film circuit, and showcases my darker side and talents as an action movie star.

Professionally, I got to where I am today by taking no shortcuts. I said no to things that I thought would cut my career short, and held out for roles that had substance or gave me a challenge as an actor. It was easy to say no to things because early on in my career my acting coaches warned me about the ‘bright and shiny’ things that don’t last. They always told me ‘know your worth.’ Having the backing of other professionals that had been in my shoes before really helped my decision making.

One of the main lessons is to ‘treat others how you want to be treated.’ I was taught this early in life, but it has really shown its importance in my career. Los Angeles is a big city, but ‘Hollywood’ can feel very small. If you wrong someone or don’t bring your A game on a project, people will remember.

Movies were such an escape for me as a child. I would love to bring that escape to a new generation. As an actor I am a small piece of the puzzle that is filmmaking. I don’t always have say over the script or how the character is portrayed. However, the more defined I become in my career, the more control I do have over these components. I look forward to doing projects in the future that bring joy to the audience, can challenge the audience, and occasionally leave them with a lesson or a different point of view.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have dealt with this plenty of times! When a best friend visits, they have many things on their to-do list. We definitely will visit the beach. There are so many choices that it’s hard to choose my favorite! I have been a season ticket holder for the Rams since before SOFI Stadium was built, so if the timing is right, we will definitely go watch some football. A trip through Beverly Hills and some icon stops is a must. I love showing off the beautiful houses around the area as well. Eventually we would go on a hike or two! Also, there are so many amazing places to eat from iconic restaurants to amazing food trucks that we would never be short on good eats. If we have more time we will spend some time at some of the museums around town and possibly even Universal Studios or Disney Land. If we have even more time, a trip to Big Bear and the Palm Springs area, or even Sequoia National Park would be great.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First off, I want to thank my family. There were many times that I would embark on a new journey and instead of hearing doubts from my parents, they would always encourage me to pursue that new thing. Although they told me I would have to make it on my own and that they wouldn’t be able to back me financially, they always provided a safety net by letting me know that I had a place to stay if those journeys didn’t work out. My family also always had told me that I could do anything I set my mind to…. Whether they truly believed it or not. The best part about that was that I had grown an unwavering belief in myself because of what I had been told, so many times those far-fetched dreams I had did work out.

My acting/theatre professors from Kansas State University were also a huge part of my success. I had always wanted to pursue acting but never thought it could happen to ‘a kid from Kansas’. Fresh out of High School, I was given an opportunity to intern in Los Angeles as a writer for a few television shows, but I was told that I had to graduate college first. While I knew I would end up in Los Angeles working behind the scenes, my childhood dream of being an actor saw its opportunity. I thought: ‘If I’m out in Los Angeles working and I see an opportunity for a casting that fits me, I’ll take it’. However, I had no acting experience at the time, so I signed up for an acting class while in college. My acting 101 teacher saw something special in me, and urged me to continue taking acting classes and to audition for the theatre productions on campus. From there I met all of the acting/theatre professors and they really helped push me to pursue and grow as an actor.

Website: https://www.EricLutzOfficial.com

Instagram: @EricLutzOfficial

Image Credits
Normandy Europa
Vincent Madero
Davide Laffe
Gabriel Machado