Kellan Lutz, known for his ripped physique and action movies, has got way more going for him than just his enviable physical gifts. The actor is also ripped, if you will, intellectually.

The 29-year-old Twilight alum studied chemical engineering at Chapman University before pursuing acting, but doesn’t care if people really only see him as a dumb jock.

“I don’t mind — people can judge a book by its cover,” Lutz told the New York Post. “As long as you stay out of the paparazzi and the press and you’re more known for your work than your personal life, there’s still a bit of mystery there.”

Lutz continues to improve his intellect. He is often found on set reading science books. He’s also working on some patents on some mysterious projects he has in the works.

“It’s great to have my acting world and also work on some of my chemical compounds and mixtures,” he says. “I can’t really talk too much about it, but we’re almost there.”

Our @Greggenheim insists Kellan Lutz is not just another pretty torso http://t.co/3vYaFMgmdI pic.twitter.com/powVLL3X6x

— Lou Lumenick (@LouLumenick) August 10, 2014

His physical attributes have certainly helped him line up some dream acting roles of late. He is starring in The Expendables 3 alongside Sylvester Stallone, who is trying to convince Lutz to chill a bit on the workouts so he doesn’t look like a wimp next to the muscular, young actor.

“I was bigger because of Hercules and now that I was actually wearing clothes, Sly was like, ‘You don’t have to work out so much. Don’t worry about it!’ ” Lutz told The Post of his co-star’s joke.

Lutz joins the star-studded cast, including Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Dolph Lundgren, as a young Navy SEAL who is learning the ropes. This time, the mercenary group goes up against a dangerous arms dealer, played by Mel Gibson.

“A lot of the young guns, when we weren’t working, we just wanted to be on set to watch the ‘men’ work — the veterans, the legends,” he says.

The Expendables 3 hits theaters on Friday.

Image via Wikimedia Commons