Rising Stars Neb & Lutze Chupin Of ‘The Last Redemption’ On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
…You can’t be scared of the camera — you have to show confidence. If you act stubborn and don’t want to show your face, they can just hire someone else. They don’t need you if you’re not useful, so you have to prove that you are. If you’re not… bye-bye… — Lutze Chupin
I had the pleasure of talking with Neb & Lutze Chupin.
Neb Chupin is a Croatian-American actor and producer whose career trajectory — from mechanical engineering to the film industry — reflects a commitment to reinvention and artistic exploration. Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Chupin spent his early years in what was then Yugoslavia, growing up in a middle-class family with two engineer parents. The structured career paths available under the one-party communist regime led him to pursue engineering, though he would later carve out an unexpected path in entertainment.
In the late 1980s, Chupin moved to the United States to further his education, enrolling at Northeastern University in Boston. He graduated in 1992 with a degree in mechanical engineering and went on to work for prominent companies, including the MIT Plasma Fusion Center, Gillette, and Nextel. Despite a stable career, he found himself drawn to creative expression, a shift that was catalyzed by his experience with acting classes, initially taken as a means of managing anxiety.
By 2000, Chupin had begun formal acting training at CP Casting Studio in Boston. What started as a personal outlet soon turned into a serious pursuit. After retiring from engineering, he moved to Miami, where he took on modeling and acting roles. His first foray into the film industry came as a stand-in for Michael Shannon in Bad Boys II (2003), an experience that deepened his understanding of on-set dynamics. In 2005, he appeared in the feature film 411, marking the beginning of his acting career.
Determined to refine his craft, Chupin relocated to Los Angeles and continued studying acting, eventually securing roles that highlighted his ability to portray intense, authoritative figures. His breakout role came in Final Stop, an award-winning short film about human trafficking, in which he played a distressed father. The project won more than 20 festival awards, helping to establish Chupin as a serious dramatic actor.
Over the years, he built a diverse portfolio across television and film, taking on roles in the Italian TV series Feel the Dead and multiple independent projects in Europe and the U.S. He gained further recognition through performances in The Fanatic (2019) alongside John Travolta, The Poison Rose (2019), and Acceleration (2019) with Dolph Lundgren. His performance in Obsessio earned him a special acting award at the Venice Film Festival.
In 2022, Chupin appeared in Mindcage, a Lionsgate thriller starring John Malkovich and Martin Lawrence. The film gained international success, topping streaming charts in Brazil and Argentina. In addition to acting, Chupin served as an executive producer, a role he would continue to take on in later projects, including the 2023 horror-action film Til Death Do Us Part.
Beyond acting, Chupin has embraced producing as a strategic extension of his career. His producing credits include Mindcage, Til Death Do Us Part, and The Islander, a film shot in Croatia featuring locations recognizable from Game of Thrones and Star Wars. Despite acknowledging the financial challenges of filming in his home country, he has expressed pride in bringing productions to Croatia.
Chupin’s approach to the industry emphasizes persistence, preparation, and adaptability. He often references a philosophy rooted in resilience: “Do something, expect nothing, and trust no one.” His ability to transition from a corporate engineering career to a thriving presence in Hollywood underscores his belief in the power of perseverance.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Chupin is a dedicated father. His two children, aged 13 and 8, have made appearances in his films, and he actively participates in their upbringing, coaching them in sports and encouraging their interests. He maintains a disciplined self-care routine that includes weightlifting, rowing, and yoga — activities that balance the demands of his multi-faceted career.
As of 2025, Chupin remains active in the entertainment industry, with multiple projects in development. His evolution from an engineer to a film producer and actor reflects a rare adaptability, marking him as a figure who has successfully navigated two vastly different worlds. Whether in front of the camera or behind the scenes, his journey continues to exemplify a deep commitment to storytelling and artistic growth.
Lutze Chupin is an emerging American actress whose debut in the 2024 fantasy-adventure film The Last Redemption marked her entry into the entertainment industry. Lutze is the daughter of actor and producer Neb Chupin, a Croatian-born performer who transitioned from engineering to acting in the early 2000s. Although early in her career, Chupin’s role in The Last Redemption has positioned her as a young talent to watch in the industry.
Chupin spent much of her early childhood between the United States and Croatia. At around four or five years old, she relocated with her family to her father’s hometown while he attended to business matters. During this period, she enrolled at the British International School of Zagreb and developed a strong interest in soccer and piano, both of which remain a part of her extracurricular activities. Her upbringing, split between two cultures, provided a diverse foundation that would later inform her work in film.
Her acting debut came with The Last Redemption, directed by John Real, a medieval fantasy film featuring a cast that includes Kevin Sorbo, Angus Macfadyen, and Natalie Burn. Chupin played “Lilì,” a young princess at the heart of the film’s plot. The story follows a group of outlaws and knights who attempt to rescue her from the clutches of a power-hungry antagonist. While specific critiques of her performance remain scarce, her involvement in the film has been noted in cast lists and promotional materials, suggesting a positive reception.
Chupin’s entry into acting appears to have been influenced by her father’s career. Neb Chupin, known for roles in films such as Mindcage (2022) and Til Death Do Us Part (2023), was also part of The Last Redemption, portraying Silent Jack, one of the central figures in the story. He has spoken about how his own path to acting was unconventional — originally an engineer, he turned to acting as a creative outlet, a journey that eventually led him to Hollywood. His dual role as both a performer and a producer has likely provided Lutze with early exposure to the entertainment industry.
Beyond film, Chupin maintains a well-rounded set of interests. She continues to play soccer, balancing athletic pursuits with her developing acting career. She has also mentioned a disciplined self-care routine, including hydration and skincare habits, which she credits for helping her maintain energy during long shoots. For now, Chupin’s focus appears to be on enjoying the experience of filmmaking while maintaining a sense of normalcy in her personal life. In interviews, she has expressed admiration for musicians such as Harry Styles, citing his music as a personal favorite, and has spoken about the importance of kindness, particularly in handling challenges such as bullying.
Yitzi: Hello, Neb and Lutze, it’s so nice to meet you. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin stories. Can you share a bit about your childhood and how you grew up? Let’s start with Neb.
Neb: I grew up in a middle-class family in Croatia. My parents were engineers. At the time, it was still Yugoslavia, under a one-party communist regime, but life wasn’t bad. There just weren’t a lot of choices — you could be one of five professions, like a doctor or an engineer. It was actually kind of boring living there, so I decided to leave and go to America to spice up my life.
Lutze: I was born in LA, but when I was four or five, my dad had to take care of some business in Croatia, so we moved back to his hometown. I spent most of my childhood there. I joined a soccer club, made great friends, and kept improving at football. I also play the piano and go to the British International School of Zagreb.
Yitzi: So, Neb, can you tell us the story of how you got involved in the entertainment business?
Neb: Growing up in Europe at the time, becoming an actor felt like a dream — almost impossible. I used to watch Dynasty and Dallas and think, “There’s no way I could ever do that.” But hey, you never know. I moved to America and became an engineer, but then I started struggling with panic attacks. Someone suggested I try acting classes, and it really helped take the burden off my shoulders. For those three hours, I could be someone else. I remember walking out of the Boston casting studio at 10 p.m., feeling completely relieved. That’s when I thought, “Maybe this is going to be part of my life.” And that’s how I got into acting.
Yitzi: Great. How about you, Lutze? Tell us how you got started in TV and film.
Lutze: The first movie I was in was called The Islander. At the time, I didn’t really know how to act, and I was super shy in front of the camera. I kept trying to hide my face because I thought my hair was covering my eyes. I even wrapped my cloak around my shoulders and looked away, but they kept telling me to look at the camera. My eyes just didn’t know where to go! But I kept at it, and little by little, I got better.
Eventually, I landed another movie, and for that one, I had to wear medieval-style clothes. Then, in The Last Redemption, I really got into my character. I memorized a lot of lines, and if you watch the movie, I think you’ll really enjoy it — it’s all about her. She gets kidnapped, and —
Neb: And then the bandits save her — which you wouldn’t expect. Someone else pretended the bandits killed her father, who was the king of a royal territory in the Middle East, somewhere in England, about 500 years ago. But the bandits didn’t actually kill him. So the kingdom turned against them, thinking they were guilty. The three of us — two brothers and a sister — decided to protect the girl because she was the only heir to the throne. The real villain wanted her dead so he could take over the kingdom.
The movie is two hours long, very epic, and honestly, I’m really proud of it.
Yitzi: Great. So, tell us — why do our readers have to watch Last Redemption?
Neb: It takes you back to medieval times, and the film has an amazing score. You get to hear this epic medieval music with horses, swords, and a really immersive atmosphere. The pacing isn’t too fast, so you really get to enjoy the story. There are some epic scenes that last two or three minutes, which is rare in movies these days.
And the story itself is beautiful. It’s about injustice turning into justice — redemption. The bandits were once bad, but they wanted to redeem themselves, and the only way to do that was to save the girl, whose life was just beginning. In the end, everyone dies except for her and the villain.
I play Silent Jack, one of the brothers. My character protects the girl and spends most of the movie fighting off soldiers who are trying to kill her. In the end, the three of us managed to keep her alive.
Yitzi: So, how would you compare and contrast your personal character, Neb, with Silent Jack, the character you play? How are you similar, and how are you different?
Neb: We’re actually very similar. I don’t talk a lot unless I have something important to say — I’m quiet most of the time, and I just do things instead of talking about them. That’s exactly how Silent Jack is. He’s a big guy with a good heart.
But when I do have something to say, I talk a lot. That was actually one of the hardest parts of playing this role — not talking. I had so many things I wanted to say, but the challenge was to express everything just through my face and body language. It’s tough, but that’s one of the first things you learn in acting. I remember my first acting class at CP Casting in Boston back in 2000. They told us, “Show us that you’re waiting for a bus that isn’t coming — but don’t look at your watch. Make us feel your frustration.” It’s little things like that you learn in acting school that really come into play when you’re on set.
Yitzi: So, Lutze, how are you similar and different from the character you play in the movie?
Lutze: Well, the character I play is really talkative — just like me — so I think we’re pretty similar in that way.
But in the movie, the girl has no fear. If someone’s trying to kill her, she’s like, “Why?” And if someone puts a knife to her neck, instead of panicking, she’d probably ask, “What kind of knife is this?” That’s where we’re different. If that were me, I’d be running for my life — I wouldn’t be looking at the knife or asking questions! So I think we’re alike in some ways, but she’s definitely more confident and fearless than I am.
Yitzi: So, this is our signature question. Neb, can you share with us five things you need to succeed in the entertainment industry?
Neb:
- Well, first, you have to be in it for the long haul. You can’t just expect success overnight.
- Second, you should never lose confidence. Self-confidence is key — you have to believe you can do it.
- Third, you need to know the skills. If you don’t have the skills, you won’t be confident.
- Fourth, you need a little bit of luck.
- And fifth, you can’t quit. They once asked Harrison Ford how he made it, and he said, “I didn’t quit. All my friends quit, but I didn’t.” That really stuck with me. The hardest part is getting those first few roles. Once you do, it gets easier. Right now, it’s much easier for me because every production I’ve worked on wants me back. Every year, I get a few more new productions, and in a couple of years, those same productions call me back. For example, I was in Mindcage with John Malkovich and Martin Lawrence, and now, two years later, they’re calling me again for a big movie with Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Hopkins. Hopefully, I’ll get that role. But the hardest part was booking my first film. My first role was in a short film called The Final Stop, a drama about human trafficking. We wanted to raise awareness about the issue, and I played a worried father. Ever since then, I’ve gotten a lot of those roles — playing worried fathers. That’s how it starts.
Yitzi: Beautiful. What about you, Lutze? Can you share a few things you need to be a successful actress?
Lutze:
- First, you can’t be scared of the camera — you have to show confidence. If you act stubborn and don’t want to show your face, they can just hire someone else. They don’t need you if you’re not useful, so you have to prove that you are. If you’re not… bye-bye.
- Second, you need to stay focused and not mess around during scenes. You don’t want to end up spending five extra hours filming just because you weren’t paying attention. Trust me, I’ve been there! I used to keep asking, “When’s the break? When’s the break?”
- Third, memorizing your lines is really important. If you forget them in the middle of a scene, you’ll just stand there while everyone waits for you. Then they have to stop filming, remind you of the line, and start over. That takes up a lot of time, and eventually, people get frustrated.
- And the last one, right? Okay, for the last one — you can’t just make up your own dialogue. You can’t randomly change things. For example, let’s say you’re in a horror movie, and there’s a killer who has already taken down a bunch of people. But instead of following the script, you suddenly decide, “Oh, I’ll just grab a stick and fight back.” The director is going to look at you like, What is she doing? That was not part of the scene! You have to stick to the script.
Yitzi: That’s amazing. Can you share the self-care routines you follow to help your body, mind, and heart thrive?
Neb: I have a lot going on. I run two businesses, I produce films, I act — they’re all separate jobs, and it’s a very dynamic world. On top of that, I take care of my family. We have two kids, so there’s a lot to juggle.
To stay balanced, I meditate, which really helps me clear my mind. I also stay active — I lift weights, I row on the water since I used to be on a crew team, and I do yoga. That’s how I keep my days in balance.
Yitzi: That’s great. How about you, Lutze? What do you do to take care of all the parts of your life?
Lutze: Well, first, I always put on a hydrating water mask before bed to keep my skin healthy.
I also have a lot of activities — like I mentioned, I have soccer practice, I play piano, and my dad signed me up for soccer at school too. All those activities keep me energetic and help keep my body strong.
But running so much also makes me really tired, and sometimes I forget to drink water. Then, when I finally realize I need to, I’m completely exhausted, and my body is like, Come on, drink! So I end up rushing to get water. In a way, pushing myself helps me stay hydrated because I can’t ignore it anymore!
Yitzi: Most people in your class probably aren’t making movies. How do you balance your homework, school activities, and being on set, working with actors for hours?
Lutze: I’m built different.
Yitzi: Love that. Okay, now for our aspirational question. Neb and Lutze, both of you have a lot of influence because of your great work and the platforms you’ve built. If you could spread an idea or
Neb: I would say, definitely, be positive. Be positive and do something. I have a saying — three things I live by: Do something, expect nothing, and… what’s the third one? I’ll remember by the time we’re done. Oh, and trust no one. Those three things — trust no one, expect nothing, and do something.
If you follow those, you won’t be disappointed. You won’t be angry. You won’t be negative. Basically, you’re on your own, believing in yourself and in God. I’ve always tried to stay positive and look at the bright side — that’s what’s kept me going.
Yitzi: How about you, Lutze?
Lutze: Kindness. For example, if someone’s bullying you, just say, “Okay.” Don’t fight back. They’re trying to make you angry, trying to get a reaction — but if you just say, “Okay,” they won’t get what they want. Eventually, they’ll keep trying, and if they cross the line and touch you, that’s when you can fight back. Because if they physically touch you, and it ends up in court, you’ll know exactly what to say and do. Meanwhile, they’ll just be sitting there looking stupid because they let their anger control them.
Yitzi: Amazing. This is what we call our “matchmaker question,” and sometimes it actually works. We’re very blessed that prominent leaders in entertainment and business read this column. Is there someone in the world — or in the U.S. — whom you’d love to collaborate with, have coffee with, or even a power lunch with? We could tag them on social media and maybe help connect you.
Neb: Well, I’d love to talk to Mick Jagger. When I was growing up, I listened to the Rolling Stones all the time. I’d love to have a few minutes to talk with him or Keith Richards — just to share my experience of growing up with their music.
Speaking of which, I actually shot two movies with John Travolta, and we became good friends. I told him how, back when Saturday Night Fever came to Yugoslavia — Zagreb, Croatia, to be exact — it was a huge deal. That was in 1978. I was 12 years old, and we all dressed like John Travolta. We learned all the dance moves from Saturday Night Fever. We had these pants with wide bootcut bottoms, pointy boots with heels, and of course, the pants were bright red. We wore big-collared shirts, and we were all trying to master those disco moves.
I told John this story on the set of The Poison Rose and Fanatic, and he was really interested. I could see that the story touched him — he really liked hearing it.
Yitzi: How about you, Lutze?
Lutze: Harry Styles — because he’s my favorite singer. He made my favorite songs, Sunroof and Watermelon Sugar.
Yitzi: Okay, wonderful. So, how can our readers follow your work? How can they watch the movie, and how can they support you?
Neb: The film is hopefully making its way to Netflix. Until then, it’s available on Prime Video. It’s called The Last Redemption.
You’ll see Lutze in a lot of scenes, and there are some great conversations and intense arguments. The acting — well, not mine — but the other actors are amazing. We have so many talented actors from England, many of whom have acted before. When you watch it, you really get drawn in. I’d definitely encourage people to check it out.
We have a 90% approval rating on Amazon, which is great. But these days, distribution is tough unless you have an A-list actor. We do have Kevin Sorbo, but even with him, it’s still challenging. There are just so many movies being made now — about 20,000 a year — so breaking through is harder than ever.
Yitzi: Okay, beautiful. Well, it was so nice to meet you both. I wish you continued success and blessings, and I hope we can do this again next year.
Neb: Thank you very much for your time.
Rising Stars Neb & Lutze Chupin Of ‘The Last Redemption’ On The Five Things You Need To Shine In… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.