Ryan Kwanten on sports: ‘You name it, and I’ll try to compete’

After Ryan Kwanten moved to Los Angeles a dozen years ago, he discovered what he considers the perfect local gym: the great outdoors. Best known for playing Southern heartthrob Jason Stackhouse on HBO’s “True Blood,” the actor says he stays in shape hiking, surfing, skiing or engaging in just about any “sporting endeavor” that doesn’t involve formally working out.

At age 12, he survived a shark attack while surfing and was back on the water the next day. In his native Australia, he burnished his land and sea skills in lifeguard competitions. For his starring role in the romantic comedy “The Right Kind of Wrong,” he happily learned to hang glide.

You grew up on the coast in Sydney. Did that cause you to gravitate to outdoor sports?

It was very much built in our culture in Australia, and it was probably far easier for my mum to deal with my brothers and me when we were entertained by our sports events. I did everything from boxing to triathlon to surfing, pretty much anything that was outdoors. My dad coached me for a long time in surf lifesaving, same as being a lifeguard here.

You were surfing a local break back home when a shark attacked?

It happened so fast. I fell trying to do a move and put my hand in the water, hoping to hit sand but my hand wouldn’t budge when I pulled on it. When I yanked it again, there was movement between my legs, and I jumped on my board and sort of paddled in. The lifeguard came running and identified the bite marks. It was the kind of shark that has more gums than teeth, so theoretically I got gummed by a shark. I was a little hero for a week, couldn’t do anything wrong at home. I worked that.

Do you and your character in “The Right Kind of Wrong” have any common traits?

Tenacity is a great quality, and I share that with Leo, my character. Leo’s sort of a relentless romantic, and that drives him to go after what he believes in. He has a crippling fear of heights, and there’s a hang-gliding scene that is his monumental moment. I had bungee jumped and jumped out of planes, but had never hang glided, so I had to train for it. I’m an adventure seeker, so it was fun.

Has your affinity for sports helped you in Hollywood?

I’ve always believed the harder you work, the luckier you get. That philosophy comes from the sporting endeavor. There’s a certain amount of luck involved in succeeding at the craft of acting, but you also have to work at it. Honestly, you name it, and I’ll try to compete. I’m not necessarily a trained tennis player, but I’m a pit bull — I’ll chase down every ball and get it back into play.

Any advice for someone learning to incorporate working out into daily life?

Start by doing any little thing, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Stand instead of sitting down. Walk while talking on the phone. Develop a passion for a physical activity. And if you do end up at the gym, follow Bruce Lee’s philosophy: Seek out the most unused piece of equipment — the chin-up bar — because it provides the hardest workout.

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