Bio
Josh Lucas is an American actor best known for his roles in the feature films Sweet Home Alabama, A Beautiful Mind, Glory Road and Poseidon.
He also stars in the action thriller television series The Firm as Mitch McDeere, who as a young associate brought down the prestigious Memphis law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke, which operated as a front for the Chicago mob.
After a difficult decade, McDeere and his family now emerge from isolation to reclaim their lives and their future - only to find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are everywhere.
Lucas' film career began by accident in 1979 when a small Canadian production was filmed on the tiny coastal South Carolina island, The Isle of Palms, where Lucas and his family lived.
Unknown to the filmmakers, eight-year-old Lucas was hiding in the sand dunes watching filming during the climactic scene where teenage lovers engage in a fight. It was during this experience that Lucas decided to pursue a career in film.
Born to young, radical, politically active parents in Arkansas in 1971, Lucas spent his early childhood nomadically moving around the southern United States. The family finally settled in Gig Harbor, Washington, where Lucas attended high school.
The school had an award-winning drama/debate program and Lucas won the State Championship in Dramatic Interpretation and competed at the National Championship in 1989. Brief stints in professional theatre in Seattle followed before Lucas moved to Los Angeles.
After receiving breaks playing a young George Armstrong Custer in the Steven Spielberg production Class of '61, and in the Frank Marshall film Alive, Lucas toiled in minor television appearances. Frustrated, he decided to start over and relocate to New York City.
In New York City, Lucas studied acting for years under Suzanne Shepherd and performed in smaller theatre productions, such as Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, before receiving another break in 1997 when he was cast as Judas in Terrence McNally's controversial off-Broadway production of Corpus Christi.
The play led to being cast in the films You Can Count on Me and American Psycho. These films were followed by performances in the Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind, and the box-office hit Sweet Home Alabama.
Lucas gave memorable performances in various films, such as Ang Lee's Hulk, David Gordon Green's Undertow, Secondhand Lions, Wonderland, Lasse Hallstrom's An Unfinished Life, and Wolfgang Petersen's Poseidon.
In 2005, Lucas gained nearly 40 pounds to play legendary basketball coach Don Haskins in the Jerry Bruckheimer production Glory Road.
Lucas followed this performance by making his Broadway debut in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie. His other theatre credits include the award-winning off-Broadway production of Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell.
Lucas's first producing project, the intensely personal Boaz Yakin film Death in Love, in which he also starred, was released in 2009. He also produced and starred in the IFC film Stolen opposite Jon Hamm, which was released in select theatres in 2011.
He was also seen as Charles Lindbergh in Warner Bros. J. Edgar, directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Dustin Lance Black; and appeared in Millennium Films' Medallion with Nicolas Cage, and the independent film Big Sur alongside Kate Bosworth.
Lucas also appears in the Australian independent film Red Dog, opposite Rachael Taylor. Adapted from the beloved and best-selling novel Red Dog by Louis De Bernieres, the film captures the story of a loyal dog searching the Australian Outback for its owner (Lucas).
He also starred in Anchor Bay's dark comedy Daydream Nation, opposite Kat Dennings. Daydream Nation premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. He also starred in the Lionsgate film The Lincoln Lawyer, opposite Matthew McConaughey; Life as We Know It, opposite Katherine Heigl; and in the independent film A Year in Mooring, opposite Ayelet Zurer and James Cromwell.
Lucas has always remained fascinated by documentaries, and has worked repeatedly with film legend Ken Burns on the documentaries The War, The National Parks: America's Best Idea and Prohibition, which he narrated.
He was involved in the Oscar-nominated Operation Homecoming, and appeared in the National Board of Review's award winner Trumbo. Lucas also appeared in the Los Angeles Film Festival's award-winning film Resolved, as well as Barry Levinson's documentary Poliwood.
Lucas resides in New York City.