Lucas York Black (born
November 29,
1982) is an
American film and
television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the cult
CBS television series
American Gothic as well as the films
Sling Blade,
Friday Night Lights, and
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Biography
Personal life
Black was born in
Decatur, Alabama,
the son of Jan, an office worker, and Larry Black, a
museum worker;
he has two older siblings, Lee (a brother) and Lori (a sister). Black grew up in
Speake, Alabama and played for the Speake Bobcats, graduating from
high school in May 2001.
Career
Without any formal training as an actor, Lucas's film debut was in the 1994
Kevin Costner film,
The War. He was subsequently cast as Caleb Temple in
CBS's
television series
American Gothic, which ran from 1995 to 1996, and in the films
Sling Blade,
Ghosts of Mississippi and
The X Files. Later in 1997 Black starred in the
TV film Flash, which aired on
The Wonderful World of Disney. In 1998, Black was offered a part in
The Horse Whisperer. However, when he was told that he would need to tone down his thick Alabama accent for the part, he rejected the role, believing that actors should act only in parts in which they could be themselves. During this time period, Black also modeled for
Calvin Klein Jeans.
