Actor Lucas Black Criticizes Hollywood Output, Proposes Alternative
- Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
- Updated Oct 12, 2023
A well-known actor known for his major roles in NCIS: New Orleans and the Fast and the Furious series says God led him to roles in a pair of Great American Pure Flix movies in order to provide families an alternative to the “junk that's coming out of Hollywood.”
Lucas Black portrayed Christopher LaSalle from 2014 to 2019 in NCIS: New Orleans and Sean Boswell in F9, Furious 7, and Tokyo Drift, but has since found a lane in faith-based content.
He played a lead character in the 2022 Great American Pure Flix movie Legacy Peak and portrays a main character in the new film Birthright Outlaw, which launches on Great American Pure Flix Oct. 13 and also stars Sarah Drew (Grey’s Anatomy). He also has a role in the 2024 theatrical faith-based movie Unsung Hero.
“I feel like God has orchestrated the whole thing,” Black told Christian Headlines. “I try to stay prayerful and just trust in Him.”
An outspoken Christian, Lucas landed the role in Legacy Peak, he said, at a time when he was taking a break from acting. The director of that film, Aaron Burns, sought out Black and also helmed Birthright Outlaw, which is set in the Old West and tells the story of a father who must fight to rescue his daughter.
“I've been in three films now that promote family, promote faith,” Black told Christian Headlines. “And it's something that God's put on my heart. I can't deny that. I really try to talk about the value of marriage on my social media platforms. I try to talk about the value of family. [I talk about] the Christian values I believe in, the American values that I believe our country was founded on -- those things. And those things are under attack in our culture. There's not a lot of content out there right now that I'm very happy with. And so these movies that are coming my way are a blessing. It's good, wholesome content.”
Fans of hunting and fishing perhaps know Black best for his YouTube channel, Real Life Lucas Black, where he posts outdoor adventure videos of him and his family. Black grew up in rural Alabama and says nature helps him draw closer to God.
“I don't see how anyone can’t believe there's a God if they just look outside and the order of things,” he said, quoting Romans 1:20. “... I have a passion for it. I want my kids to experience that.”
Black also has a passion for faith and family. In Birthright Outlaw, he said, his character “makes a decision to stand up and to fight for his marriage, to fight for his family, and to go and save his daughter.” He hopes the movie’s Western backdrop appeals to men.
“We need everybody out there that's recognizing the junk that's coming out of Hollywood, and let's create another avenue so that we can create better content, have better movies … that line up with our values. This is it,” he said.
“I think there's a lot of people out there that are hungry for these types of movies and for content like this,” he added. “And I think it's going to really speak volumes in our culture today. Because the family is being attacked. The definition of marriage is being attacked. And so to play a character where he really has to stand out in an uncomfortable position and fight for his marriage, fight for his relationships that mean the most to him -- it's something that appealed to me, and I was proud to be a part of.”
Photo Courtesy: ©Great American Pure Flix
Video Courtesy: Pure Flix via YouTube
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
