Actor Lucas Black on NCIS: New Orleans was enjoying plenty of success when God called him to leave Hollywood behind. He’d even starred in plenty of movies, including the popular Fast And The Furious franchise. But the Holy Spirit convicted him and the Christian celebrity made a bold decision to put his faith first!
Lucas spent most of his life acting, starring opposite Billy Bob Thornton at the young age of 14 in the 1996 Oscar-winning movie, Sling Blade. And by the time Lucas Black joined NCIS: New Orleans as one of the show’s main characters, Special Agent Christopher LaSalle, he was at the height of a successful career.
Though Lucas Black grew up in a Christian home where he attended church every Sunday, he sort of drifted from his faith as he got older. But after falling in love and starting a family, he began to reevaluate the role of faith in his life.
Though his appearances in movies and on TV certainly provided a good life for his wife and children, there are things money can’t buy. And after becoming a father, this actor began looking for something deeper than worldly success.
By the time Lucas Black and his wife welcomed their third child in 2015, he turned to the Bible. And that’s when he felt God calling him in a different direction.
“That [2015] was when the Holy Spirit convicted me,” Lucas recalled. “And really, my faith and my relationship with the Lord became a lot closer. That was when I was stepping into the fatherhood role. So I really wanted to point my kids in the right direction.”
And as Lucas Black went deeper in his relationship with Christ, his time on NCIS: New Orleans became more of a burden than a blessing.
“[I knew] I was going to have to stand firm and stand strong in my beliefs if I was going to survive, and really keep my family held together,” he said. “That was really when, you know, some people would say [I] rededicated my life to the Lord in 2015 – seeking Him and becoming serious about my relationship with Him.”
Lucas knew God was calling him to reprioritize his life. And that meant it was time to make a tough choice — one the world likely wouldn’t understand.
Not only was his rigorous work schedule taking away from Lucas’ time with God, but it was also taking away from his time with his wife and kids. And though many would be willing to sacrifice family time for a fat paycheck, Lucas couldn’t ignore the convictions in his heart from his Heavenly Father.
And so, at the height of his Hollywood career, he made a big decision to step out in faith!
In 2019, Lucas Black appeared on NCIS: New Orleans for the last time. He decided to take a break from acting and step away from Hollywood.
“The show has been so good to me over the years exceeding my expectations and goals,” he said. “But this job isn’t easy for me, there are a lot of priorities in my life that get sacrificed for me to be here but it’s time for me to focus on those priorities in my life.”
Lucas realized it was time to prioritize spending time with family, as well as with his Heavenly Father.
After leaving NCIS, Lucas Black and his wife Maggie O’Brien prayed about what came next.
“We were praying what the next step was going to be,” Lucas explained. “We saw a huge culture shift here in America and for a long time, movies coming out of Hollywood and in entertainment undermined the fatherhood role.”
God was faithful in answering Lucas’ prayer. While at a homeschooling convention, Lucas Black met Pastor Eric Ludy. Pastor Ludy told Lucas about the script for a faith-based film called Legacy Peak.
Legacy Peak, a Pure Flix original movie, is about a man named Jason who is dating a woman who already has two children. Jason is hoping to win over the hearts of the kids belonging to the woman he intends to marry. He takes the kids on a “perfectly planned trip” which goes awry and sets them on an unexpected adventure where they are struggling to survive in the wilderness.