Lucas Hedges Bio
Lucas Hedges (born December 12, 1996) is an American actor. A son of filmmaker Peter Hedges, he studied theater at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Hedges began his acting career with a supporting role in Wes Anderson’s comedy-drama Moonrise Kingdom (2012). He had his breakthrough in 2016 playing a sardonic teenager in Kenneth Lonergan’s drama Manchester by the Sea, which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, among other accolades. Hedges then starred as an aggressive youth in an off-Broadway production of Yen and had supporting roles in the coming-of-age film Lady Bird and the drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in 2017.
Early Life and Background
Lucas Hedges was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the second of two boys born to poet and actress Susan Bruce and screenwriter and director Peter Hedges. His paternal grandfather, the Rev. Robert Boyden Hedges, was an Episcopal minister. He has an older brother, Simon, who works in private equity in New York. Hedges grew up in Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, frequently visiting his father’s film sets. As a child, he made his feature film debut as an extra in his father’s film Dan in Real Life (2007), although his line was cut in post-production. A graduate of Saint Ann’s School, he studied theatre at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts from 2015 to 2016.
Path to Hollywood
During a middle-school play production, Hedges was spotted by the casting director for Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (2012), who eventually cast him in the film as Redford. He went on to play small roles in the comedy-drama Arthur Newman (2012), Jason Reitman’s romance Labor Day (2013), and Terry Gilliam’s science fiction film The Zero Theorem (2013). In 2014, Hedges had a minor role in Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel and played the son of Jeremy Renner’s character in Michael Cuesta’s drama Kill the Messenger. In 2015, he was cast in the NBC miniseries The Slap, adapted from the Australian series of the same name. Hedges next joined the cast of Kenneth Lonergan’s independent drama Manchester by the Sea (2016). In it, he played Patrick Chandler, a 16-year-old boy dealing with the recent death of his father, who is left in the care of his unwilling and troubled uncle. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and earned over $78 million against its $9 million budget. For his work, Hedges won a Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Lucas Hedges Career
Early Career (2007–2017)
In 2017, Hedges made his stage debut as the lead in the Trip Cullman-directed off-Broadway play Yen, which ran at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Taking note of his performance as an aggressive teenager, critics praised his ability to convey the complexities of adolescence. He was nominated for the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play and won the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Debut Performance. Also in 2017, he had supporting roles in two films—Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut Lady Bird and Martin McDonagh’s crime drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, both of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Breakthrough (2018–present)
Hedges had three film releases in 2018. He played the supporting role of a teenager who bullies his younger brother in Jonah Hill’s directorial debut Mid90s. In Boy Erased, he played the lead role of a teenager forced into a gay conversion therapy program, which earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama. He also starred in Ben Is Back, a drama directed by his father. In 2018, Hedges made his Broadway debut in a revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s play The Waverly Gallery, where he played a teenager coping with his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s disease. In 2023, he starred in a West End theatre production of Brokeback Mountain, portraying Ennis Del Mar. His performance received critical acclaim, with comparisons to Heath Ledger’s portrayal in the film adaptation.
Notable Works and Milestones
Lucas Hedges is known for his roles in Manchester by the Sea and Boy Erased. He has received several accolades, including nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award.
Lucas Hedges Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Lucas Hedges has received nominations for prestigious awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Manchester by the Sea and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama for Boy Erased.
Lucas Hedges Awards Won
Lucas Hedges has won the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer for his role in Manchester by the Sea.
Lucas Hedges Family
Lucas Hedges is the son of filmmaker Peter Hedges and poet and actress Susan Bruce. He has one older brother, Simon.
Personal Life
Lucas Hedges has described his sexuality as fluid, stating that he is not entirely straight but also not fully gay or bisexual. He has expressed support for the LGBTQ community.
