Lucas Hedges

Lucas Hedges Bio

Lucas Hedges (born December 12, 1996) is an American actor. The son of screenwriter and director Peter Hedges, he trained at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts before building a reputation as one of the most compelling performers of his generation. Hedges first drew widespread attention with a supporting role in Wes Anderson’s comedy-drama Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and has since alternated between independent films, major studio releases, and stage work in New York and London.

He is widely recognized for his performance in Kenneth Lonergan’s drama Manchester by the Sea (2016), which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Over the following years, Hedges expanded his range across projects including Boy Erased, Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and the Broadway revival of The Waverly Gallery, establishing himself as a prominent figure in contemporary American cinema and theater.

Early Life and Background

Lucas Hedges was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the second of two boys. His mother, Susan Bruce (née Titman), is a poet and actress, and his father, Peter Hedges, is a screenwriter and director. His paternal grandfather, the Reverend Robert Boyden Hedges, was an Episcopal minister. On his mother’s side, his grandfather was a former vice president at HBO in New York, and his grandmother, Narcissa Titman, worked as a theatre director and lecturer.

Hedges grew up in the Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill neighborhoods with his older brother, Simon. He frequently visited his father’s film sets as a child, gaining early exposure to movie production. As a young boy, Hedges appeared as an extra in his father’s feature film Dan in Real Life (2007), though his only line was cut in post-production. He later attended Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn and is also a graduate of the Cherubs Theatre Program at Northwestern University’s National High School Institute.

Coming from a family deeply connected to film, poetry, and theater, Hedges developed an interest in acting from a young age. The combination of his parents’ artistic careers and his grandparents’ involvement in media and stage direction helped shape his early aspirations.

Path to Acting

Hedges’ entry into professional film came during a middle-school play production, when the casting director for Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom noticed him and cast him in the role of Redford. Released in 2012, the comedy-drama marked his first major screen appearance. He went on to take small roles in films including Arthur Newman (2012), Labor Day (2013), The Zero Theorem (2013), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and Kill the Messenger (2014), gradually building experience across independent and studio productions.

In 2015, Hedges was cast in the NBC miniseries The Slap, an adaptation of the Australian series of the same name. The following year, he joined the cast of Kenneth Lonergan’s independent drama Manchester by the Sea, playing Patrick Chandler, a sixteen-year-old boy dealing with the recent death of his father. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and earned over $78 million at the box office against a $9 million budget.

During this period, Hedges also studied theatre at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts from 2015 to 2016, balancing formal training with his growing film career. His dual immersion in academic theater and on-set work helped him transition smoothly into larger and more complex roles.

Lucas Hedges Career

Early Career (2007-2015)

Hedges made his feature film debut as an extra in his father’s comedy-drama Dan in Real Life in 2007, although his line was ultimately cut in post-production. He spent several years appearing in school plays before being cast in Moonrise Kingdom in 2012. His early filmography included supporting parts in films directed by Jason Reitman, Terry Gilliam, Wes Anderson, and Michael Cuesta, allowing him to work with established directors early in his career.

He appeared in the 2015 NBC miniseries The Slap and continued to develop his craft through small but notable roles. Critics took note of his work in Kill the Messenger, with IndieWire naming him the surprise stand-out of the cast. These early projects laid the foundation for his breakthrough the following year.

Breakthrough (2016-2017)

Hedges’ breakthrough came with Manchester by the Sea (2016), where he played Patrick Chandler opposite Casey Affleck. Critics praised his ability to portray a grieving teenager with depth and restraint. Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph called him phenomenal, while Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described his performance as glorious. For this role, Hedges won the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In early 2017, Hedges made his stage debut in the off-Broadway play Yen at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in New York. 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. That same year, he appeared in 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. The cast of Three Billboards won the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Notable Works and Milestones

Among Hedges’ most recognized works are Manchester by the Sea, Boy Erased, Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Mid90s, and Honey Boy. His portrayal in Boy Erased (2018) earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama, making him one of the few actors of his generation to receive nominations from both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes before the age of twenty-five.

Lucas Hedges Award Nominations

Lucas Hedges has received major award nominations from prestigious institutions including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. His first major nomination came in 2016 for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Manchester by the Sea. Two years later, in 2018, he earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for his performance in Boy Erased.

Lucas Hedges Awards Won

Hedges has won several notable awards throughout his career. He received the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer for Manchester by the Sea in 2017 and the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Debut Performance for his role in Yen the same year. Additionally, as part of the ensemble cast of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, he shared in the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Lucas Hedges Family

Lucas Hedges is the son of screenwriter and director Peter Hedges and poet and actress Susan Bruce (née Titman). His older brother, Simon, works in private equity in New York. His paternal grandfather, the Reverend Robert Boyden Hedges, was an Episcopal minister, and his maternal grandfather was a former vice president at HBO. His maternal grandmother, Narcissa Titman, is a former theatre director and lecturer. Growing up, Hedges frequently visited his father’s film sets, which provided him with early exposure to the entertainment industry.

Personal Life

In a 2018 interview, Hedges spoke publicly about his sexuality, stating that in the early stages of his life, some of the people he was most infatuated with were his closest male friends, and that he exists on a spectrum. He has since spoken about being an ally to the LGBTQ community and has described his sexuality as a fluid experience.

Upcoming Projects

Hedges is set to star alongside Daniel Radcliffe in the upcoming war thriller Trust the Man. He is also attached to Sorry, Baby, a film written and directed by Eva Victor that premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, in which he plays a kind neighbor to the film’s troubled protagonist.