Lucas Till | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Till in 2015 | |
| Born | Lucas Daniel Till (1990-08-10)August 10, 1990 (age 35) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Spouse | Skyler Samuels (m. 2024) |
| Children | 1 |
Lucas Daniel Till (born August 10, 1990) is an American actor. His work spans film and television, and his accolades include fiveTeen Choice Award nominations.
Till began his career in the early 2000s with roles inindependent films, before gaining early attention for hissupporting role in the biopicWalk the Line (2005). He had hisbreakthrough withromantic lead roles in theDisney filmHannah Montana: The Movie andmusic videos forTaylor Swift's "You Belong with Me" andMiley Cyrus' "The Climb" (all 2009).
The action comediesThe Spy Next Door (2010) andMonster Trucks (2016) brought Till wider attention, and he portrayedHavok inMarvel'sX-Men prequel films (2011–2016). Till next played theeponymous role in theCBS action crime drama seriesMacGyver (2016–2021), a reboot of the1980s series of the same name. He subsequently garnered critical acclaim for his portrayal ofBob Zellner in the historical biopicSon of the South (2020), before starring in the action filmThe Collective (2023).
Lucas Daniel Till was born on August 10, 1990, inFort Hood,Texas. He is the son of chemist Dana Lyn (née Brady)[1] and John Mark Till, acolonel in theArmy.[2][3][4] He has a younger brother, Nick (b. 1997). Till spent most of his childhood living in the suburbs ofAtlanta,Georgia. His family noticed he enjoyed impersonating voices and characters. When he was 11 his mother enrolled him in localacting classes, and it was not long before he was discovered by Joy Pervis, an agent from aTalent agency inAtlanta. Till began booking almost immediately in print, local, regional, and nationalcommercials. He later attended Kell High School.[5] After filming forThe Hannah Montana Movie inNashville, Till went back home to graduate with the Kell High School class of 2008.[6] After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles,California, to continue acting.[6]
In 2003, Till made his first film collaboration in theshort filmThe Lovesong of Edwerd J. Robble, in the role of Michael.[7]At the age of 12, he was cast inThe Adventures of Ociee Nash in which he played Harry Vanderbilt, the bully of the main character.[8] In 2004, Till played the role of Jay in thehorror filmLightning Bug which filmed inFairview, Alabama,[9] and, later, he participated in theshort filmPee Shy,[10] playing Chad. His first major movie role was Jack Cash, the older brother ofJohnny Cash, who died in a sawmill accident, in thebiographical filmWalk the Line (2005).[11]AfterWalk the Line, Till was featured in a number oftelevision films forLifetime andindependent films.[8] For example, the following year, Till played the young Samuel North in a feature filmThe Other Side filmed inAtlanta, Georgia.[12] In 2006, he also joined the cast of theLifetime television filmNot Like Everyone Else, portraying Kyle Kenney.[13]
In 2008, Till starred as Jensen inGregg Bishop's horror-comedyDance of the Dead which was hand-picked by directorSam Raimi for distribution throughLions Gate Entertainment andGhost House Pictures.[14] He was also invited to participate in the fifth season of theAmerican television seriesHouse in the episode titled "Joy to the World" in the role of Simon, a high school student who has a romantic relationship with his schoolmate, but due to their social differences, they cannot be together.[15] Three weeks before graduating from high school, Till auditioned forHannah Montana: The Movie (starringMiley Cyrus) and landed the role of Travis Brody, a young cowboy and Miley's friend who ends up becoming her love interest.[16] The role garnered Till two nominations at the2009 Teen Choice Awards, in the Choice Movie Actor: Music/Dance and Choice Movie: Liplock (shared with Cyrus) categories respectively.[citation needed] As part of the awards promotion campaign, Till recorded threeshort films:Not Another Changeling Movie, aparody ofAngelina Jolie's movieChangeling;[17]The Red Menace[18] andThe Bourneson Stupidity, a parody of the filmThe Bourne Identity.[19]
In early 2009, he participated in thehorror filmLaid to Rest as a commercial employee.[20]He also participated in the episodes "Scotophobia" and "Hydrophobia" of the horrorweb seriesFear Clinic playing the character of Brett, a young man suffering from hydrophobia.[21] He starred in the music video forTaylor Swift's "You Belong with Me" as her next-door neighbour and love interest.[22]Till and Swift first met in 2008 while filming forHannah Montana: The Movie. In 2009, he participated in the fifth season ofMedium in the role of Adam Mankowitz in the episode titled "Things to do in Phoenix when you're dead",[23] and onLeo Little's Big Show along withEmily Osment in the episode titled "Hannah Montana: The Movie".[24] He was also part of the starring cast in the movieThe Lost & Found Family released directly in DVD format and distributed bySony Pictures Home Entertainment. His character was Justin, a young boy with some bad attitudes.[25]
In early 2010, Till played the role of a Russian agent in the filmThe Spy Next Door starringJackie Chan.[26]That same year, he played Matt Parker, a high school quarterback in the first season ofBlue Mountain State in the episode titled "The Legend of the Golden Arm".[27]He also returned to collaborate in the co-production in an independentscience fictionadventure film directed byJason Trost and in which he also plays Jack, a young man on vacation inAsia who realizes that his horrible dreams are becoming a reality and that reality is turning into a nightmare. The movie was called "Vacation 8".[28]In 2011, he was part of the cast of theColumbia Pictures-produced action science fiction filmBattle: Los Angeles as Corporal Grayston.[29] Till playedAlex Summers/Havok, a mutant who has the ability to absorb solar energy which he can then launch as plasma energy from his body in theX-Men spin-offX-Men: First Class, asuperhero film produced by20th Century Fox andMarvel Entertainment directed byMatthew Vaughn.[30] This role allowed him to receive a nomination for the 13thTeen Choice Awards in the Choice Movie: Chemistry category (shared withJennifer Lawrence,Nicholas Hoult,Zoë Kravitz,Caleb Landry Jones, andEdi Gathegi).[citation needed]
In 2011, the actor took his first steps into the world ofaudiovisual production, collaborating with the production of the independentsuperhero filmAll Superheroes Must Die (also known asVs)[31]and in which he also plays the role of Ben / Cutthroat. In the film, four superheroes (one of whom is Till) are kidnapped by their arch enemy and are forced to compete in a series of challenges to save an abandoned city full of kidnapped innocent civilians. Later that year, he collaborated on themusic video accompanying the performance ofAdele's song "Someone like You" byTony Oller. In the video, Till plays Tony's friend who gets in the way of their love affair.[32][unreliable source?] In 2011, he also made acommercial for an international brand of sports shoes.[33][unreliable source?]
In 2012, Till returned to work indramas by participating in the movieDark Hearts in the role of Sam, a young man who travels to the city to spend time with his older brother and thus escape problems at home.[34] He next worked withNicole Kidman on the 2013 filmStoker, in which he played a bragging young man named Chris Pitts.[35] He was also part of the starring cast in the direct-to-DVD filmCrush as Scott Norris, a star member of the high school soccer team who despite having a knee injury caused by a blow in a game runs every morning.[36] That same year, he returned to collaborate withJason Trost in the production of the independentcomedyWet and Reckless and in which he played Toby 'Dollars'.[37] He also participated withLiam Hemsworth,Gary Oldman andHarrison Ford in the filmParanoia as Kevin, friend and co-worker of Adam (Liam Hemsworth).[38]
In 2014, he returned to movies in thehorror genre by participating in the filmWolves as Cayden Richards, a high school student who is becoming a werewolf and who after the murder of his parents tries to discover the truth of who he really is.[39] and in thethriller anddrama movieSins of our Youth as Tyler, alongsideJoel Courtney,Mitchel Musso and Bridger Zardina.[40]He was also a co-producer on thehorror andsuspense filmMy Eleventh.[41]He also participated in thetelevision seriesComedy Bang! Bang! in the first episode of the third season titled "Patton Oswalt Wears a Black Blazer & Dress Shoes"[42] and reprised his role as Havok inX-Men: Days of Future Past, the sequel to 2011'sFirst Class.[43]
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In 2015, Till participated in the dramatic filmBravetown, originally titledStrings,[44] playing the role of Josh Harvest aDJ in his early and formative stage, and in thesuspense movieThe Curse of Downers Grove in the role of Bobby.[45]Both movies released directly inDVD format.
In 2016, Till played Ben Philips Jr. in the horror filmThe Disappointments Room[46] and returned as Havok inX-Men: Apocalypse, the third installment in the X-Men prequel films series.[47] That same year, he began starring asAngus "Mac" MacGyver in the television reboot ofMacGyver, which airs onCBS. Mac is a secret agent of a United Statesgovernment organization that uses his extraordinary talent to solve problems and his extensive knowledge of science to save lives.[48]Paramount Animation together withNickelodeon Movies produced thecomedy andadventure film titledMonster Trucks, directed byBlue Sky Studios founderChris Wedge in which Till starred as Tripp.[49][50]
During 2016 and 2017, he started working on a project as a co-producer, thescience fiction andsuspense filmSpectrum playing the role ofa young scientist named Connor.[51]
He also participated in the one-hour animated television special titledMichael Jackson's Halloween which premiered on CBS in October 2017 lending his voice to the character of Vincent, a young store clerk who wants to be aDJ.[52] In the same month, he participated withCBS Cares in a television campaign in support of hurricane relief inPuerto Rico afterHurricane Maria struck the area.[6]
CBS renewedMacGyver in which Till played the starring role, continuing his role in the second, third and fourth seasons. This leading role allowed him to receive the nomination in 2018 in the 20th edition of theTeen Choice Awards in the category ofChoice TV Actor: Action, a nomination that he also received in 2019 in the 21st broadcast of theTeen Choice Awards in the same category.[53] In addition to the leading role, Till collaborated in the production of the 13 episodes that make up the fourth season of the series.[54]
In 2019, he collaborated again with CBS Cares in a television campaign in support of the fight againstlupus.[55]
He renewed his contract in 2020 to continue his leading role in the fifth season ofMacGyver.[56] Till has said in interviews that he was the subject of verbal abuse and body shaming from the showrunner ofMacGyver,Peter Lenkov.[57] Till reported being suicidal in the first year of the filming ofMacGyver due to Lenkov's abuse.[57] Lenkov was later fired from CBS on July 7, 2020.[57]
Till playedBob Zellner, the grandson of a member of theKu Klux Klan, who joins thecivil rights movement in theUnited States in the filmSon of the South, based on Zellner's autobiographyThe Wrong Side of Murder Creek.[58] Written and directed byBarry Alexander Brown, the film received mixed reviews from critics, although Till's performance was widely praised.YouTube film criticJackie K. Cooper praised his performance, saying Till "does a very good job".[59]The New York Times andVariety also praised Till's performance.[60][61]
In March 2024, Till was cast as Garret Van Ness in theNetflixwestern seriesThe Abandons,[62] starring oppositeGillian Anderson andNick Robinson. Filming began in Spring the same year, after being delayed due to the2023 Hollywood labor disputes.[63]
Around 2017–2018, Till began dating actressSkyler Samuels. In March 2024, Samuels revealed that the two had since gotten married and were currently residing in Till's hometown ofAtlanta, Georgia.[64] In May 2024, Samuels announced that they had welcomed their first child earlier that year.[65] They are currently expecting their second child together.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Lovesong of Edwerd J. Robble | Michael | Short film[7] |
| The Adventures of Ociee Nash | Harry Vanderbilt | ||
| 2004 | Pee Shy | Chad | Short film[10] |
| Lightning Bug | Jay Graves | ||
| 2005 | Walk the Line | Young Jack Cash | |
| 2006 | The Other Side | Young Samuel North | |
| 2008 | Dance of the Dead | Jensen | Direct-to-DVD |
| 2009 | Laid to Rest | Young Store Clerk | Direct-to-video |
| Hannah Montana: The Movie | Travis Brody | ||
| The Lost & Found Family | Justin | Direct-to-video | |
| 2010 | The Spy Next Door | Larry | |
| 2011 | Battle: Los Angeles | Cpl. Scott Grayston | |
| X-Men: First Class | Alex Summers / Havok | ||
| All Superheroes Must Die | Cutthroat / Ben | Direct-to-video; also producer | |
| 2012 | Dark Hearts | Sam | Direct-to-DVD |
| 2013 | Stoker | Chris Pitts | |
| Crush | Scott Norris | Direct-to-video | |
| Wet and Reckless | Toby 'Dollars' | Direct-to-video; also producer | |
| Paranoia | Kevin | ||
| 2014 | Wolves | Cayden Richards | Direct-to-video |
| Kristy | Aaron | Direct-to-video | |
| Sins of our Youth | Tyler | ||
| X-Men: Days of Future Past | Alex Summers / Havok | ||
| 2015 | Bravetown | Josh Harvest | Direct-to-video |
| The Curse of Downers Grove | Bobby | Direct-to-video | |
| 2016 | X-Men: Apocalypse | Alex Summers / Havok | |
| The Disappointments Room | Ben Philips Jr. | ||
| 2017 | Monster Trucks | Tripp Coley | |
| 2020 | Son of the South | Bob Zellner | |
| 2023 | Spectrum | Connor | |
| The Collective | Sam Alexander |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Not Like Everyone Else | Kyle Kenney | Television film |
| 2008 | House | Simon | Episode: "Joy to the World" |
| 2009 | Medium | Adam Mankowitz | Episode: "Things to Do in Phoenix When You're Dead" |
| Fear Clinic | Brett | Episodes: "Scotophobia" and "Hydrophobia" | |
| 2010 | Blue Mountain State | Golden Arm / Matt Parker | Episode: "The Legend of the Golden Arm" |
| 2014 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Thief | Episode: "Patton Oswalt Wears a Black Blazer & Dress Shoes" |
| 2016–2021 | MacGyver | MacGyver | Lead role |
| 2017 | Michael Jackson's Halloween | Vincent (voice) | Television special |
| 2025 | The Abandons | Garret Van Ness | Main role |
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "You Belong with Me" | Taylor Swift |
| "The Climb" | Miley Cyrus |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | All Superheroes Must Die | Co-producer |
| 2013 | Wet and Reckless | |
| 2014 | My Eleventh | |
| 2017 | Spectrum | |
| 2020 | MacGyver |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teen Choice Awards | 2009 | Choice Movie Actor: Music/Dance | Hannah Montana: The Movie | Nominated |
| Choice Movie: Liplock(shared withMiley Cyrus) | Nominated | |||
| 2011 | Choice Movie: Chemistry(shared withJennifer Lawrence,Nicholas Hoult,Zoë Kravitz,Caleb Landry Jones, andEdi Gathegi) | X-Men: First Class | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Choice TV Actor: Action | MacGyver | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Nominated |
