Successful actor Lucas Black puts family above movie career

Despite a successful career in television and films such as “Friday Night Lights,” actor Lucas Black says his family comes first.

“I chose to step away from ‘NCIS New Orleans‘ because the schedule was long hours and gruesome,” says Black, who is 41. “There was only a short period of time I could sacrifice that time away from my family before I knew it was going to be a problem. So my wife and I discussed that, and we had a plan going into it. There was a time I had to step away because enough was enough.”

Even the best intentions can lead men astray.

“As men and husbands and fathers, it’s innate in us that we want to provide and protect, and sometimes, those can get in the way of the relationships that mean the most to us,” he said. “If we’re focused too much on our career, usually our relationships with our wives, spouse or kids are going to suffer. I’ve thought about that in my life. There’s got to be some healthy margin in your life.”

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Black plays Jed Albright, a local church member who welcomes the Smallbone family into his Nashville home, in the new movie “Unsung Hero.”

“This is a story that Americans are hungry for,” he said. “We need more wholesome content like this. This is a story about family and faith. The Smallbone family, when they came over here, faced adversity. They had to stick together as a family to make ends meet, and they took a leap of faith in doing so. They know that the most important relationships in their lives are, number one, with their heavenly father, but also their family. This is something that should be told. It honors all the mothers out there. I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Living out his beliefs in the public eye hasn’t always been easy. Black has faced criticism for his conservative viewpoints, but he said the encouragement he receives from fellow believers outweighs any backlash.

“I pray about what God wants me to do,” he said. “He’s spoken to me to be an encourager to the body of Christ. There’s more positive that comes out of being bold about my faith than we can ever really imagine. But most of it comes from people who are in the body of Christ and believers who tell me how thankful they are that I stand up for what I believe in, I stand up for the gospel, and I am resilient.

“I want to point people to Christ and hopefully make an impact to win lost souls. But to those who are already believers, I want to encourage them to stand strong in their faith and to be bold and to edify the church,” he told the Christian Post.

–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice