Being blessed with movie-star good looks isn’t always a blessing, at least according to Josh Lucas. The actor, known for his role in “Palm Royale,” recently opened up about how his striking appearance sometimes worked against him in Hollywood.
In a candid conversation with Chloë Sevigny for Vanity Fair, Lucas revealed that his handsome features often led to him being typecast or outright dismissed. “I was thoroughly dismissed for it, frankly,” Lucas shared. “It was like, ‘Oh, you’re an LA TV guy. You’re a pretty boy LA TV guy.’ I couldn’t break through that door.”
Lucas explained that his association with roles like the one in “Sweet Home Alabama” further pigeonholed him. “It’s always been a bit of a, ‘Oh, you’re a Sweet Home Alabama guy.’ I consciously—and probably did very difficult damage to my career—was trying so hard to fight against that. I did a thousand independent movies that nobody saw. I tried to be Sean Penn in all of them.”
Despite his efforts, Lucas found it challenging to shake off the “pretty boy” label. However, his role in “Palm Royale” has given him a new lease on his acting career. “It’s funny to now go to [Palm Royale] and have people be like, ‘Oh, you’re funny!’ I can’t tell you how much I yearned for years to go back and do that. It’s actually the place I think is the most interesting and rewarding and difficult from an acting standpoint,” he said.
In Apple’s “Palm Royale,” Lucas plays Douglas Darby Dellacorte-Simmons, the black sheep of a high-society family and the supposed heir to grand dame Norma Dellacorte, played by Carol Burnett. The role has allowed Lucas to showcase his versatility and comedic chops, something he has long desired.
Lucas also hinted at his return to the popular series “Yellowstone.” In a March interview with Deadline, he mentioned that he would be reprising his role as a young John Dutton. “As far as he knows,” the show has returned to production, and the second half of season 5 is set to premiere on Paramount Network in November.
“I did text Taylor [Sheridan] a couple of months back and said, ‘Hey man, I’ve loved working on the show so much.’ He’s like, ‘Well, we’ll be back,'” Lucas shared, expressing his enthusiasm for the role and the series.
Lucas’s journey in Hollywood has been a testament to the complexities of being a good-looking actor. While his appearance initially opened doors, it also created barriers that he had to work hard to overcome. His recent roles in “Palm Royale” and “Yellowstone” are a testament to his resilience and versatility as an actor.
