Dad-Of-3 Lucas Black Gets 'In Dirt' as He Raises 'Warriors in Christ' after Giving up 'NCIS NOLA' for Family

While at the peak of his acting career, Lucas Black chose to depart from "NCIS," picking his family instead. The father of three children was raising the brood under the laws of the religion he and his wife followed.

In 2022, Lucas Black shocked his fans when he revealed he wouldn't be returning to "NCIS: New Orleans" for season 7. The star had been playing the role of Agent Christopher LaSalle in the series.

The sudden departure of Lucas's character on the show was due to the actor's busy production schedule. The star, who started on the series at its 2014 inception, said his work made unmanageable demands on his personal life.

Speaking to Express, Lucas said the production hours on the series took time away from his family. He explained how he'd remained concerned throughout his career because he noticed that the entertainment industry had the potential to "destroy families."

The star said he realized his family's strain would worsen if he remained with the show. Lucas' IMDb page for his character shows that the last time he appeared on "NCIS: New Orleans" was in 2021, after leaving two years before.

LUCAS' CHILDHOOD BACKGROUND AND HIS LIFE WITH HIS OWN FAMILY

Lucas was born in Decatur, Alabama, but most of his childhood was spent in a town called Speake. His father was credited for the actor's growth because of the parent's guidance.

The star's parents were both hard workers; his father worked at a museum, while his mother was employed as an office employee. Having dedicated parents taught a young Lucas the value of diligence.

The actor credited his father for being his primary role model but also praised the example taught to him by his father-in-law's lifestyle. Away from the famous television series, Lucas had been married for nine years in 2022.

The actor and his wife, Maggie O'Brien, revealed how they first met on an episode of The Marriage Adventure podcast. He said while filming an independent movie in Maggie's hometown of Missouri; his future wife was in college.

She worked at a restaurant at the time, doing her second week when Lucas and his work crew came in. Maggie initially thought the actor, his brother, and his friend "looked like trouble," all because Lucas was dressed in a biker durag for his acting role.

When he spoke to Maggie, she thought he was faking his accent and mocking Missourians! While standing in the buffet line, Lucas talked with Maggie and her friend, and she reprimanded him for being rude by eating while in the queue!

The star walked away, but Maggie confessed that she wasn't a stickler for rules but wanted to bring Lucas down a notch because she thought he was full of himself. However, the actor decided to try hitting on her again because she was too beautiful to pass on.

He removed his durag and approached Maggie again; this time, she was pleasant and open to him! When the star's future wife left the establishment after a long shift, she hadn't eaten and had a big slice of cake with her.

She came across Lucas in the parking lot after he called out to her, and she offered him some of her cake. The star boldly ate the hold cake with his hand and left Maggie impressed, and the rest was history!

After getting married on July 3, 2010, the couple welcomed three children. Lucas' family of five was the reason he left the show that "exceeded my expectations and goals" because his work wasn't easy for him, with the actor adding:

“There's a lot of priorities in my life that get sacrificed for me to be here. But it's time for me to focus on those priorities in my life."

Lucas' former co-star C.C.H. Pounder agreed that being "a family man" was more important than being a movie star. The series's showrunners, Jan Nash and Christopher Silber stated:

"We are sad to see him go, but happy he will have more time to spend with his family."

After revealing his departure from "NCIS: New Orleans," the "Sling Blade" actor took to social media with a message to his fans. After thanking his fans for their support in a Twitter video, the star noted:

“A chapter has ended. What a great journey it was; thank you guys so much. May God bless you.”

HOW BLACK ENJOYS HIS LIFE OUTSIDE OF HOLLYWOOD

Since leaving "NCIS," Lucas has continued to live a whole life, focused on his children and wife. The star and his wife were now able to attend podcasts like their November 2020 appearance on The Marriage Adventure.

In Lucas's Twitter post advertising the segment, the star revealed that he and Maggie would be talking about their faith, marriage, and difficulties of being in the entertainment business. The actor also showed how he had time to go fishing with his children as per a May 2021 Instagram post.

The "42" star, who openly shares and discusses the Christian religion he and his family follow, also had time to help his daughter with her hair! In March 2022, he shared a clip of him doing Sophie's hair and explained that they were going to a father-daughter dance.

Lucas hilariously shared that his wife purposefully left him with the task of curling their daughter's hair while she went out. He burned his hand twice in the process but still advocated for fathers to be present for their children, writing:

"As fathers, we need to be present in their lives and let them know how special they are to us. I hope Sophie can trust me and open her heart to me when she needs to."

The actor said he tried to build trust with Sophie by owning up to his mistakes, caring, and apologizing when needed. In June 2022, Lucas shared a family photo of him, Maggie, and their three children at what appeared to be the beachfront.

He [Lucas Black] joked that being in the dirt caused his brood to avoid shrinking back and whining!

The following month, the star shared Instagram images and videos of him bonding with his children. The first image and last video showed him posing and crawling with his sons in the dirt for what he called "military crawls," sharing:

"We are raising warriors in Christ."

The second video showed Lucas lifting weights and exercising in his courtyard with his sons while his daughter looked unimpressed. The third clip was of the actor and his children shooting a crossbow.

In the post's caption, the star jokingly explained that having to homeschool his children, he served as their Physical Education teacher. The obstacle course he set up for them included chopping wood with an ax, cutting trees with a machete, and more.

Lucas noted his pride in his sons' perseverance in overcoming adversity and becoming physically and mentally stronger. He joked that being in the dirt caused his brood to avoid shrinking back and whining!