NCIS: New Orleans Actor Opens Up About Picking His Family Over His Career

Jul 25, 2022 by apost team

The popular television series, NCIS, is a police procedural focusing on a special branch known as the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. These specialized officers investigate crimes within the Navy, and the series follows their cases as well as delving into the dramas of their personal lives. Since the concept was first introduced during the similar series, JAG, a popular legal drama that also centered on the military, it has grown immensely in popularity. Audiences have followed the agents of NCIS as they've tackled a myriad of cases, with the series expanding to include city-specific teams like "NCIS: New Orleans." 

When the show premiered in September 2014, its parent show was almost a dozen series in with no signs of slowing, so it's natural that the creators saw an opportunity to expand the NCIS universe. In New Orleans, agents are led by Supervisory Special Agent Dwayne Cassius Pride. Under his supervision, Agents Christopher LaSalle and Agent Meredith Brody patrol an area reaching from Louisiana through to Texas. 

Actor Lucas Black stars as a former Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputy recruited in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Viewers might recognize Black from the nineties series "American Gothic." He also featured in "Jarhead" alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and in the high school series "Friday Night Lights." After several successful seasons stopping bad guys, Black and his colleagues will finally hang up their badges after what was announced to be the final season. This marks the first iteration of the franchise that will close. Audience members will surely miss Black's memorable performance, but the actor recently spoke about his decision to leave. 

Those following his journey would agree that the actor has definitely earned a break from being in front of the camera after his long and storied career. Black has been in the entertainment industry since he was young, something that he has definitely shown gratitude for and touched upon in interviews. When speaking with The Marriage Adventure in 2020, he said quite frankly, "I was very blessed to be able to have the opportunity to grow up in the industry." 

While as an actor, Black is perhaps best known for his television role in "NCIS: New Orleans," he's been starring in both TV and movies for years. Notably, Black has found success in the films "Flash," "42," and "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift." In addition to appearing in the franchise best known for car chases and Vin Diesel, Black also appeared in other films within the "Fast and Furious" universe.

However, the movie that contributed most to his early career was perhaps "42." The little-known film ended up being categorically monumental for his career and helped establish Black in Hollywood by showcasing his talents. This is perhaps helped by the fact that Black himself is a seasoned athlete and overall athletic person. According to AL, he was a four-sport athlete in high school, playing football, basketball, baseball and golf. In the film, he portrayed the Brooklyn Dodgers shortstop Pee Wee Reese. The movie also gave Black the opportunity to work alongside the legendary Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed the star ballplayer Jackie Robinson.

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In November 2019, Black posted a short farewell video to his Twitter account. While sitting somewhere by the water (probably fishing, given his later content), Black gave a simple farewell. "Well that's all she wrote for Agent Lasalle," Black said sadly. "But I wanted to take this time personally to thank all of you fans out there for your love and support. You were there to celebrate the victories and to pick me up when I needed it. And I appreciate that."

Black also took a moment to speak about his character and the privilege it is to portray a member of law enforcement, saying, "Also I want to say what an honor it was to play this character. Special Agent LaSalle. A character in law enforcement and in the military. Learned a lot about what the first responders do and much respect to you guys." He continued, sure to give extra acknowledgment to any service members that were fans of the show and may be watching, "Also, I support the military. I appreciate what you guys do for us. Living in this wonderful country."

With a slight waver in his voice, Black then ended the video. As simply as he'd begun, the actor quietly, casually said, "Hey, chapters ended." He smiled. "What a great journey it was. Thank you guys so much." Black also filled the tweet's caption with capitalizations and appreciation, writing, "Thank you all! Really appreciate the love and support from you! My time on NCIS New Orleans was an amazing experience!" 

By all appearances, Black stayed lakeside in the coming months, enjoying his well-deserved respite. In a March 2021 Instagram post, Black showed off his most recent project: fishing. In pictures, Black poses with his catches, triumphantly holding them aloft. Clearly, Black is enjoying his downtime lakeside. On angling in Alabama, Black wrote, "I grew up camping, fishing, and hunting at Lewis Smith Lake. This time of year is one of my favorites to fish when the warm rains bring the bass up shallow." 

Black also carved out time to be with his young family and focus on fatherhood far from the demands of Hollywood. A dedicated family man, Black had touched on his role as a father in interviews. When speaking with "Legacy Starts Today with Lee Domingue," Black spoke about the potential setbacks of acting. "I think all throughout my career, there was a concern because I would observe how the entertainment industry would destroy families and destroy marriages," Black said. 

According to Showbiz CheatSheet, Black ultimately left the series to spend more time with his family and really focus on what matters most to him. "The show has been so good to me over the years, exceeding my expectations and goals," he explained. "But this job isn't for me, there are 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." In June 2022, Black posted a lovely photo with his two boys, daughter and wife- lawyer Maggie O'Brien. Now Black has time to dedicate himself to his greatest role: being a father and husband.

What's your favorite scene from the series with Black? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family, and fellow NCIS: New Orleans fans!