Lukas Gage is an American actor who is quickly becoming one of the most talented young actors in Hollywood. After making his screen debut in Mike White's Enlightened in 2013, Gage reunited with the showrunner and gave an unforgettable turn on HBO's The White Lotus. Next up for Gage is a stint on Season 5 of Fargo and a starring role in the remake of Road House, which is currently in post-production.
As fans await the release date of Fargo Season 5, it's worth taking a moment to single out Gage's best big and small screen performances to date. From crime and horror to comedy and romance, Gage has shown tremendous versatility across a wide range of genres.
10 Angelyne (2022)
In the Peaco*ck original miniseries Angelyne, Gage plays Max Allen. Allen is based on Jessie Small, the real-life filmmaker who began working on a documentary about Angelyne, a billboard celebrity who became famous during the 1980s. Although he appeared in just three episodes, Gage took on the responsibility of playing a historical figure and did not disappoint.
According to Gage via Pop Culture, he attempted to set up a meeting with the real Angelyne at a Denny's before playing the character, something he admitted almost cost him the job. Gage struck a compelling balance of a young naive filmmaker with no experience and an enterprising artist willing to take bold risks to make something special in the acclaimed thriller miniseries. As Gage tells it, Max's "motivation was success and to make a name for himself as a filmmaker. And to make a name for himself like Angelyne made a name for herself and inspired by her tenacity and her hard work ethic."
9 Wireless (2020)
In the experimental survival-thriller series Wireless, Gage plays the role of Jack Holland. Holland is the best friend of the protagonist Andy, a college student who becomes stranded in the Colorado wild during a harsh winter. With only his smartphone to help him, Andy often FaceTimes Jack, who often boosts his morale and encourages him to keep going when things look hopeless.
In a difficult performance that requires him to credibly emote over a small phone screen, Gage delivers huge emotional scenes in the underrated survival show. The chemistry he has with star Tye Sheridan goes back to their time working together in Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse and really goes a long way in making the intimate scenes between Jack and Andy feel authentic. The short-lived Quibi series also allowed viewers to switch between Landscape and Portrait settings, which made Gage's performance feel even more immersive.
8 Love, Victor
Hulu's Love, Victor is a romantic coming-of-age story adapted from the movie Love, Simon. Gage plays the role of Derek in a memorable four-episode stint, proving that he can play a callous and carefree character just as credibly as he does a likable protagonist. On the show, Derek's boyfriend Benji breaks up with him for not paying enough attention to him.
The way Gage performs Derek's brazen disregard for Benji on the stellar Hulu series is unforgettable. Whether expressing embarrassment with Benji at the school dance, failing to remember their one-year anniversary, or ungratefully rushing him through a romantic dinner to be with his band, Gage is totally believable in his brief appearances. The performance gives Gage a chance to show his acting range and proves he can aptly play malevolent characters just as well as benevolent ones.
7 How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022)
How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a dramatic crime-thriller that concerns an environmental activist group intent on destroying an oil pipe. Gage steals the show as Logan, an environmentalist who heroically risks his life to stop the flow of oil by distracting armed employees long enough for his friend to complete the mission.
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Once Logan suffers a gunshot wound, Gage takes his performance to a new level of believability. As his friends scramble to tend to his injured soldier, Gage emotes his character's existential plight with impressive pathos. According to Pop Culturalist, Gage admitted that he was granted a lot of improvisational leeway and came up with the most memorable line on his own ("Pee on me!"). Gage also admits that part of the success of his performance comes from surrendering to the vulnerability Logan and Rowan felt while making the movie, and the trust they formed with director Daniel Goldhaber.
6 American Vandal (2017)
One of Gage's first big TV roles came via the underrated Netflix seriesAmerican Vandal, a satirical crime comedy about 27 school teachers whose vehicles are vandalized with lewd graffiti. Gage plays Brandon Galloway in five episodes, and despite his limited screen time, gave a very convincing turn as a heterosexual high school student torn between his love of Gabby and his willingness to commit crime.
Once Brandon becomes implicated in the vandalism, Gage really gets to show off his acting aplomb. His involvement in a spray paint incident leads to Gabby's discovery of his affair with Sara, making viewers rethink their assessment of his moral standing. The infidelity underscores Brandon's dishonesty, with Gage never indicating or giving a false moment onscreen. The recurring role underscores Gage's versatility as an actor who can play characters much different than his own real-life personality.
5 Euphoria (2019)
Gage played the character of Tyler Clarkson in the hit HBO series Euphoria. While brief, Tyler was integral to the Season 1 plot. In the pilot episode, Tyler makes out with Maddy in the swimming pool as a way to make her boyfriend Nate jealous. In a fit of rage, Nate beats the daylights out of Tyler before learning that Tyler is a 22-year-old adult preying on teenagers.
Despite the short four-episode appearance, Tyler's importance to the toxic relationship between Nate and Maddy is felt long after his departure. For his part, Gage does a stellar job of pretending to be a teenager while secretly hiding the fact he's an adult on the must-watch HBO series. Yet, the way Nate continues to prey upon Tyler ends up fostering more sympathy for Tyler than expected, which is a testament to Gage's subtle turn. The most memorable moment comes when Tyler falsely confesses to attacking Maddy.
4 You (2021)
In Season 4 of Netflix's psychological thriller series You, Gage turned heads as a main character named Adam Pratt. A rakish playboy and American expatriate living in the shadow of his wealthy father in London, Gage's layered performance allows him to express several emotional notes.
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On the surface, Adam is a charming, funny, and affable young man with no problem meeting friends. Underneath, Adam is a troubled gambler and clandestine addict who can't quite get a grip on his self-destructive tendencies. The way Adam slaloms between extroverted confidence and introverted torment allows Gage to show a full range of emotions. Once his disappointed father cuts him off financially, the things Adam does to his wealthy girlfriend Phoebe are downright unconscionable, proving how willing Gage is to accept and excel at playing complex characters.
3 T@gged (2016)
The longest-running performance of his career to date, Gage played Brandon Darrow on T@gged for three seasons and 31 episodes. The Go90 show concerns a group of teenagers attempting to uncover the mystery behind a series of viral, hyper-violent videos posted by a user named "Monkeyman."
Brandon is a cold bully who berates fellow high school students to ensure his own societal standing. However, deep down, Brandon is extremely insecure and hides his vulnerabilities relating to his abusive home life. Yet, thanks to having enough time to build a character and flesh them out through a long-form arc, Gage is able to mine the humanity in the character over time. By the end of the acclaimed web series, Brandon is able to open up, forge meaningful friendships, and find solace and self-acceptance.
2 Down Low
In his best film performance to date, Gage dazzles as Cameron in the 2023 comedy Down Low. Gage co-wrote the screenplay, giving him extra ownership and authority over the role. The story follows a repressed gay man who indulges in a night of kinkiness when he agrees to have an erotic massage.
While the plot sounds absurd, the story is a touching rumination on what it means to be among the LGBTQ+ community in 2023. Gage and Zachary Quinto have an effortless onscreen rapport that proves how naturally funny both actors are but rarely get to demonstrate onscreen. But because Gage created the character, he knows exactly what buttons to push at just the right time and the results are hard to ignore as a result.
1 The White Lotus
For many viewers, The White Lotus was the first time Gage really caught their attention. His breakout TV role on Mike White's acclaimed murder-mystery drama includes arguably the most shocking moment of Season 1, which involves the hotel employee Dillon (Gage) being caught in flagrante delicto with the manager, Armand. Funny, shocking, and downright unforgettable, Gage's performance is pitch-perfect.
Dillon begins his arc on the all-time funny HBO show as an upstanding staff member of the lavish titular hotel in Hawaii. Over time, his boss Armand's lewd advancements and drug-addled temptations prove too much for Dillon to resist, leading to an abject display of hedonistic debauchery. Gage plays Dillon with a sense of naivety that makes him sympathetic, doing everything in his power to keep his job and earn his boss' respect. The wild turns the character takes proves how game Gage is for playing such unpredictable parts.
