Lou Taylor Pucci
Lou Taylor Pucci (born July 27, 1985) is an American actor recognized for his work in independent cinema, horror films, and television series.[1] Born in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, to a former model and beauty queen mother, Linda Farver, and a professional guitarist father, Louis Pucci, he grew up in central New Jersey, including the town of Keansburg, in a creative family with show business influences.[2][3] He has two brothers—actor Adam Pucci and musician Zak Pucci—and a sister, Penelope.[4] Pucci showed little initial interest in acting but began performing at age 10 after his aunt encouraged him to audition for community theater in New Jersey.[5] By age 12, he had transitioned to Broadway, appearing in a production of The Sound of Music.[6] His screen debut came in 2002 with a small role in Rebecca Miller's Personal Velocity: Three Portraits, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.[7] Pucci achieved his breakthrough with the leading role of Justin Cobb, a teenager struggling with thumb-sucking addiction, in Mike Mills' Thumbsucker (2005), earning him the Special Jury Prize for Acting at Sundance and the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival.[8][9] He followed this with supporting roles in ensemble films such as The Chumscrubber (2005), Fast Food Nation (2006), and The Go-Getter (2007), often portraying introspective or troubled young characters in indie dramas.[1] Notable later works include Ray Singh in Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones (2009), the survival thriller Carriers (2009), the romantic comedy Beginners (2010), and the horror remake Evil Dead (2013), where he played David Allen.[10] He received Chainsaw Award nominations for Best Actor for Evil Dead (2014 nomination) and Spring (2016 nomination).[11] On television, Pucci appeared in the HBO miniseries Empire Falls (2005) and gained wider recognition as Benjamin "Benji" Ashby III in the Netflix series You (2018).[12] More recent credits include the role of Tyler in the Apple TV+ series Physical (2021–2022), his portrayal of Adam in Daredevil: Born Again (2025), the sci-fi horror Touch Me (2025), and the upcoming horror film Winthrop (2026), co-starring Carla Gugino.[8][13] Pucci's career spans over two decades, emphasizing versatile performances in genre-bending narratives and character-driven stories.[3]Early years
Early life
Lou Taylor Pucci was born on July 27, 1985, in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.[8][14] His mother, Linda Farver, was a former model and beauty queen who held the title of Miss Union County, while his father, Louis Pucci, is a musician and professional guitarist.[8][15] Pucci grew up in central New Jersey, spending much of his childhood in Keansburg, where he experienced a relatively normal upbringing with siblings, including brothers Adam and Zak, and sister Penelope.[3][4] During this time, he showed little initial interest in acting or performing arts.[5] This changed at age 10 when his aunt bribed him to audition for a local community theater production, sparking his entry into the performing arts.[5][16] He landed his first stage role around that time in a community production of Oliver!, as part of the ensemble, marking the beginning of his involvement in theater.[17]Education
Pucci attended St. Ann's Catholic elementary and middle school in Keansburg, New Jersey, which has since closed.[3] There, he developed a reserved personality amid the structured Catholic environment.[3] He later graduated from Christian Brothers Academy, an all-boys Catholic high school in Lincroft, New Jersey, in 2003.[18] During his school years, Pucci showed initial disinterest in acting but was encouraged by family to participate in local productions. His early professional theater training began at age 10 with community theater in New Jersey, where he joined the ensemble for a production of Oliver! at the Sayreville Main Street Theatre Company.[3] This led to his Broadway debut at around age 12 as understudy for the roles of Friedrich and Kurt von Trapp in the 1998 revival of The Sound of Music, which ran until 1999.[19]Acting career
Early roles and breakthrough
Pucci's early professional experience in theater was limited, beginning with community productions in New Jersey before serving as an understudy for Friedrich and Kurt in the 1998 Broadway revival of The Sound of Music at age 13.[20][3] Following this six-month stint, he signed with an agent and shifted his focus to film after graduating high school in 2003, pursuing opportunities in independent cinema rather than further stage work.[2][15] His feature film debut came in 2002 with Rebecca Miller's Personal Velocity: Three Portraits, where he portrayed Kevin, a troubled hitchhiker encountered by one of the film's protagonists during her aimless drive.[21] The anthology drama, which explored women's personal transformations, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 12, 2002, and won the Grand Jury Prize, marking an early critical success that highlighted Pucci's emerging screen presence.[6][22] Pucci achieved his breakthrough role in 2005 as Justin Cobb in Mike Mills' directorial debut Thumbsucker, an independent comedy-drama adapted from Walter Kirn's novel about a 17-year-old grappling with thumb-sucking and identity issues amid family and societal pressures.[23] The film premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, where Pucci received the Special Jury Prize for his nuanced performance capturing adolescent angst and vulnerability.[24] Critics praised his portrayal for its authenticity in conveying Justin's internal conflicts, with Roger Ebert noting the character's "bright but obscurely discontented" nature, contributing to the film's 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and establishing Pucci as a promising talent in indie cinema.[23][25][26]2000s and 2010s
In the late 2000s, Pucci expanded his presence in independent cinema with roles that showcased his ability to portray introspective young men navigating personal crises. In The Answer Man (2009), he played Kris, a recovering addict and bookstore owner seeking guidance from a reclusive author, a performance that highlighted his nuanced emotional range in character-driven dramas.[27] That same year, he starred as Danny in the post-apocalyptic thriller Carriers, portraying a younger brother grappling with survival and moral dilemmas alongside Chris Pine, further establishing his versatility in genre-blended indies. These projects, several of which premiered at festivals like Sundance, built on his earlier indie appeal while exposing him to broader audiences through limited theatrical releases and critical acclaim for ensemble casts. Entering the 2010s, Pucci ventured into horror with his lead role as David Allen in the Evil Dead remake (2013), where he depicted a supportive sibling drawn into supernatural terror during a cabin retreat, marking his entry into mainstream genre fare and earning praise for his grounded charisma amid the film's intense gore.[28] He continued exploring complex outsiders in The Story of Luke (2013), embodying the titular autistic young adult on a quest for independence, a role that premiered at the Heartland Film Festival and emphasized his skill in empathetic, festival-circuit dramas.[29] In Spring (2014), Pucci led as Evan, an American traveler entangled in a body-horror romance in Italy, blending sci-fi elements with emotional depth in a low-budget production that screened at festivals like Fantasia and underscored his genre versatility.[30] Throughout this period, Pucci faced challenges associated with typecasting in "troubled youth" archetypes, a pattern stemming from his breakout but limiting opportunities for diverse casting, compounded by his deliberate selection of passion-driven indie projects over high-volume commercial work.[3] By the mid-2010s, he began transitioning to more mature characters, such as the adult son reconciling with his father in The Music Never Stopped (2011), reflecting a deliberate evolution toward roles with greater psychological complexity and familial dynamics. This shift, evident in festival darlings and select studio entries, solidified his reputation as a reliable indie lead capable of anchoring intimate stories across genres.2020s and recent work
In the 2020s, Lou Taylor Pucci expanded his television presence, building on his 2018 guest role as Benjamin "Benji" Ashby III in the first season of Netflix's You, where he portrayed a wealthy, toxic playboy and ex-boyfriend of the protagonist's love interest.[31] This early streaming appearance marked a shift toward serialized formats, leading to more substantial roles in ensemble casts. Pucci's breakout in the decade came with the Apple TV+ series Physical (2021–2023), in which he played Tyler, a laid-back surfer dude and aerobics studio owner navigating a tumultuous relationship with his wife Bunny amid the 1980s fitness craze.[32] Appearing as a series regular in seasons 1 and 2, and as a guest in season 3, Pucci infused the character with comedic empathy, describing Tyler as a "breath of fresh air" and comic relief in the dark comedy, while emphasizing his desire to highlight positive male dynamics without mistreating women.[33] In a 2023 interview, he reflected on manifesting such opportunities two years prior, noting how the role felt like "absolute fun" and aligned with his interest in new streaming platforms.[33] Pucci continued blending drama and comedy in independent films, starring as Andrew, an earnest obituary writer, in the 2022 dramedy Moon Manor, where he interviews a terminally ill man planning his own funeral party, exploring themes of mortality with humor and intention. The following year, he appeared in Ex-Husbands (2023, also known as Men of Divorce), a warmhearted comedy-drama directed by Noah Walker, playing Aaron in a story about a Manhattan dentist crashing his son's bachelor party in Mexico amid family marital crises. These projects showcased Pucci's versatility in ensemble settings, contributing to narratives on relationships and personal reinvention. A highlight of 2025 was Pucci's lead role as Brian, a shape-shifting alien narcissist whose euphoric touch addicts two codependent friends, in the psychosexual horror-comedy Touch Me, directed by Addison Heimann. Premiering in the Midnight section at the Sundance Film Festival on January 28, 2025, the film satirizes therapy, polyamory, and codependency through genre-bending elements, with Pucci delivering a standout performance marked by startled expressions, peculiar movements, and tracksuit-clad charisma that grounded the film's wacky premise.[34] Critics praised his portrayal of the parasitic yet healing figure, noting how it enhanced the movie's oddball charm despite its convoluted plot.[34] Later that year, Pucci guest-starred as Adam, the lover of Vanessa Fisk (Kingpin's wife), in three episodes of Marvel's Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again—"Sic Semper Systema," "Excessive Force," and "Isle of Joy"—adding intrigue to the superhero drama's exploration of power and betrayal.[35] In mid-2025, he starred opposite Carla Gugino in the supernatural horror film Winthrop, based on the cult podcast Knifepoint Horror, which filmed in Vancouver in July and is scheduled for release in 2026.[13] Throughout the decade, Pucci's work reflected an evolution from indie film leads to supporting roles in diverse streaming ensembles, mixing genres like horror, drama, and superhero action to broaden his visibility on platforms such as Netflix, Apple TV+, and Disney+.[36] This transition, facilitated by the rise of prestige television and limited series, allowed him to tackle complex characters in high-profile productions, as seen in Sundance 2025 discussions where he highlighted the physical and emotional demands of roles like Brian, drawing parallels to his earlier indie roots while embracing collaborative, genre-fluid storytelling.[37]Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Personal Velocity | Kevin | Rebecca Miller | Portrayed a troubled teen in one of the film's anthology segments about personal transformation. |
| 2005 | Thumbsucker | Justin Cobb | Mike Mills | Starred as the lead, a high school student grappling with a persistent thumb-sucking habit and family pressures; the film follows Justin's journey through therapy, a move to Oregon, and self-discovery amid adolescent angst. |
| 2005 | The Chumscrubber | Lee | Arie Posin | Played Lee, a teen dealing with peer pressure and the bizarre events following a friend's suicide in a suburban community. |
| 2006 | Fifty Pills | Darren | Eric Hanson | Played Darren, a college student who loses his scholarship and tries to sell ecstasy pills to stay in school. |
| 2006 | Fast Food Nation | Paco | Richard Linklater | Portrayed an immigrant worker at a fast-food plant facing exploitation and danger. |
| 2007 | The Go-Getter | Mercer | Martin Hynes | Starred as a young man embarking on a road trip across the Northwest to find his brother. |
| 2007 | Southland Tales | Martin Kefauver | Richard Kelly | Appeared as an aspiring actor entangled in a sprawling conspiracy in a dystopian Los Angeles. |
| 2008 | Explicit Ills | Jacob | Mark Webber | Featured in a supporting role in an interconnected urban drama exploring addiction and community. |
| 2008 | The Informers | Tim | Gregor Jordan | Played a young man involved in the hedonistic and hollow social scene of 1980s Los Angeles. |
| 2009 | Carriers | J.J. | Àlex and David Pastor | Portrayed a survivor racing to reach a safe zone during a viral pandemic. |
| 2009 | The Answer Man | Kris Lucas | John Polson | Served as a supporting character in a comedy-drama about a reclusive advice columnist. |
| 2010 | Brotherhood | Kevin | Will Canales, Keith Conder | Depicted a young recruit in a fraternity navigating hazing and personal conflicts. |
| 2010 | Beginners | Magician | Mike Mills | Appeared briefly as a magician in this semi-autobiographical drama about love and loss. |
| 2011 | The Music Never Stopped | Gabriel Sawyer | Jim Kohlberg | Played the adult son of a Grateful Dead fan, estranged due to a brain tumor affecting his memory. |
| 2011 | The Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy | John St. John | Tanner Beard | Portrayed a historical figure in this Western tale of outlaws and treasure hunters. |
| 2013 | The Story of Luke | Luke | Alonso Mayo | Starred as an autistic young man on a quest to find his father and fit into society. |
| 2013 | Evil Dead | Eric | Fede Álvarez | Played the skeptical friend who discovers and recites from the Necronomicon, unleashing demonic forces on his companions in this remake of the horror classic, where they battle possession and survival in an isolated cabin. |
| 2014 | Spring | Evan | Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead | Led as an American traveler in Italy who falls in love with a woman harboring a monstrous secret, blending romance and body horror in a tale of eternal love and transformation. |
| 2015 | Ava's Possessions | Louis | Michael McKay | Appeared as a friend aiding in the recovery from demonic possession. |
| 2016 | Poor Boy | Romeo | David Breckel | Starred as a down-on-his-luck musician in a quirky Western comedy set in the Dust Bowl era. |
| 2018 | Bad Match | Rick | David Prior | Portrayed a supporting role in a psychological thriller about online dating gone wrong. |
| 2018 | A.X.L. | Miles | Oliver Daly | Played the best friend of the protagonist bonding with a robotic dog in this sci-fi adventure. |
| 2020 | All Together Now | David | Brett Haley | Depicted the stepfather in a coming-of-age drama about a teen facing family and school challenges. |
| 2021 | Moon Manor | Andrew | Justin Z. Wu | Portrayed a resident in a comedy about seniors operating an illegal casino in their retirement home. |
| 2023 | Ex-Husbands | Aaron | Griffin Dunne | Played a supporting role in this family drama about divorced men.[38] |
| 2025 | Touch Me | Brian | Rachel Rachel | Starred as a narcissistic alien whose euphoric touch addicts two codependent friends, exploring themes of addiction, trauma, and toxic relationships in a psychosexual horror-comedy.[39] |
| 2026 | Winthrop | Winthrop | TBD | Stars as the enigmatic cousin protected from a supernatural entity in this horror film.[13] |
Television
Pucci made his television debut in the HBO miniseries Empire Falls (2005), portraying John Voss, the awkward and introverted classmate of the protagonist's son in a two-part adaptation of Richard Russo's novel.[40] In 2006, he guest-starred as Joey Frost, a troubled young man involved in a cruise ship murder investigation, in a single episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.[41] His next appearance came in 2012 on Girls, where he played Eric, Hannah's childhood friend who grapples with small-town life during a family gathering, in one episode.[42] Pucci recurred in 2014 across multiple shows: as Heath, a young engineer facing workplace pressures, in one episode of Halt and Catch Fire[43]; and as Teddy Courtney, a vulnerable witness in a crossover storyline involving abuse allegations, appearing in one episode each of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Chicago P.D..[44] In 2015, he guest-starred as Travis Jason, a quirky suitor complicating Liza's personal life, in one episode of Younger.[8] From 2016, Pucci had a recurring role as Andy, a shadowy figure entangled in the protagonists' dream-connected mysteries, across three episodes of the USA Network series Falling Water.[45] He gained wider recognition in 2018 for his role as Benjamin "Benji" Ashby III, Beck's manipulative and affluent ex-boyfriend whose dark secrets unravel early in the season, in three episodes of Netflix's You. In 2019, Pucci appeared in three episodes of You're the Worst as Nock Nock, an eccentric SoundCloud rapper whose absurd lyrics and antics disrupt the main characters' lives during a music industry event.[46] Later that year, he recurred as Jonas Shevoore, a amnesiac hitchhiker revealed to be a ghostly camp counselor tied to the season's slasher lore, in three episodes of American Horror Story: 1984.[47] Pucci returned to guest work in 2021 as Lou Milkovich, a masked intruder in a chaotic family confrontation, in one episode of Shameless. From 2021 to 2023, he starred as Tyler, a laid-back surfer dude and aerobics enthusiast navigating marital strains and business ventures in the 1980s fitness world, as a main cast member across all three seasons (30 episodes) of Apple TV+'s Physical.[36] In 2025, Pucci joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Daredevil: Born Again as Adam, the illicit lover of Kingpin's wife whose affair fuels political intrigue, appearing in three episodes.[48]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Empire Falls | John Voss | Miniseries; 2 episodes; awkward classmate in a small-town drama.[40] |
| 2006 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Joey Frost | 1 episode ("Cruise to Nowhere"); suspect in a murder case.[41] |
| 2012 | Girls | Eric | 1 episode ("The Return"); Hannah's nostalgic hometown friend.[42] |
| 2014 | Halt and Catch Fire | Heath | 1 episode ("Up Helly Aa"); ambitious tech startup employee.[43] |
| 2014 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Teddy Courtney | 1 episode ("Chicago Crossover"); abuse victim in crossover arc.[44] |
| 2014 | Chicago P.D. | Teddy Courtney | 1 episode ("Called in Dead"); continuation of SVU crossover.[44] |
| 2015 | Younger | Travis Jason | 1 episode ("Merger, She Wrote"); eccentric romantic interest.[8] |
| 2016 | Falling Water | Andy | Recurring; 3 episodes; enigmatic figure in dream thriller.[45] |
| 2018 | You | Benji Ashby | 3 episodes; toxic, wealthy boyfriend with hidden depths. |
| 2019 | You're the Worst | Nock Nock | 3 episodes; bizarre rapper causing comedic chaos.[46] |
| 2019 | American Horror Story: 1984 | Jonas Shevoore | Recurring; 3 episodes; ghostly amnesiac counselor.[47] |
| 2021 | Shameless | Lou Milkovich | 1 episode ("Slaughter"); masked family antagonist. |
| 2021–2023 | Physical | Tyler | Main role; 30 episodes; surfer aerobics instructor in '80s satire.[3] |
| 2025 | Daredevil: Born Again | Adam | 3 episodes; Kingpin's wife's lover sparking conflict.[49] |