:Lucas Neff

Neff was born in Chicago, Illinois,{{Cite web |title=Lucas Neff |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lucas-neff/3030320487/ |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} and raised in the neighborhood of Andersonville. His mother, Meade Palidofsky, is the founder of Storycatchers Theatre and his father, Alan, is a lawyer and novelist. He is of Irish and Jewish descent.{{cite news|url=http://blogs.redeyechicago.com/show-patrol/2010/09/20/almost_famous_raising_hope_star_chicago_native_lucas_neff/|title=Almost famous: 'Raising Hope' star, Chicago native Lucas Neff|date=September 20, 2010|newspaper=RedEye|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906034647/http://blogs.redeyechicago.com/show-patrol/2010/09/20/almost_famous_raising_hope_star_chicago_native_lucas_neff/|archivedate=September 6, 2011|accessdate=October 2, 2013}} He graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in 2004 and with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2008. He started acting when he was mistakenly assigned to the performing arts department at UIC.{{cite web|title=Raising Hope Cast Biographies: Lucas Neff (as Jimmy)|url=http://www.tv3.co.nz/Lucas-Neff-as-Jimmy/tabid/2205/articleID/72510/Default.aspx|website=Tv3.co.nz|accessdate=February 4, 2012}} After college, he took classes at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. Neff has a younger brother. He lives in Los Angeles, California. He and Australian actress Caitlin Stasey were married in 2016, and divorced in late 2020.

His local theater debut was in the Chicago-based theater company Collaboraction's production of Jon.{{cite news|last=Metz|first=Nina|title=Neff finds his niche on 'Raising Hope'|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/09/10/neff-finds-his-niche-on-raising-hope/|access-date=February 4, 2012|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=September 10, 2011}} While trying to start his career by appearing in storefront theater and commercials, Neff financed himself by cleaning houses,{{cite news|title=Lucas Neff breaks out on 'Raising Hope' and laughs a little along the way|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/10/lucas-neff-breaks-out-on-raising-hope-and-laughs-a-little-along-the-way.html|accessdate=February 4, 2012|newspaper=LA Times|date=October 26, 2010}} which he only began a week before being cast in his first major role. His first television role came when he was cast in a minor role in the series finale of A&E Network's The Beast.{{cite news|last=Carter|first=Lance|title=Q & A: Raising Hope's Lucas Neff and Greg Garcia|url=http://www.dailyactor.com/2011/03/interview-lucas-neff-greg-garcia-raising-hope/|accessdate=February 4, 2012|newspaper=Daily Actor|date=March 1, 2011}}

When a nationwide casting call was put out for Raising Hope, Neff taped his ten-page audition and sent it in to Greg Garcia. From the first tape, Neff became Garcia's first choice for the role of Jimmy Chance. However, he was still required to go through multiple auditions, before he could be confirmed in his first major role. Neff said of the series at the time of the pilot, "It's a very sweet-hearted, kind show, and it places family first and doing the right thing first. You don't see a lot of that in TV or movies. We celebrate a lot of fancy heroes and fancy criminals and infidelity and, generally, just a lot of bad behavior. It's nice to be part of a show that celebrates decency and being good to one another."

Neff maintained his links with the theater, writing plays, such as The Last Duck, which was performed at the Jackalope Theatre in Chicago as the final play of the 2011–2012 season. It was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Work.{{cite news|title=Jackalope Theatre Presents THE LAST DUCK March 22 – April 15|url=http://chicago.broadwayworld.com/article/Jackalope-Theatre-Presents-THE-LAST-DUCK-March-22-April-15-20120201|accessdate=February 4, 2012|newspaper=Broadway World|date=February 1, 2012}}

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Category:1985 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male stage actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:American male voice actors

Category:American people of Irish descent

Category:American people of Jewish descent

Category:Male actors from Chicago

Category:University of Illinois Chicago alumni