Born in Arkansas to parents in the medical professions, Lucas spent a peripatetic childhood thanks in part to his folks' political activism. While growing up, he and his family moved more than a dozen times living in various places in the South before eventually settling outside Tacoma, Washington. During high school, Lucas nurtured his interest in dramatics and participated in statewide competitions which he won in both his junior and senior year. Eschewing college for a career, he headed to California and soon landed guest roles on various TV series including the Fox sitcom "True Colors" and the ABC family drama "Life Goes On" and his first TV-movie role in the dull horror thriller "Child of Darkness, Child of Light" (USA Network, 1991).

In 1993, Lucas made his initial foray in feature film acting as one of the rugby team members stranded in the Andes after a plane crash in "Alive". Later that year, he made a strong impression as the young George Armstrong Custer in the TV-movie "Class of '61" (1993), which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg. He then headed to Australia to accept his first regular series role as Luke McGregor in "Snowy River: The McGregor Saga" (Family Channel), but for a number of reasons opted to leave after only one season, with his character going out in a heroic manner.

Back in the USA, the actor marked time in projects like "Wing Commander III: The Heart of the Tiger" (1995) and guest shots on the short-lived 1997 CBS drama "Feds". Lucas began his string of somewhat unsympathetic characters playing the playboy lover of an American woman in China in "Restless" (1998; released theatrically in 2000) and followed up as a venal Wall Street yuppie and colleague of serial killer Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" and as the ex-husband of a single mother in "You Can Count on Me" (both 2000). He offered a memorable turn as Darby Reese, the sleazy older lover of a teenage boy whose death begins a chain of events in "The Deep End" and was a cynical loudmouth removing asbestos from an abandoned mental hospital in "Session 9" (both 2001). Perhaps his first, best chance (to date) to move into the consciousness of American filmgoers came as Hansen, the supercilious rival to math genius John Forbes Nash (Russell Crowe) in "A Beautiful Mind" (also 2001).

His next role was his most high-profile to date, emerging as a big screen sex symbol full of rakish charm with his turn in "Sweet Home Alabama" (2002) as the abandoned, seemingly redneck husband of Southern belle Reese Witherspoon who has reinvented herself as a Park Avenue fashion designer and needs to formally end their marriage so she can be married-of course, all sorts of romantic entanglements ensure. He next appeared in a supporting role as Bruce Banner's (Eric Bana's) professional and romantic rival in Ang Lee's angst-ridden adaptation of the comic book creature "Hulk" (2003). Unselfconscious scenery chewing was a Lucas specialty in that role, a trait that carried over into his next project, "Wonderland" (2003), a recounting of the real-life 1981 drug-related murders on Los Angeles' Wonderland Avenue in which porn legend John Holmes played a crucial role. Lucas was cast as one of the murder victim, Ron Launius, a seedy, coked-out small time hustler who never missed an opportunity to humiliate Holmes. The actor's next effort was "Stealth" (2005), a stupefyingly lowbrow cross between "Top Gun" and "2001" in which he was a male fighter pilot of a new generation stealth plane.

After a cameo as the younger version of Paul Newman’s character in the award-winning miniseries, “Empire Falls” (HBO, 2005), Lucas had a supporting role alongside Newman’s old partner Robert Redford in the easily forgotten award vehicle, “An Unfinished Life” (2005). He then starred as a charismatic small town basketball coach whose will to win with heart, determination and self-respect helped break down racial barriers in the compelling and heartwarming period drama, “Glory Road” (2006). Lucas was next slated to be seen in Wolfgang Petersen’s big budget disaster flick, “Poseidon” (2006), a remake of the 1972 classic, “The Poseidon Adventure.”