Lukas Haas

Birthday: 16 April 1976, West Hollywood, California, USA

Birth Name: Lukas Daniel Haas

Height: 182 cm

Lukas was born on April 16, 1976 in West Hollywood, California. His Texas-born mother, Emily Tracy, is a writer, and his German-born father, Berthold Haas, is an artist. He has twin brothers, Simon and Nikolai. It's widely noted that Lukas was discovered at the age of 5 by casting director Margery Simkin while he was in kindergarten.While his first screen role was in the 1983 nuclear holocaust film Testament (1983), it was his second appearance, in Witness (1985) opposite Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, that earned attention and acclaim. In Peter Weir's 1985 film, Lukas portrayed an Amish child who was the sole witness to an undercover cop's murder, and his work earned him starring roles in such films as Lady in White (1988), The Wizard of Loneliness (1988), and Alan & Naomi (1992) - the latter film co-written by his mother.Lukas was subsequently nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of AIDS victim, Ryan White, in the controversial TV movie, The Ryan White Story (1989). He continued to distinguish himself in film in starring roles including: Music Box (1989) with Jessica Lange and director Costa-Gavras; Convicts (1991) and Rambling Rose (1991) (both with Robert Duvall); and Boys (1996) with John C. Reilly and Winona Ryder.On stage, in 1988, Lukas performed alongside Steve Martin and Robin Williams in Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" at Lincoln Center in New York City for director Mike Nichols.Lukas went on to work with directors Woody Allen in Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Tim Burton in Mars Attacks! (1996), and Alan Rudolph in Breakfast of Champions (1999). He had a pivotal role in Brick (2005), Rian Johnson's directorial debut with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He next appeared in the Kurt Cobain-inspired Last Days (2005), directed by Gus Van Sant, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Roles in Material Girls (2006), slasher movie send-up The Tripper (2006), Who Loves the Sun (2006), Gardener of Eden (2007), While She Was Out (2008), and Death in Love (2008) followed.Recently, Lukas had a supporting role in Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010) opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine and Marion Cotillard. He then appeared in Red Riding Hood (2011) for director Catherine Hardwicke, and Contraband (2012), director Baltasar Kormákur's English-language remake of the movie he starred in, Reykjavík-Rotterdam (2008).Lukas was most recently seen in Crazy Eyes (2012). He has several projects in production, including Meth Head (2013) written and directed by Jane Clark.Also a talented musician, Lukas plays drums and piano in the band The Rogues. Show less «

One day when I was like 9, I heard the Beatles on the radio, and I asked my dad who they were. He to...Show more »

One day when I was like 9, I heard the Beatles on the radio, and I asked my dad who they were. He told me they were the best band in the world, and I became obsessed. He started giving me their albums in sequential order, and I listened to them - and only them - until I was probably in high school. Show less «

I've built an 8-track studio in my house that's virtually identical to what they used at Abbey Road,...Show more »

I've built an 8-track studio in my house that's virtually identical to what they used at Abbey Road, and I also own the 16-track set-up that Led Zeppelin used to record 'Houses of the Holy.' I'm interested in producing, but I'm mostly recording my own stuff. Show less «

On a low-budget film, you don't have all the luxuries.

I was in Kansas for about a month, and we worked most of the time in a very small town, so it felt l...Show more »

I was in Kansas for about a month, and we worked most of the time in a very small town, so it felt like the production basically took the whole town over. In a way, we were the Martians in Kansas. Show less «

It's cool to play a sinister bad guy who also has a human side.

A low budget is uncomfortable.

Material Girls was so different for me, I'd never done a teen movie.

In choosing any role, I ask the same questions: what kind of part is it? is the role challenging? do...Show more »

In choosing any role, I ask the same questions: what kind of part is it? is the role challenging? does the director have a vision? is the story moving? etc. Show less «

I love seeing people having fun. Everyone over in L.A. is too cool for it. That's the problem.

This was basically the first time I got to act in action scenes, with things blowing up all around m...Show more »

This was basically the first time I got to act in action scenes, with things blowing up all around me. It sounds corny, but I think every actor would like to - at least once in his or her career - play the person who saves the entire world. Show less «

I've had offers to sign a record deal, but the people I've talked to have wanted to package me and h...Show more »

I've had offers to sign a record deal, but the people I've talked to have wanted to package me and have me meet with songwriters who've written stuff for Whitney Houston, that sort of thing. That's not at all my style. Show less «

I also couldn't pass up the opportunity to be in the same movie as Jack Nicholson and Glenn Close.

Balancing my film career and my music will be something I'm just going to have to deal with, as it h...Show more »

Balancing my film career and my music will be something I'm just going to have to deal with, as it happens. I think I can balance it out; the choices will probably be pretty clear. If there's a movie I just have to do, I will work the music around it. Show less «

I'm remixing an R.E.M. track called 'I've Been High' from their last album, 'Reveal.' It's a beautif...Show more »

I'm remixing an R.E.M. track called 'I've Been High' from their last album, 'Reveal.' It's a beautiful song, but record execs didn't put it out as a single because it didn't sound like the R.E.M. we're used to. So I asked Michael Stipe if I could have the tapes to do a remix, and he agreed. Show less «

I've been into music for a long time. I started playing drums when I was 8 and piano when I was 10, ...Show more »

I've been into music for a long time. I started playing drums when I was 8 and piano when I was 10, then bass and guitar when I was 18. Show less «

I like both music and acting, and they both have a lot in common - timing, immediacy, stuff like tha...Show more »

I like both music and acting, and they both have a lot in common - timing, immediacy, stuff like that. But acting is more regimented. You wait around for hours, you don't get to write the script, you get hired. Music represents me better. I'm not acting; I'm just expressing myself. Show less «

It was a wonderful experience to work with Sylvia. She pushed me to be more powerful with my acting,...Show more »

It was a wonderful experience to work with Sylvia. She pushed me to be more powerful with my acting, and she told me scores of the most incredible stories I've ever heard. She is amazing. Show less «

Lukas Haas

Lukas Haas's FILMOGRAPHY

Lukas Haas'S roles

Feedback about this page?