BIO

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Luke Benward began his acting career at the age of five, appearing as Mel Gibson’s son in We Were Soldiers. Since he couldn’t read yet, he recited the Pledge of Allegiance during his audition — a move that landed him the role. At eight years old, Luke booked his next major role as “Stevie Dewberry” in the beloved family film Because of Winn-Dixie. His choice to audition with a toothpick in his mouth made him stand out among hundreds of young actors, and director Wayne Wang liked the idea so much that he kept it in the film.

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In 2006, Luke starred as “Billy Forrester” in Walden Media’s How to Eat Fried Worms. It wasn’t until his freshman year of high school that he realized acting was his true passion, and in 2012 his family permanently relocated to Los Angeles to support his career.

Luke’s television credits include the pilots Life on the Water, the WB’s Family Affair (starring Tim Curry and Gary Cole), and Disney Channel pilots Madison High and Zombies and Cheerleaders. He also starred in Disney Channel Original Movies Minutemen and Girl vs. Monster. On the big screen, Luke played “Alan Wheddon,” an autistic teen, in Dear John, and later appeared in Amazon’s Point of Honor, produced by Carlton Cuse.

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Born in Franklin, Tennessee, Luke comes from a family rooted in entertainment. His mother, Kenda Benward (née Wilkerson), is an actress, acting coach, and CMT’s first on-air personality, while his father, Aaron Benward, is a singer-songwriter and award-winning producer. His grandfather, Jeoffrey Benward, was a renowned Contemporary Christian music artist.

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More recently, Luke played the character of Bo in the movie Dumplin’ and is in pre-production for A Grand Ole Opry Christmas.

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A true triple threat, Luke has trained in dance with hip-hop choreographer Nick Bass (Britney Spears, Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, and Michael Jackson) and released his debut EP Let Your Love Out in 2008, which he supported with a 50-city tour.