James Christopher Carmack (born December 22, 1980) is an American actor, singer, and former fashion model. He is known for his roles in three popular television shows—the teen drama series '' The O.C.'' (2003–2004) as

Luke Ward ''The O.C.'' is an American Television series created by Josh Schwartz for the FOX Network in 2003. Schwartz serves as executive producer while also writing and directing for the show, including the premieres and finales of all seasons. The s ...

, the country music drama ''

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...

'' as Will Lexington (2012–2018), and the medical drama ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...

'' (2018–present) as Dr. Atticus Lincoln. Carmack has also appeared in films, including '' The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations'', '' Into the Blue 2: The Reef'', '' Love Wrecked'', ''

Beauty & the Briefcase ''Beauty & the Briefcase'' is a 2010 American romantic comedy television film directed by Gil Junger, based on the novel ''Diary of a Working Girl'' by Daniella Brodsky. The film stars Hilary Duff as a fashion journalist who works undercover t ...

'' and ''

Alpha and Omega Alpha (Α or α) and omega (Ω or ω) are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and a title of Christ and God in the Book of Revelation. This pair of letters is used as a Christian symbol, and is often combined with the Cross, Chi-r ...

''.

Early life and education

Carmack was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in

Derwood, Maryland Derwood is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in east-central Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It lays just north of Rockville, southeast of Gaithersburg, southwest of Olney, and northwest of the greater Silver Spri ...

. He has a brother and a sister. As a young boy, he enjoyed participating in all types of sports:

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, and

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

. Carmack was also a longtime counselor at Seneca Creek Day Camp, known for singing the original "Rocko the Lazy Moth" and "Ode to Salpino" among other favorites. At

Magruder High School Col. Zadok Magruder High School (#510) is a secondary public school located in Rockville ( Montgomery County), Maryland, United States. Magruder is named for Colonel Zadok Magruder, a Revolutionary War patriot and farmer. He was colonel in comma ...

, however; his attentions turned to theater and he began working on three productions per year, on-stage and off, in addition to competing in numerous drama festivals.

Career

After graduation, Carmack attended

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

to pursue an arts degree at the Tisch School. He left NYU after he was discovered by John Yannella, a modeling scout, and decided to have a go at the profession. His looks were exactly what Bruce Weber was seeking for

Abercrombie & Fitch Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is an American lifestyle retailer that focuses on casual wear. Its headquarters are in New Albany, Ohio. The company operates three other offshoot brands: Abercrombie Kids, Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks. As of Februar ...

. The other catalogs and editorials that he has worked for include:

Lord and Taylor Lord & Taylor was the oldest brick and mortar department store in the United States, in business from 1826 to 2020. The brand was purchased during former owner Le Tote's 2020 liquidation bankruptcy and relaunched by new owner, Saadia Group, as ...

Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

, Who.A.U, ''

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...

'' France,

Nautica Nautica is an American apparel brand of Authentic Brands Group featuring primarily men's, women's, children's apparel and accessories, as well as home, watches, and fragrance. Nautica was founded in 1983 by clothing designer David Chu and a par ...

Guess? Guess (styled as GUESS or Guess?) is an American clothing brand and retailer, notable for its black-and-white advertisements. Guess licenses its brand on other fashion accessories, such as watches, jewelry, perfumes, bags and shoes. History Gues ...

, and ''

Cosmogirl ''CosmoGirl'', also stylized as ''CosmoGIRL!'', was an American magazine based in New York City, published from 1999 until 2008. The teenage spin-off of ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine, it targeted teenage girls and featured fashion and celebrities. It ...

''. After two years in New York City, Carmack decided to move to Los Angeles and immerse himself in acting. He is best known by global audiences as

Luke People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...

on the first season of '' The O.C.'', but did not continue because producers could not guarantee him airtime in the upcoming year. In 2005, Carmack became a model for

Ezra Fitch Ezra Hasbrouck Fitch (September 27, 1865 – June 16, 1930) was the co-founder of the modern lifestyle brand Abercrombie & Fitch and is attributed with the introduction of Mahjong to the United States. A wealthy New York City manager, Fitch beg ...

, a limited upscale label sold at

. In 2006, Carmack starred in the film '' Lovewrecked'' with

Amanda Bynes Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress, known for her work in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Bynes began her career as a child actress, working on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series ''All That'' ...

and Jonathan Bennett and decided to hone his acting skills in the theaters of New York and London. From March 16 to May 21, 2006 Carmack starred in the Off-Broadway production of ''

Entertaining Mr. Sloane ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'' is a three-act play written in 1963 by the English playwright Joe Orton. It was first produced in London at the New Arts Theatre on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre on 29 June 1964. Plo ...

'' at the Laura Pels Theatre. The play, directed by

Scott Ellis Scott Ellis (born April 19, 1957) is an American stage director, actor, and television director. Biography Ellis graduated from Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago (now at DePaul University) in Chicago.

, also featured Tony Award nominees

Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...

and

Jan Maxwell Janice Elaine Maxwell (November 20, 1956 – February 11, 2018) was an American stage and television actress. She was a five-time Tony Award nominee and two-time Drama Desk Award winner. In a career spanning over thirty years, Maxwell was one ...

. In 2006 Carmack made his London stage debut in a rare revival of

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

' ''

Summer and Smoke ''Summer and Smoke'' is a two-part, thirteen-scene play by Tennessee Williams, completed in 1948. He began working on the play in 1945 as ''Chart of Anatomy'', derived from his short stories "Oriflamme" and the then-work-in-progress "Yellow Bir ...

'', a play that hadn't been performed in London for 55 years. Carmack starred opposite

Rosamund Pike Rosamund Mary Ellen Pike (born 1979) is a British actress. She began her acting career by appearing in stage productions such as ''Romeo and Juliet'' and ''Gas Light''. After her screen debut in the television film ''A Rather English Marriage'' ...

and was directed by former Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director

Adrian Noble Adrian Keith Noble (born 19 July 1950) is a theatre director, and was also the artistic director and chief executive of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1990 to 2003. Education and career Noble was born in Chichester, Sussex, England. After l ...

. It played the Apollo Theatre from October 21 – November 25, 2006, failing to complete its scheduled run. Carmack portrayed

Susan Delfino Susan Delfino is a fictional character played by Teri Hatcher on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. The character was created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry. She first appeared ...

's cousin Tim in the television show ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...

'' for one episode. Carmack portrayed Sam Reide, the main character of the film '' The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations'', the third film in ''

The Butterfly Effect ''The Butterfly Effect'' is a 2004 American science fiction thriller film written and directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. It stars Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Eric Stoltz, William Lee Scott, Elden Henson, Logan Lerman, Ethan Suplee, and ...

'' film franchise, released in theaters in January 2009. He also made his first voice role in ''

'', which was released in theaters in September 17, 2010, and reprised his role as Garth in '' Alpha and Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure'', being one of the few actors from the original to appear in at least one sequel. In 2013, Carmack was cast in the ABC drama series ''

'' as Scarlett and Gunnar's neighbor Will, a sexy and charming country singer and guitar player. Carmack's character initially appeared to be a womanizer and a potential threat to Scarlett and Gunnar's relationship, but it was revealed that the character is gay, and trying to protect his image as a heterosexual country music heartthrob. Carmack appeared in the final six episodes of the season, and was promoted from a recurring role to a series regular for season 2. In 2018, Carmack was cast as Dr. Atticus "Link" Lincoln on the ABC hit

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...

''. In 2019, Carmack made his

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...

debut playing the role of Rapunzel's Prince in the show ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story ...

''.

Personal life

Carmack announced his engagement to Erin Slaver on March 2, 2016. They married on October 20, 2018. Their first daughter was born in August 2016, and a second daughter was born in May 2022.

Filmography

Theater credits

Discography

EPs

*''Pieces of You'' (2015) ''Nashville, Season 6: Episode 1'' (2018) * Contributed 1 track: "Don't Come Easy" ''Nashville, Season 6: Episode 2'' (2018) * Contributed 2 tracks: " Stop the World (And Let Me Off)" with Sam Palladio and Jonathan Jackson and "Right Where You Want Me" with Sam Palladio ''Nashville, Season 6: Episode 4'' (2018) * Contributed 2 tracks: "Tearin Up My Heart" with Sam Palladio and Jonathan Jackson and "My Arms" with Sam Palladio and Jonathan Jackson ''Nashville, Season 6: Episode 5'' (2018) * Contributed 2 tracks: "Go With It" with Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, and Rainee Blake and "Hold On (Not Leaving You Behind)" with Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, and Rainee Blake ''Nashville, Season 6: Episode 6'' (2018) * Contributed 1 track: "Love is Loud" with Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, and Rainee Blake ''Nashville, Season 6: Episode 7'' (2018) * Contributed 1 track: "Smoking the Boys" with Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, and Rainee Blake ''Nashville, Season 6: Episode 8'' (2018) * Contributed 1 track: "Hard Days" with Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, and Rainee Blake ''Nashville, Season 6: Episode 9'' (2018) * Contributed 1 track: "My Turn" ''Nashville, Season 6: Episode 10'' (2018) * Contributed 1 track: "Go" with Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, and Rainee Blake ''Nashville, Season 6: Episode 16'' (2018) * Contributed 1 track: "A Life That's Good" with Sam Palladio, Rainee Blake, and Jonathan Jackson, and "A Life That's Good" with Hayden Panettiere, Connie Britton, Charles Esten, Sam Palladio, Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson, Lennon Stella, Maisy Stella, and Ronny Cox

Soundtrack

'' The Music of Nashville: Season 1, Volume 2'' (2013) * Contributed 1 track: "You Ain't Dolly (And You Ain't Porter)" with

Clare Bowen Clare Maree Bowen (born 12 May 1984) is an Australian actress and singer, best known for her role as Scarlett O'Connor in the ABC/ CMT musical-drama television series ''Nashville''. Alongside her music releases from ''Nashville'' and her solo ...

'' The Music of Nashville: Season 2, Volume 1'' (2013) * Contributed 2 tracks: "What If I Was Willing" and "Can't Say No To You" with

Hayden Panettiere Hayden Lesley Panettiere (; born August 21, 1989) is an American actress, model, and singer. She is best known for her lead roles as Claire Bennet on the NBC superhero series ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'' and Juliette Barnes in the Am ...

'' The Music of Nashville: Season 2, Volume 2'' (2014) * Contributed 4 tracks: "It's On Tonight" with

Will Chase Frank William Chase (born September 12, 1970) is a Tony Award-nominated American actor, director, and singer, best known for his work on Broadway and for his role as country superstar Luke Wheeler on ABC's ''Nashville''. Early life and educatio ...

and

Charles Esten Charles Esten Puskar III (born September 9, 1965), also known professionally as Charles Esten, and Chip Esten, is an American actor, musician and comedian. Esten played the role of country singer Deacon Claybourne on the ABC/ CMT drama ''Nashvi ...

, "Is That Who I Am", "Hurtin' On You" and "Then I Was Loved By You" Nashville: On the Record (2014) * Contributed 2 tracks: "It's On Tonight" with

and

and "A Life That's Good" with the Nashville cast '' The Music of Nashville: Season 3, Volume 1'' (2014) * Contributed 2 tracks: "If It's Love" and "If Your Heart Can Handle It" with

Aubrey Peeples Aubrey Shea Peeples (born November 26, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her role as Layla Grant in the ABC drama series ''Nashville.'' She can be seen in the upcoming series ''Unconventional'' by show-runner Kit Williams ...

Nashville: On the Record Volume 2 (2015) * Contributed 3 tracks: "If I Drink This Beer" with

, "If Your Heart Can Handle It" with

and "Friend of Mine" with the Nashville cast '' The Music of Nashville: Season 3, Volume 2'' (2015) * Contributed 2 tracks: "I'm On It" and "Broken Song" '' The Music of Nashville: Season 4, Volume 1'' (2015) * Contributed 2 tracks: "Sleep Tonight (A Lullaby)" with Jonathan Jackson and "Run With Me" Nashville: On the Record Volume 3 (2016) * Contributed 2 tracks: "Being Alone" and "And Then We're Gone" with the Nashville cast '' The Music of Nashville: Season 4, Volume 2'' (2016) * Contributed 2 tracks: "Moving On Never Felt So Good" and "Ain't it Beautiful" '' The Music of Nashville: Season 5, Volume 1'' (2017) * Contributed 1 track: "Burn to Dark" '' The Music of Nashville: Season 5, Volume 2'' (2017) * Contributed 1 track: "By Your Side" '' The Music of Nashville: Season 5, Volume 3'' (2017) * Contributed 2 tracks: "Stand Up" and "Little Darlin'" with

''The Music of Nashville: Season 6, Volume 1'' (2018) * Contributed 2 tracks: "Hold On (Not Leaving You Behind)" with Sam Palladio, Rainee Blake, and Jonathan Jackson and "Love is Loud" with Sam Palladio, Rainee Blake, and Chris Carmack ''The Music of Nashville: Season 6, Volume 2'' (2018) * Contributed 3 tracks: "My Turn", "Go" with Sam Palladio, Rainee Blake, and Jonathan Jackson, and "A Life That's Good" with Hayden Panettiere, Connie Britton, Charles Esten, Sam Palladio, Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson, Lennon Stella, Maisy Stella, and Ronny Cox

Singles

Tours

*''Nashville in Concert'' (2014)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carmack, Chris 1980 births 21st-century American male actors Male actors from Maryland American country singer-songwriters American male film actors American male television actors Living people Tisch School of the Arts alumni People from Derwood, Maryland Male actors from Washington, D.C. 20th-century American male actors American male stage actors 21st-century American singers Male models from Maryland Country musicians from Maryland Country musicians from Washington (state) Singer-songwriters from Maryland Singer-songwriters from Washington (state)