With a new hit show under his belt, FOX’s “Raising Hope” star, Lucas Neff, is having the time of his life. The fall comedy’s breakout performer, who stars alongside Martha Plimpton and comedic legend, Cloris Leachman, in the series, opened up to AccessHollywood.com about his new show and some exciting developments in his personal life.
“It’s been a pretty cool month,” Lucas told AccessHollywood.com in an interview on Friday. “I got engaged, so that’s been the absolute best part. I guess as far as the show goes, just the fact that we’re still on the air is pretty cool.”
A Chicago native, Lucas met his girlfriend-turned-fiancee, Kelly O’Sullivan, in the Windy City (though she originally hails from Arkansas), and the pair have been dating for three years.
“I proposed on the beach, where we sort of spent one of the first nights we ever spent, like talking out of nowhere,” he revealed. “I proposed on that beach.”
The star added that a wedding date has yet to be set, saying, “We’re going to enjoy being engaged for a little while.”
Lucas, who plays Jimmy Chance (an unexpected single parent to a baby girl after the infant’s mother — a one-night-stand — ends up on death row and executed), said portraying a father on the small screen has spawned anticipation of real life parenting.
“You can’t not think about it — it’s one of those things just staring you right back in the face,” Lucas told AccessHollywood.com. “To be honest, I can’t wait to be a dad. I really hope that that’s how the cookie crumbles for me. It’s been the best part of the job for me, working with the baby.”
While he may enjoy playing a TV dad, working closely with an infant has not lessened any fears Lucas may have had about future parenting “in the slightest.”
“[Parenthood] terrifies me to my core,” Lucas said. “But it’s just something that I think is really one of the points of life… to try and raise a little human being and teach them right and wrong and see them grow up — I think that’s really special.”
“[Kelly] wants kids too, thank goodness,” he added. “We’re pretty much on the same page about everything.”
Catch Lucas in “Raising Hope” on Tuesdays at 9 PM on FOX.
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