Lukas Gage Explains Why He Believes He Has a “Very Punchable Face”

Lukas Gage Shares How Embracing His Sexuality Helped Him Stop Seeking Approval

Lukas Gage knows his smile might make fans think he's overcompensating.

Indeed, the White Lotus star has realized throughout his career that one of the biggest misconceptions fans have about him starts before he even opens his mouth.

"I have a very punchable face, and I think people can read me as being mean," Gage admitted during an exclusive interview with E! News. "I swear, it's just my face. I wish I could turn it off. I was just born this way."

And since he began his acting career—that has included roles in films like Smile 2 and People We Meet On The Vacation—as a teenager, the 31-year-old had to navigate his self-expression in the public eye.

"I'm misunderstood sometimes about some of the decisions that I made earlier on that were of poor taste, or maybe me acting out," Gage acknowledged. “They all came from a place of really needing validation. I needed to grow up and become a more secure person, and who I was five years ago is not who I am today. We can always change."

While looking back on his life to pen his 2025 book I Wrote This for Attention—a process he said inspired empathy and understanding for his loved ones and himself—Gage was able to identify the way he's changed the most over the years, and why it made him less concerned with his outward persona.

"I just don't need this constant validation, whether it be good or bad. I would search for both good things and bad things about me online. I think there is some merit to hearing both," Gage explained of dealing with fans' opinions. “You almost have to desensitize yourself to get to the point where I feel like I'm finally at where I'm not so self-obsessed about it, and so curious about what other people's opinions are of me."

The Overcompensating actor noted this growth is a development "that comes with time and age."

Brianna Bryson/FilmMagic

Indeed, as Gage prioritized his mental health, he focused on protecting his sexual health too. That's how the Euphoria alum came to partner with Gilead's HealthySexual campaign, a course to make learning about safe sex less awkward than the typical health class young people might experience in school.

“This partnership with Gilead was a perfect fit for me, because I feel very passionate about getting the message out about sexual health," Gage emphasized, adding that his goal is to spread awareness "about preventative options like testing [and] PrEP [the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis medication]."

“Sexual health is a huge part of my self-care routine," Gage shared. "It's just as important to me as eating healthy, as working out, as going to therapy."

To hear more from stars who have spoken up for mental health, keep reading...

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