Luke Aaron Benward was born on May 12, 1995, in Franklin, Tennessee, to Kenda and Aaron Benward. His father, Aaron Benward, is one-half of the country music duo Blue County, while his mother, Kenda, was formerly a model and is now an actress and acting coach.
Luke's interest in acting began early, influenced by accompanying his mother to her auditions. At the age of seven, he landed his first role in the 2002 film We Were Soldiers, playing David Moore. Shortly after, he appeared as Jody Davis in the television series Family Affair. He also featured in the Grammy-nominated music video for Martina McBride's “Concrete Angel,” portraying a young boy.
In 2004, Luke made a cameo in Blue County’s music video for the song “That’s Cool.” His early performances showcased his talent and earned him more prominent roles, including Stevie Dewberry in Because of Winn-Dixie (2005). His breakout role came in 2006’s How to Eat Fried Worms, where he played Billy Forrester. For this performance, Luke and his castmates received the 2007 Young Artist Award for Best Young Ensemble.
