For over two decades, film and television audiences have watched Alexander Ludwig deliver superb performances in movies and TV shows. As someone who began his career as a child actor, Ludwig has done impressively well with his career. Often, child actors struggle with premature exposure to fame and wealth.
Born Alexander Richard Ludwig in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on May 7, 1992, Ludwig began his professional acting career at age 8. Since then, the Canadian actor has been cast in lead and supporting roles in several low and big-budget movies and TV shows. According to viewers’ and critics’ ratings, here are the top Alexander Ludwig movies and TV shows.
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising was far from being a critical success. It makes the list because it was Alexander Ludwig’s first lead role of his career. The Canadian actor was 15 years old when the movie was released. The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising was loosely based on English author Susan Cooper’s 1973 children’s fantasy novel The Dark Is Rising. Besides being panned by critics, the movie was also a Box Office and commercial failure. Even casting Ian McShane in a supporting role could do little to salvage the movie.
Race to Witch Mountain
Two years later, Alexander Ludwig returned to movies, playing one of two alien siblings, Seth, in Race to Witch Mountain (2009). Ludwig co-starred alongside AnnaSophia Robb and Dwayne Johnson. Although critical reviews were generally mixed to average, Race to Witch Mountain was a commercial success. It grossed double its production budget of $50 million at the Box Office, with earnings of about $106.4 million. Race to Witch Mountain revolved around a Las Vegas taxi driver, Jack Bruno (Dwayne Johnson). After he accidentally encounters the space siblings, he puts his life at risk to drive them to their spaceship on Witch Mountain. As they journey to Witch Mountain, the trio fights off government agents and an armored alien assassin/bounty hunter.
When the Game Stands Tall
Director Thomas Carter’s sports drama When the Game Stands Tall was based on the real-life 151-game winning record made by De La Salle High School between 1992 and 2003. It follows the events before and after they lost their winning streak and their determination to return to their glory days. Actor Jim Caviezel portrayed the legendary De La Salle High School coach Bob Ladouceur. Alexander Ludwig played the team’s running back, Christopher “Chris” Ryan. When the Game Stands Tall received mixed to average reviews but succeeded at the Box Office, with earnings of $30.1 million on a $15 million budget.
Bad Boys for Life
Alexander Ludwig joined the third installment in the Bad Boys franchise, Bad Boys for Life, in 2020. Ludwig played the character Dorn, a tech expert of AMMO. The character worked alongside Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens), a weapons expert of AMMO, to assist Will Smith (Detective Lieutenant Michael Eugene ‘Mike’ Lowrey) and Martin Lawrence’s (Detective Lieutenant Marcus Miles Burnett) characters in the field.
Bad Boys for Life received mostly positive reviews from critics and was a Box Office hit. With earnings of $426.5 million from a production budget of $90 million, Bad Boys for Life became the highest-grossing movie in the franchise, as well as the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2020. Alexander Ludwig reprises the role of Dorn in the 2024 sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
The Hunger Games
Alexander Ludwig joined The Hunger Games cast in a supporting role as Cato. His character was one of two tributes from District 2 at the 74th Hunger Games. Although not a main character, he’s one of the last three tributes to make it to the finals. However, he’s given a mercy death by Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) after he falls off the Cornucopia’s roof and is slowly eaten alive by genetically modified beasts. The Hunger Games are designed as a game of survival. However, Cato comes off as one of the movie’s antagonists for his ruthlessness in killing his fellow tributes. The Hunger Games was a critical and commercial success, grossing $695.2 million on a $78 million budget.
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant
For strange reasons, 2023 Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant bombed at the Box Office. However, critical reviews and opinions were mostly positive. Alexander Ludwig didn’t play a major role, but his performance was brilliant. Fans and audiences who have followed his growth from his time as a child actor would better appreciate how far he’s come 23 years after his film debut.
Heels
A significant number of Alexander Ludwig’s acting credits has been in movies. So far, Ludwig has only starred in three TV shows. As he gears up to lead the cast of Amazon MGM Studios’ adaptation of George R. Stewart’s 1949 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel Earth Abides, Ludwig’s last television project was Heels. Ludwig played Ace Spade, a professional wrestler and “face” in the Duffy Wrestling League (DWL) in the Starz drama series. Ludwig starred alongside Stephen Amell, who played his brother and rival. Despite Heels being a critical success, Starz canceled the show after 2 seasons.
Vikings
Unarguably, History/Amazon Prime Video’s historical drama series Vikings is Alexander Ludwig’s best performance yet of his career. Ludwig played Bjorn Ironside, the son of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), and King of Kattegat. Although the character appears in season 1, Alexander Ludwig began portraying the character in season 2. He played the role until the show’s final season. If you enjoyed reading about Alexander Ludwig’s top movies and TV shows, read about these 6 best Hiroyuki Sanada movies and TV shows.
Follow Us
