▁P . J . ▁B oud ous qué ▁was ▁cast ▁in ▁the ▁lead ▁role ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁year - old ▁Brad ▁Lund ers , ▁who ▁is ▁taken ▁to ▁the ▁Cold water ▁reform ▁facility ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁movie . ▁ ▁A ▁music ian ▁with ▁a ▁passion ▁for ▁films , ▁B oud ous qué ▁had ▁ev acu ated ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁from ▁New ▁Orleans ▁as ▁a ▁te en ager ▁after ▁H urr icane ▁K atr ina ▁and ▁chose ▁to ▁study ▁acting . ▁ ▁After ▁aud ition ing ▁in ▁vain ▁for ▁years ▁in ▁Hollywood , ▁he ' d ▁almost ▁given ▁up ▁on ▁acting ▁and ▁L . A . ▁before ▁getting ▁the ▁call ▁for ▁Cold water -- ▁a ▁movie ▁casting ▁a ▁mere ▁block ▁away ▁from ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁living ▁in ▁Ven ice . ▁ ▁Gr ash aw ▁said ▁that ▁B oud ous qué ▁" c ame ▁into ▁the ▁casting ▁room ▁like ▁some ▁dr if ter ▁in ▁a ▁Ser gio ▁Le one ▁film . ▁ ▁No ▁one ▁knew ▁who ▁the ▁hell ▁he ▁was ▁but ▁he ▁had ▁such ▁a ▁presence   ... ▁we ▁cast ▁him ▁off ▁two ▁scenes ▁he ▁read ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁aud ition . ▁ ▁No ▁callback s . ▁ ▁Tot ally ▁ins ane . ▁ ▁But ▁I ▁think ▁we ▁just ▁had ▁a ▁gut ▁feeling ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁gu y ." ▁ ▁After ▁Cold water , ▁B oud ous qué ▁would ▁win ▁roles ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁high - profile ▁television ▁shows , ▁including ▁Pre tty ▁Little ▁Li ars ▁( 2 0 1 3