Rather than hide the drugs in the coffins , they were hidden in the pallets underneath as depicted in the 2007 feature film '' American Gangster '' in which he was played by Denzel Washington , although the film fictionalized elements of Lucas ' life for dramatic effect .
Rather than hide the drugs in the coffins they were hidden in the pallets underneath as depicted in the movie . 
 His career was depicted in the 2007 feature film '' American Gangster '' in which he was played by Denzel Washington , although the film fictionalized elements of Lucas ' life for dramatic effect .