Christian Actors Need to Be Part of the Entertainment Industry
Dann Foley, a casting director for film and television, says there’s a place for Christian actors in Hollywood.
“There are many Christian actors who are not well-known, but they have tremendous talent,” Foley says.
As a casting director, Foley has an inside look on how this industry works. He was one of the first people to interview actor Jennifer Lawrence after her film Winter’s Bone became a success. He also worked with Michelle Monaghan when she was a relative unknown before starring in popular films like Mission: Impossible III and Source Code.
Foley is known for finding new talent, which is why he was asked to speak at the Act One program at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. Act One is an entertainment industry training program that seeks to give Christians the skills they need to work in Hollywood while remaining true to their faith.
Foley’s journey into the entertainment industry began when he was asked by his pastor to lead a drama ministry at his church. He then began working as an extra in films and eventually made his way up the ranks until he became known as “the guy who can find anyone.”
In his years working as a casting agent, Foley has learned
Christian Actors Need to Be Part of the Conversation
As a Christian actor, I feel I need to be part of the conversation that is going on about how art and faith can intersect. There are two main sides: Those who believe in the separation of art and faith, and those who do not.
I want to start by saying that I am not a fundamentalist Christian. I do not believe that my way is the only way, but it is my way, and it has been working for me for over thirty years now.Am I saying that all Christians should be actors? No! But if you’re called to be an actor, then, by all means, be an actor. You may be thinking, “Why would God call me to such a thing?” Well, if you’re anything like me and have been around show business for any length of time at all, then you know there are plenty of things that need fixing in this industry. And God could use you to fix them.
I will admit that this is risky business being a Christian actor because we are open to persecution in our industry. But if we don’t speak up and speak out when we see injustice or unrighteousness going on around us,
Christians in the acting profession need to be part of the professional team, making professional contributions to the production, whether it be a movie, TV show, play or commercial. The best way to do this is by becoming proficient at your craft.
The craft of acting is a unique skill set that can be taught and learned with good instruction. A good school will teach you how to access and express your emotions genuinely and with the appropriate intensity for a dramatic situation. It will also teach you how to listen and respond truthfully in an imaginary situation, without letting personal judgments get in the way. You will learn how to take direction from directors who can help you develop your instincts so you can make bold choices as an actor and not play things safe.
You’ll learn about script analysis and how a character fits into the whole story of the movie or play. You will learn about camera technique and how to work within its limitations and use it to create authenticity on screen.
A good school will also teach you discipline and respect for yourself as an artist and human being, which is essential in order to handle rejection, stay motivated and deal with criticism that is constructive as well as destructive, all of which are inevitable parts of this business.
Once you’ve learned your craft, then
Hollywood is a secular place, but there’s a silent majority of Christians at work in the film industry. Their reasons for staying silent vary, but the result is generally that most people think Christians are not part of Hollywood. In reality, there are many Christian actors; they just don’t want to be identified as Christians.
I’m one of those actors who wants to be identified as a Christian in Hollywood. But I am very much aware that being known as a Christian actor can limit my career choices. Sometimes I don’t get cast because people think I’m going to make trouble on set or change the script or speak out against something they’re doing on set that doesn’t agree with my beliefs.
The biggest problem I face isn’t being pigeonholed as a Christian actor, though; it’s the fact that I’m an actor at all. The stereotype of Christian actors is so strong that some people actually think it’s wrong for Christians to act at all, and this has been a major barrier for me in my life as an actor.
Its hard to be a Christian in Hollywood. Thats why I think we need more Christians in Hollywood.
The entertainment industry is full of people who are looking for meaning, and Christians have the answer to that. Ive worked with so many actors and directors who believe in God, but theyre looking for some kind of spirituality or fulfillment and they dont know where to find it. We have the answer and we need to be there for them.
I love acting, but I always knew Id do it only as long as it didnt compromise my faith. My faith is most important to me. I love God more than anything else in the world and I would never do anything to disrespect Him or bring a bad name to Him.
Unfortunately, its getting harder and harder to stay true to your convictions in this business. In the last few years, theres been a lot of pressure on Christians in Hollywood not just from people outside the industry, but from people inside it too. There are people within the industry who feel that if youre working at a certain level, you cant be open about your faith because it might cost you jobs or affect your career negatively somehow. Theyll tell you youre being naive when you try to talk about God or ask questions like “What
People are not used to seeing people of faith in Hollywood. We need more Christians in the arts, but we also need Christians to support the arts in general.
Actors like Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Sorbo and Dean Cain are a rarity in Hollywood. They are professions first and foremost, but they also happen to be Christian actors. These men aren’t just conservative; they’re outspoken about their faith and how it influences the decisions they make with their careers.
When I interviewed Steven Curtis Chapman for my book, “The Faith Driven Consumer,” he spoke about his relationship with his wife Mary Beth. He said that it was important to him that Christians marry Christians because he believed that marriages were strongest when both partners had “the same spiritual foundation.” He further said that he didn’t believe Christian actors should be expected to take any role offered them, including playing a non-Christian or even an outright villain. There is no shortage of talented actors who aren’t believers; it is wrong to argue that people of faith should take roles they find objectionable merely because it may be hard for them to find work otherwise.
And yet there is something odd about this situation. It’s not as if there is a dearth of actors whose personal lives don’t reflect their values on screen.
In his famous essay “The Gospel of Wealth,” published in 1889, the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie argued that rich people who die without sharing their wealth are “stealing from the poor.” He wrote, “Of every thousand dollars spent in so-called charity today, it is probable that nine hundred and fifty dollars is unwisely spent — so spent, indeed, as to produce the very evils which it hopes to mitigate or cure.”
Carnegie was writing at a time when there were no large foundations–no means for wealthy individuals to put their money behind causes in an organized way. Today, we take for granted that individuals should be able to hire staff and set up offices to pursue their philanthropic aims. It has not always been so. Until the early twentieth century, it was generally assumed that only government officials could determine how tax dollars were spent. The idea that private citizens could be trusted with public funds was new and controversial.
Today we realize that government funding alone is not enough; private philanthropy can play a vital role in improving education, addressing homelessness and hunger, advancing medical research, supporting the arts and humanities, preserving our environment, promoting civic engagement, and much more. Most Americans today believe they have a
