1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Life audio. 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 2: Hey Eric, thanks for joining me. 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Thanks Michael, it's good to see you. 4 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 2: Good to see you. Eric Close actor in the new 5 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 2: film All is Mary and Bright. It comes out November 6 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 2: the seventh in theaters. It's a faith based Christmas comedy drama. 7 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 2: Let me reader. Plot summary before we started to hear 8 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 2: Eric plot Sumary says, when nothing goes as planned and 9 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 2: peace turns into mayhem, a wife discovers that the true 10 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 2: joy of Christmas comes not from perfection buffrom being surrounded 11 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 2: by loved ones. The website is Mary and Bright dot movie. 12 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 2: Emily Rose portrays the wife. Of course you portray the husband. 13 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 2: What drew you to this project, to Eric and what 14 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 2: appealed to you, especially in comparison to other movies in 15 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 2: this genre. 16 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: Well, it was the story and just the description you 17 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: just read about the movie. What a great like life 18 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: message is that is, you know, to sort of hang 19 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: your ad on it. It's so true and that's what 20 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: I loved about the movie. I love the message of 21 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: the film. It's a feel good movie. You know, there's 22 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: a bit of a redemption story and you know, God's 23 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: definitely glorified in the movie, which I love it. It's 24 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: done in a really natural, believable, real authentic way, which 25 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 1: I that really resonated with me as well. And again 26 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: what I got the privilege to work with a really 27 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: cool cast, and that was fun. And we got the 28 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: work down in Atlanta, which is a great place that 29 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: I always enjoy shut For some reason, the last few 30 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: years I've worked a lot in Atlanta, so that's been 31 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: pretty cool. And again it was I love the story, 32 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: I love the journey of all the characters. Emily Rose 33 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: did a fantastic job playing Jessica, and you know, she 34 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: really carries the film and does an amazing job, and 35 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: so I was privileged to be a part of it. 36 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: Incredible cast. You mentioned that as well. John O'Hurley, who 37 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 2: portrays mister Peterman and Seinfeld in this movie, Doug Jones 38 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 2: from the Shape of the Water Shap of Water sharing 39 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 2: Me from Seven Movies, Frank Oakley, the IID from Tulsa King, 40 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 2: Vanessa Benavente, I believe that's they pronounce her name from 41 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 2: the chosen She's in here is wrong. And Nancy Stafford 42 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:08,639 Speaker 2: from Matt Locke. Did you get John to do any 43 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 2: mister Peterman impersonations on set? 44 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:14,239 Speaker 1: Ord just opened his mouth and he's mister Peterman. You know, 45 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: he's great. I've known John for a long time and Lisa, 46 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: they're just great people. I run into him at different 47 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 1: events and we had never worked together. So when I 48 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: found out he was playing my father in law, I 49 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: was super excited. And of course getting to work with 50 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: Sally Struthers when I grew up watching All the Family 51 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 1: is one of my all time favorite shows. And she's 52 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: brilliant and she just makes you laugh. She's hilarious and 53 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: absolute sweetheart, So that was fun to get a chance 54 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: to work with both of them. 55 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 2: You've worked across multiple genres in your career. I mean 56 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 2: just about every kind of genre there is. I guess 57 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: I don't know if you ever been in a science 58 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 2: fiction film, but you've been in an action film, a 59 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: gritty film like American Sniper, dramas like Nashville, family movies 60 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 2: like This One, faith movies, average Joe Mulligan at Christmas 61 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,799 Speaker 2: Lie Love Story. How do you approach shifting between different 62 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 2: genres such as these and is there one that you 63 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 2: like more than others? 64 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: No, you know, as far as the sci fi, the 65 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,799 Speaker 1: sci fi stuff goes, I was, you know, I think 66 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 1: it was ninety six, I did a show called Dark 67 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,959 Speaker 1: Skies for NBC and that was We're an amazing show. 68 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: The writers just a brilliant concept. Sadly it didn't go 69 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:26,959 Speaker 1: but it you know, it went for a year, and 70 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:28,679 Speaker 1: you know, that was a fun show to work on. 71 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: But as far as like the different genres go, really 72 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: it's about story and story. You can take a story 73 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: that fits in a Western, it'll fit in a sci Fi, 74 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: it can fit in you know, early England, are you whatever, 75 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: whatever you want to do. It's really it comes down 76 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: to how good the story is and then you kind 77 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: of just you just color it up with the different 78 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: genre that you're putting it in. So it really starts 79 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: with story. 80 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 2: How did you get into acting? Eric? Did you grow 81 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 2: up with a desire to be in this film? 82 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: Did I did? I had done some theater when I 83 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: was a kid, and I loved it. I didn't really 84 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: know that you could make a living doing it. I 85 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: grew up in San Diego and my dad was a doctor, 86 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: so I thought I was going to be a surgeon. 87 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: I was sort of I had my sight set on that, 88 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: and when I got into college, I was really trying 89 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: to figure out I wasn't really geared towards the sciences. 90 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: I thought I was, and I wasn't, and definitely more 91 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: toward the creative side of things. And I had a 92 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: friend who was going into the entertainment business, and I thought, well, 93 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: I think i'll give that a try. So I started 94 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: taking classes and was really leaning towards production and wanting 95 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: to direct. And then people started asking me if I 96 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: wanted to be in their student films, and I started 97 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: doing that and I really enjoyed it. And at that point, 98 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: I felt I had to make a choice because I 99 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: was getting ready to graduate and why I had graduated, 100 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: and I had to make a choice, like what am 101 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 1: I going to do? And because things keep seemed to 102 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 1: keep pointing me towards acting, And at that point I 103 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: just said, Okay, God, I think that's what you're calling 104 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: me to. I'm going to surrender to that and went 105 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: that way and it worked out great, and I ended 106 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: up getting to direct later on, and you know, achieved 107 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: that goal as well. But acting's been an amazing gift 108 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 1: to me and my family. 109 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 2: What was your breakout moment in your career. Do you 110 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 2: remember the moment where you thought, Okay, this is. 111 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 1: Going to get out. So there's a there's different things. 112 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,119 Speaker 1: I find that every project you get is a break. 113 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: I think, you know, if you're a big movie star, 114 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 1: it may not be like a break, but it may 115 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: be a break in a different direction. Because even movie 116 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: stars get pigeonholed and they can be sort of like, oh, 117 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: that's that's the lane that they stay in. So let's 118 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: say they're in Action hero, they you know, or I 119 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: heard Matthew McConaughey talk about how he was the romantic 120 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: comedy king and he wanted to break out of that 121 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: and get taken more serious and he did, you know, 122 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:47,359 Speaker 1: he had to kind of suffer for a little bit 123 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: in a way that he had to say no to 124 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: a lot of things, but then he ended up getting 125 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: Dallas Buyer's Club in Want an Oscars. So that's that's 126 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: that kind of break. As far as for me, it 127 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: was you know, my first like just getting that first 128 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 1: role that you get and then you're like, okay, well 129 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 1: I got I got a job. This is cool. But 130 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 1: what really came full circle to me was when I 131 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,280 Speaker 1: was I was on a project and someone came up 132 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,280 Speaker 1: to me and said, hey, Eric, I'm so and so 133 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: we worked together a year ago on this other project, 134 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: and when that happened, I went, I think I'm in. 135 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm in because it had kind of come 136 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: full circle because people had always said, oh, you might 137 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: work with somebody and never work with them again. You know, 138 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: there's so many different productions going on, and the fact 139 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: that I had worked with the same person, I felt like, 140 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: I think I'm in this business. I think it's it's working. 141 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: And of course, you know, when I got Santa Barbara 142 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: the soap opera back in ninety two, that was huge 143 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: because it was a full time job. So I was 144 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: in the grind working having to you know, learn a 145 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: lot of dialogue and learning. You know, it's you're learning 146 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: on your feet as you go. And then obviously mckinna 147 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,919 Speaker 1: with ABC opened a lot of doors in the series 148 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: Television World, and you just went from there. And so 149 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 1: I feel like every job I've gotten has been a 150 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: great break. 151 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 2: You're a person of faith. Did you grow up with 152 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 2: that faith or did that come later in life. 153 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: I grew up in a family that went to church. 154 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: We weren't like overly religious. I mean, you know, we 155 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: celebrated you know, Eastern Christmas, but what my parents weren't 156 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: heavy handed about it, I would say, but they definitely 157 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: was important to them. My dad was an elder in 158 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: the Presbyterian Church and when he was younger, and so 159 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: I think it was important to both my parents that 160 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: me and my two brothers were exposed to that, but 161 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: they didn't really force it, honest and so for a while, 162 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: I it wasn't important to me. But when I was thirteen, 163 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: it was when I first received Christ as my savior, 164 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: when I was at school, and I responded to that message, 165 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: the gospel message and the invitation. But then there was 166 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: about a ten year period where it wasn't really important 167 00:07:58,160 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: to me. I wasn't you know. I was kind of 168 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: running wiled a bit. And when I graduated college and 169 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: I was now pursuing a career, I remember having a 170 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: pivotal moment just sitting in my apartment in downtown Los Angeles, 171 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: and I felt pretty empty and kind of lost, and 172 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: I I just remember just saying a simple prayer. I 173 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: just say, God, I don't know if you want to 174 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: have anything to do with me, but I miss you, 175 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: It's all I said. And everything changed from that point forward, 176 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: and it was an incredible It's been an incredible journey 177 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: and I mean just amazing. Maybe I'll write a book 178 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: about it sometime, but that's really been and it's and 179 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: you know, the thing is, Michael, it became real to 180 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: me as an adult. You know, when you're younger, you're 181 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: you know, you're still under your parents' house and influence, 182 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:45,439 Speaker 1: and when you go out in the real world and 183 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 1: suddenly you're making decisions for yourself, you have to make 184 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: that choice. And I made that choice to say to God, hey, 185 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: I want you in my life as myself doing it, 186 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: and that was very powerful. 187 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 2: I was going to ask a follow about how has 188 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 2: been being a Christian in Hollywood? How has that maybe 189 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 2: impacted what roles you accept or decline over the years. 190 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 2: I'm sure there are some that you wouldn't take, and. 191 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, but you know, listen, I think that 192 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: even goes for people that may not profess a Christian faith. 193 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 1: And you know that our actors, I think, you know, 194 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: we there's I've met many people in our industry from 195 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 1: all different walks of life, different faiths that have certain 196 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: I don't want to say, you know, maybe a moral 197 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,079 Speaker 1: compass or something that they just that they try to 198 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 1: stay true to and every actor asks a look at 199 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: a role and decide is why do I want to 200 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: tell this story? What is it about this story that 201 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 1: I find important? And the other thing I had to 202 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: remind myself is that you can't please everybody. And really, 203 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, odd matters to me, 204 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: what God thinks, and my family is important, how they 205 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 1: and so because there are going to be times where 206 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: I'll do a role where some people will say why 207 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: do you do that role? And other people will and 208 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's tricky. I will tell you, Michael 209 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: that I pray about every role I do with my wife. 210 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: I ever read the script and just to kind of 211 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: get her feedback. And I feel I feel pretty good 212 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 1: about the journey that I've been on in the and 213 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: the roles that I've taken on. Yes, there's been a 214 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: couple of times where, looking back, you know, I would say, yeah, 215 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: I probably shouldn't have taken that. I took it for 216 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 1: the wrong reason, you know, And usually the wrong reason 217 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: is like, oh I could I could use the money, 218 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 1: or I want to get you know, maybe this will 219 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: open a different door for me. And really what that 220 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: is is it's a lack of trust you know and 221 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:53,559 Speaker 1: what you know. And this is sometimes when people can compromise, 222 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,839 Speaker 1: is when they're not trusting, they can make decisions that 223 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: they might look back on and say, ah, shouldn't have 224 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:03,199 Speaker 1: done that. But for the most part, I think in 225 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: this again, this is a big question. I appreciate you 226 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: asking it because my job, you know, is different than 227 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: everybody else on set. They're behind the camera. I'm in 228 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,199 Speaker 1: front of the camera. And a lot of times people 229 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:18,679 Speaker 1: when they see you play a role, they associate you 230 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,959 Speaker 1: with that role. So I've played some pretty nefarious characters, 231 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: you know, and people will meet me and they'll go, guy, 232 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: you're not anything like your character that you play on 233 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 1: that such and such show. And I go, yeah, because 234 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: I'm acting. That's that's what I do. You know, I'm 235 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: not that guy, but I really had fun playing that character. 236 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: So I just think, for me, at the end of 237 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: the day, what's most important is I want to tell 238 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 1: a story, a good story, because as an actor, I'm 239 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:46,599 Speaker 1: a part of that story. I'm not. You know, you 240 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: can't make a movie or do a television story, or 241 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,079 Speaker 1: a good stage player or anything just with one person. 242 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: You need everybody to come together. The directors, the crew, 243 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: the actors, the writers, and you know, this whole team 244 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:00,719 Speaker 1: comes together as a co us have viewed it and 245 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 1: they for one common thing, and that's to tell a 246 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 1: great story. And so some things I will look at 247 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: and go, this I think is important for this story. 248 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:14,199 Speaker 1: And sometimes I'll look at it and I'll go, this 249 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: is pretty gratuitous. I don't think this is necessary. I'll 250 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: go and talk to the director maybe or the writer 251 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: and say, is there a way we can do this 252 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: where it's not so just in your face and we 253 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: can still get across the message that you're trying to 254 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: get across, and then we'll have a dialogue about it. 255 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: So yeah, I mean, you know, it's but at the 256 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: end of the day, I'm still called to my job, 257 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: which I believe God gave me this ability to do. 258 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: What I do is to go do the best job 259 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:43,839 Speaker 1: I can with the story that's put in front of 260 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: me and the character and the script that's put in 261 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: front of me. And once I make that decision and 262 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: I say I'm going to do this, then I'm all in. Yeah. 263 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 2: You were mentioning earlier, how you know there might have 264 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 2: been something some roles that you wish you at and done. 265 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 2: Most of us aren't following around in life on our 266 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 2: job with cameras, and so we would all we would 267 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,319 Speaker 2: all say that, you know something that we would have 268 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 2: done differently in life. Let's circle back to all is 269 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 2: Mary and Bright, which is in theaters no remember the seventh. 270 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 2: Give me just to take away that you want audiences, 271 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 2: audiences to think about maybe and maybe how we can 272 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 2: impact them this holiday season. 273 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: Well, you know, we always need stories that uplift us, 274 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: bring us hope, bring us joy. And I think it's 275 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: really needed right now just in our current climate. You know, 276 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 1: it seems to be a lot of tension and as 277 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: we approach, you know, get into this holiday season as 278 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: people come together. I hope that this it just encourages. 279 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: I hope it's encouraging and it inspires people, brings them 280 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: a lot of joy and laughter. It's a fun movie. 281 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: It doesn't take itself overly serious or too serious. And 282 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: you know, Corey Edwards did a great job directing this film, 283 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,959 Speaker 1: and you know there's some wonderful messages in it about 284 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:03,439 Speaker 1: just love and faith and family coming together and you know, 285 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 1: also learning that not everything in life we can control. 286 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:09,319 Speaker 1: I mean there are things that are out of our control, 287 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:11,439 Speaker 1: and sometimes we try so hard to control things we 288 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: end up burning ourselves out. And it also reminds me 289 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 1: that you just can't go it alone. There's a great 290 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: message in this movie about we need each other. We 291 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: really do need each other in this life. And you know, 292 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: sometimes you hear that there's an epidemic of loneliness in 293 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: the world, and you know and go ahead, just you know, 294 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: it breaks my heart when you know that someone might 295 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: be lowly. And I think that this movie reminds us 296 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: that we need each other, we need to be come 297 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: together and lift each other up. 298 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 2: So often Christmas is a stressful time of the year, 299 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 2: and it should be the opposite, should be just the opposite. 300 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 2: And so I think this is a good reminder of that. Hey, 301 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 2: you Rick always can talk it to you things so 302 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 2: much to man. 303 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 1: Thanks Michael. 304 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 2: If you enjoy today's interview, please make sure to subscribe 305 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 2: and share the episode with a friend. A big thanks 306 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 2: to the team that Life Audio for their partnership with 307 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 2: us on the podcast. If you go to life audio 308 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 2: dot com, you will find dozens of other faith centered 309 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 2: podcasts in their network. See you next time.