Man on a Mission: Behind the Scenes with Christian Actor, Comic and Author Brad Stine

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By Dr. Tom Snyder, Editor

Christian actor, stand-up comic and author Brad Stine, star of the MOVIEGUIDE® Award winning TV movie CHRISTMAS WITH A CAPITAL C, is a man on a mission. He wants to develop a way for Christian movie and television producers to put out casting calls to Christian actors and actresses for upcoming productions, especially faith films.

“That’s one of the things I’ve found missing in the Christian community,” Brad said. “Just to be made aware that a movie is casting. The mainstream has breakdowns of upcoming film productions. They put it out there and let you know that they’re casting this film.”

He added, “We need something that allows faith films, directors and producers a place to go to break down every actor they’re looking for, every age, what they need to do, where do we go to do the audition.”

Christians in the entertainment industry, actors included, need to work together, Stine believes. Christian filmmakers should hire Christian actors whenever they can, he asserts.

“If you need Brad Pitt for [a] role, you better hire Brad Pitt,” he said. “But, there’s plenty of other acting roles in [a] film where the person doesn’t have to be famous, he’s just got to be a good actor. If all things are equal. . . I believe yes indeed, you should give the role to the Christian because every other minority group that has attained leverage and power in Hollywood did it by hiring their own, but Christians don’t do that!

“I realize,” he continued, “our talent pool is not the same as the mainstream. I get it. I realize that [Christians] don’t always make those calls, but there are times when they can and they don’t. If we’re not taking care of our own people (in a culture that despises us). . . then shame on us!”

Brad is a man on a mission in other ways as well, especially when it comes to spreading the message of the Gospel through his stand-up act, his comedy albums, his two books, or through his acting gigs.

He described for MOVIEGUIDE® how he came to faith:

“I came to Christ when I was 9-years-old. I was in a little Presbyterian Church in Orange, California. They simply said, if you would like to know Jesus as your Savior, raise your hand, and, with every head bowed and every eye closed, I said, sure, I’ll be a Christian, and I became a Christian at that point. I’ve lived my faith throughout all those years since then. I definitely had a Prodigal journey in there, as many others who grow up in the church do. I have not lived a perfect life, but I have gone through stages of grace and maturity and growth and change in my faith that has brought me to this place where God can use me in the media that He had called me to all along. . . .