Faith and Famous

Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join us as your host Alan Shires interviews Katherine Warnock, known as the vice president of the original content series The Chosen! She was also previously the head of Faith and Family content ay MGM studios and helps to steer growth through the innovative content creation. She has worked with elite brands such as Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, Sony, and Ford to name a few! Katherine was a high school teacher and went on a mission trip to Mozambique. It was there that God placed on her heart that she'll be working in Hollywood, despite having absolutely no experience in Hollywood at all. In her words, she was simply a high school teacher who just said yes! Katherine talks about the good, the bad and the ugly of Hollywood, and realising that she really did not expect what she saw. But God taught her to love people better and not judge, and she strives to love people wherever she goes. She also shares the importance of understanding your 'why?' when it comes to being in the entertainment industry. She explains that she's not in Hollywood to conform, she's there to be the light and so, unlike most people who see the darkness of Hollywood, she sees the hope that God sees! She highlights the need to trust God, even if it means not moving up as fast as you want, but knowing that like God did with her, He takes you higher, even if it takes a little longer, than you would go if you conformed and joined in what Hollywood expects of you! Listen here as Katherine explains that it is important for actors or professionals in the entertainment industry to hear God's voice, to be in a community who is NOT in the industry who will be able to see from an outside perspective what is right or wrong so not to make you compromise, let God shape your character, and invest deeply and richly and lavishly in his presence. If you want impact and you want authority and people to trust you and testimonies and His favour to come forth, this will be an overflow of His presence in you!  To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join us as your host Alan Shires interviews Director, Producer and Screenwriter Brannon Hollingsworth, who created Brainy Pixel and has created a range of animations including in Cubekins, Righteous Warriors and Molly's Memory Verse. He is also passionate about teaching, speaking and supporting the industry! Brannon never planned to be in entertainment but started off as a 'closet creative'; wanting to create stories and animation and was always doing as such. He then started a Youtube Channel with his business partner Michael, where they taught children how to draw and paint, which later then formed Brainy Pixel. About 5 years ago, they were ready to pack up as they found the business to be unfulfilling and while it was going well, they found it to be lacking purpose. But then after an Abraham-Isaac moment, they made the decision to put the business on the alter, gave it to God,, sought, prayed and continiously give it to God as an offering, and had a new found love for it which has catapulted Brainy Pixel to what it is today as they continue to be humbled and obedient to Christ. Brannon didn't begin following Christ until 33 years of age, but here he shares his testimony and also shares the casting process of finding the right artists for their content, and shares advice on how to deal with not booking work in an industry that is super competitive! As also promised in this episode, here is the link to the Brainy Pixel mailing list! Subscribe and be the first to find out what they're up to, and what's to come! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join us as your host Alan Shires interviews actor, director and writer Sarah LeJeune whose credits include Amazing Grace, Lifemark and Deadly Sins to name a few. Sarah grew up in a Christian household, and she knew from a very young age about the significance of a relationship with Christ. It was in her early 20's that after a wrestle with God about her career that she layed down her talents and gifts and projects to Him, and let Him take over. Today she is an actor, director and writer who is passionate about glorifying God in all that she does! Sarah shares the importance of having faith and surrounding yourself with people of faith, a tribe, who pray for you, who you can pray for, and who you can stand together with particularly during times where God appears to be silent and is working in the background! Sarah also talks about the importance of knowing your talents and gifts, emphasising that we are all different! So we can bring them together to do God's work and glorify all that God can do together! From this, Sarah has created resources to help others in her non-profit Project Brickworks with her mom who help to connect people with those different gifts and talents to the Lord and to one another, understanding that connection is everything! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join us as your host Alan Shires interviews Award Winning actor Venus Monique whose credits include The Raven Series, Tiny Ocean Tails and Vindication! Venus also created Personal Powerhouse, a Christian company building the backbone and confidence of women in the film industry! Venus grew up in church, and really pursued God in late high school having met people who were fun AND Christian, realising that being a Christian can in fact be fun! And has been walking with Christ ever since. Venus never liked acting throughout high school, but in College as she was going about her day and walking through the grounds, God put acting on her heart and knowing that that was not her own desire, and how randomly the thought came, she knew it was God calling her and she simply said okay! This has led to her today being the successful actor that she is! Venus shares the significance of her faith as she has pursued her calling. She shares the importance of being obedient and faithful throughout your career where God has taken you down, and shares some fantastic advice for other Christians in the entertainment industry, particularly when it comes to rejection and boundaries which is faced by actors everyday! She also shares about Personal Powerhouse and how it came to be! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join us as your host Alan Shires interviews Award Winning Actor Todd Terry, known for Vindication, Jesus Revolution, Running the Bases and Pursuit of Freedom to name a few! This conversation goes into the importance of keeping God close when acting and the importance for christians to not only focus on acting in Faith-Based content but also being the example of Christ on secular projects too, understanding that God wants us to reach the unsaved. Todd shares his experience of being in the secular hit show Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and his need for discernment. He shares the importance of discipleship generally, and some great advice for anyone who is a Christian and either is, or wanting to pursue a career in acting. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter   This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join us as your host Alan Shires interviews Actors and Coaches Justin Sterner and Amber Sterner who are known for Running the Bases, Lifemark and many more! Justin describes his journey from having movie making as an idol, to the point of where he realised that Hollywood will not give him purpose, but the Lord will, and together, Justin and Amber made a commitment to make only content that is faith based and family based; something that glorifies the Lord and that they would be happy with their children seeing.  They talk about the importance of understanding your identity in Christ when you are working in the film industry, to be mentored, and to be willing to learn and delve deeper into what it means to have Christ in the centre when working in film. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter   This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join us as your host Alan Shires interviews Actor, Director and Producer Brett Varvel, known for Running the Bases, American Underdog and Pursuit of Freedom.   Brett at 5 years old gave his life to Jesus and since that day has passionately pursued him. He was also captivated by the movie Back to the Future, which led him to his passion of filmmaking and acting which he does today! His first short film was created to depict his coming to Christ and his journey which came first place in the state, and at the award ceremony, incredibly, a janitor who had seen his film surrendered his life to Christ, leading Brett to undertand his purpose of creating films and using his gifts and talents to edify Christ and proclaim the gospel through film.   Brett shares advice to actors about how to stand out in auditions when you are a needle in a haystack so to speak! He also talks about the need for good headshots, but ultimately, the need to wait and trust in the Lord through the whole process.    To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter   This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join us as your host Alan Shires interviews Director, Producer and Writer Jarod O'Flaherty who is known for the hit Christian TV show Vindication as well as My Son and We Were There!   Jarod gave his life as a young boy, but it wasn't until later in high school when he recommitted his life and got involved with all that he could in his church. As technology began to improve, he became involved in filming and editing media for the church, and ultimately this led him to doing what he does today!   Jerod shares advice to other Christians from a storyteller perspective about the need to not compromise when it comes to taking work that goes against our faith and against God, and also the importance of family support.   To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter   This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

"Not only do you have to have faith in God but you also need to have faith in yourself, just do it!" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews talent agent Linda McAlister, founder of Linda McAlister Talent! her journey started with her daughter who was booking acting jobs but did not have an agent, and so Linda was encouraged by a casting director friend to become her daughters agent. Over time, this became a great passion for her and today she is a successful talent agent who has forwarded actors for popular names such as The Chosen and Dragonball! Linda talks about her journey as an agent, and the way that her faith has guided her and defined her role and the way she approaches how she works with those on her roster. She emphasises the need to be an example of Jesus, emphasising the need to understand that everybody's journey is different, and that no one of us are perfect, nor do we have the right to judge those we work with. She also explains the two-way relationship that needs to be had between actors and agents, and gives some sound advice on what to expect from an agent, and how to get the most from having one! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

"Christians have gotta get together and learn how to do it in the most excellent way and become our own industry, we gotta do what we do, and make Hollywood come to us, and make our stuff so good that Warner brothers want it!" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Today we have a double portion! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews filmmaker, producer, writer and director Antionette McCoy and husband director, producer and filmmaker Duane McCoy. Duane knew from the young age of 7 that he wanted to follow the Lord, and Antionnete found the Lord in her early 20's when, been about to commit suicide due to her life spiraling, a devine encounter happened in that she felt prompted to turn around and call a relative who she barely knew, whose number she didn't even know she had, who took her to church that evening and from there she found her faith and has passionately pursued the Lord ever since! Together they are a couple who passionatly follow Christ together! Their journey into entertainment began from a dream that Duane had about the end times, where he felt the holy spirit prompt him to create their first film. They had no background in filmmaking, but God implanted in them a passion, brought to them the opportunities they needed to learn along the way and they just did it! Fast forward to the present day, they run Legind Studios and have just released Dark Prince! Listen as they share about Dark Prince, about their journeys and the amazing advice they have for other Christians wishing to pursue a career in entertainment. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter Legindstudios YouTube page This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

"start spending time with God and just follow him to the best of your ability and just enjoy the detour because God is the only one that can change times and change seasons" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews former NFL star Sterling Harris who today is a motivational speaker, author and preacher. Sterling shares his incredible journey from being in the NFL, going to prison, finding the Lord on a personal level and to now being a passionate son of Christ with an incredible ministry. This episode reveals some key differences between religion and a personal relationship with Christ, with Sterling's experience of both sides. He shares about how the grace of God has led him through the other side of bad decisions made, and how Christ now has centre stage in his life allowing him to be able to see the best decisions in front of him. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

"They say that Satan owns the airwaves, well by gosh it's time we take them back. I tell my team we are the tip of the spear...our mission field are the lost." Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews Sean Doherty; producer, founder and CEO of Sharpened Iron Productions who produced What Remains. Sean began his career in politics having been challenged by his college professor at the young age of 18 to run in California, which he did, and got elected! But 38 years down the line in 2019, God put it on his heart to delve into entertainment and to do it for Him! This is where Sharpened Iron Productions was birthed. Sean talks to us about what Sharpened Iron Productions stands for, and also gives us a background on his faith and some fantastic advice for actors who are, or are wanting to, pursue a career in the entertainment industry to put their gifts to use to share the good news! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

"Not everyone is gifted, so for anyone choosing any kind of career, really you have to undertstand who you are and what your gifts are to be able to plug yourself into the position that you will be able to blossom best at" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews cinematographer James Burgess whose credits includes The Dark Places and Pursuit of Freedom. James started primarily in documentaries which helped him to develop his sense of storytelling, and always found that he has had an underlying subtextual desire to tell stories which led him to faith based films. He also has an incredible gift of seing frames and making them come to life. In this episode, James tells us his background and where his journey in following Christ began, and gives some fantastic advice for others wishing to pursue a career in entertainment. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

"We forget about the forty years in the wilderness, we forget that if God is calling us, he didn't call us by accident, and the dreams he gave us, he didn't give to us by accident, he's very intentional from when we were in our mothers womb" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews casting director and founder of Christian Casting Laura Mae Poore!  Laura Mae grew up as a Christian and felt called from a very young age to be a missionary. She also has a passion for music and began training to be a music teacher, but quit college to be with her husband. She later found herself taking up music again, only was encouraged to pursue acting as a means of broadening her opportunities, and it was from this that God showed her about a lack of representation for Christians when it came to the entertainment industry - many Christian actors either did not have Christian agents, or knew where to go when trying to pursue roles in Christian entertainment. This was where Christian Casting was birthed, and Laura Mae is passionate about educating, directing, supporting, encouraging and guiding christian actors in their journey to establishing their calling from God in the entertainment industry. Alongside this, Laura Mae is an advocate for mothers to have the opportunity to follow their dreams, and is an incredible example of this herself, being that she does all the above with Christian Casting, alongside singing, comedy and acting, with EIGHT CHILDREN! In this episode Laura Mae shares with us how she does it, first and foremost! and gives some fantastic advice to others, particularly mothers wanting to, or currently pursuing a career in entertainment while following Christ To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Bright Horizon Pictures

"Even waiting is active, the word waiting is like intertwining your heart, so there's an activation even if you're waiting for a role, there's still that faith thing that's like okay, in this waiting process I'm going to prepare" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews worship leader and voiceover artist Meredith McCoy Mauldin, who is famously known in the anime world for being the voice of Android 18 in the Dragonball series', and in the church world for pioneering the worship and songwriting culture and being the founder of the label and publishing company SongLab at UPPERROOM. Meredith has a background in theatre and always believed in God having leant on Him after the passing of her father at a young age, but had a true encounter with him when she got married. In turn, Meredith laid down her dream of acting, and she and her husband sought after the Lord more by becoming missionaries in the Middle East. Upon their return, Meredith became heavily involved in worship with UPPEROOM who were planting a church, with Meredith directing the worship, starting their label, songwriting, and executive producing their first few albums. However, God had other plans, telling her to lay down everything she was doing there and instead, focus on going back into entertainment! Today Meredith has a successful career in entertainment, more specifically in the voiceover world and anime, and is still a figure leader in worship both with UPPERROOM and on an individual level. Listen here as she talks to us about how these two worlds, while different in some ways, are very similar in others, and the advice she gives us and others who are, or want to pursue a career in worship leading and/or acting. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

"What would happen if we thanked God for the jobs we didn't get? What would happen if we thanked God for protecting us from something that wouldn't have been good for us?" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews producer, writer and director Nathan Scoggins whose credits include The Least of These, Perfect Summer and What Remains. Nathan had a terrifying experience at 3 years of age where he fell into the pool and nearly drowned. It was here that his journey into seeking the Lord began with the support of his Dad who was a pastor. In college his faith was solidified and he found himself falling in love with film and movies and learnt to put his dream into motion, resulting in his taking a faith step into moving to Hollywood and becoming the successful producer, writer and director that he is today! Nathan shares his experience with dealing with failures - which anyone in the entertainment industry will understand is a huge challenge we have to face on a daily basis, if this is you, you're not alone! He shares with us the importance of being able to apologise to people, to live in generosity and not poverty, and gives fantastic advice for other Christians who are working in, or pursuing a career in entertainment! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

‘God takes you through a journey, and so when you're in that prison [like Joseph] and you think “maybe I was wrong, maybe God did not call me to this”, no, you're still in the journey, and so you stick with it when you're in those times and in those valleys and nobody's calling and things aren't working, that's just part of the journey getting you to where God's needing you” Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews director, producer and writer George Johnson of Homesick Media with credits including, Homeless for the Holidays, Thy Neighbour and Pursuit of Freedom. George met the Lord at a carnival at the young age of 4 or 5, having seen the story of Jesus being told and starting his personal journey into exploring living for the Lord for himself. He was always interested in storytelling from being a young child, writing his first script at 7 years of age, and his first feature script at 15, and today is a an incredible and successful NATAS LGL Emmy® Award-Winning director, writer and producer! Listen as George highlights the importance of humility and perseverance, and the need to keep going when you know that being in entertainment is your calling but your process looks otherwise! George has some incredible advice for anyone who believes that this is indeed their calling, and is pursing this! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

"you cannot take any of that [money and success] with you, what it's allowed me to do as I've had greater discernment with my roles and my career is allow myself to surrender to God more in terms of where he wants me to be used" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews producer and award-winning actor Stelio Savante from Pursuit of Freedom, The Chosen and What Remains.  Stelio is passionate about breaking the stereotype of christians having to play 'perfect' people in entertainment, because let's face it, nobody is perfect! He shares with us the importance of actors needing to be prepared to portray sinful people as a means of being able to also share the love of God through their characters' redemptions, but also the importance of taking every opportunity that God presents to you because his plan and purpose will always have a bigger picture! Stelio also gives us some fantastic advice for actors who are in, or wish to start a career in acting, and along with his own personal journey to Christ. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

"He is not restrction, he is guidance. He is not beat-down, he is pruning to perfection like a Rose - he is the ultimate gardener." Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews producer, director, actress, wardrobe stylist and educator BJ Arnett, whose credits include Mattie: The Discovery, Master of Dreams and The Challenge Disaster, and hosts hosts her very own This Day with BJ Arnett and BJA Today! BJ  has a background of TV and film, televevision commercials and beauty pageants, and when she gave her life to Christ, she had the revelation that God has protected her through all of these things despite being unsaved; bring the remarkable realisation of just how much of a loving God he is and the plan he had for her. From there, BJ has had a huge passion for reaching people through media, and together with her husband Cameron Arnett, they have gone on to develop Camy Arnett Production Studios as a platform to do just this! BJ Shares her journey, her passion and her incredible insight into God's calling for her personally but also for her and Cameron who are an incredible powerhouse couple in Christ! Listen here also for some fantastic advice for anyone in, or wanting to pursue a career in entertianment without the need to compromise on your relationship with Christ. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

"All God wants to do to you and with you is prepare you for what he has already ordained for you and the worst thing you can do is succeed at the wrong thing… his word to us will always take us to a place of prospetiry its just that we go through the valley of the shadow along the way." Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews actor Cameron Arnett! Join us as Cameron shares how he got into acting, his salvation and how God has catapulted his career. Cameron's motto in all that he does is Christ before career, and is reflected in both his career and his ministry. He also discusses the topic of wealth, particularly the difference between wealth for purpose and wealth for personal gain, an inportant aspect in an industry where so often great wealth can be generated, and gives some amazing advice for those following a path in the entertainment industry. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

"So much of what we do is passion based; 'our passion is film, let's slap Jesus into it'...But that's not what God calls us to. God calls us to have a foundation in our hearts that's engrained and founded in Christ and subseqauently living that out in the way we work..."" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews director, writer and producer Micah Gerber, founder of Gospel Motion Films! You know that God is the same God to adults as he is to children, right? Well, Micah is an incredible example of this! He is a visionary who gave his life to Christ at the young age of 4. His passion for God and for media and his vision were combined to start Gospel Motion Films at just 12 years of age! And today, 10 years later, Gospel Motion Films is still hugely successful in making the gospel come to life and is known and loved by many in the Christian entertainment industry! Join us as Micah tells us how this all began, and the amazing advice he has to share with other Christians in entertainment. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

"God wants to give us things, see so many christians don't wanna believe that; how's it gunna happen? When is it gunna happen? But that's none of your business. The supernatural is God's business. Ours is to do what he's called us to do in excellence, to the very best of our ability, and in the proper time we get promoted!" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews actor and author Ted Jordan! Ted is a huge advocate for creating high quality, excellent content to glorify God, so much so that he and his wife created their own production company Crossing Jordan Entertainment which recognises the unique opportunities that exist for excellence in faith-based storytelling/production. From this passion, Ted has created a comedic series called The Sinister Truth, and written the book 'The Restorer' which Ted talks about in this episode. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

"Don't wait, just create!" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews filmmaker, theologian and writer Spencer Folmer! Spencer has an incredible background of using his gift of filmmaking to glorify God and tell stories that matter, and using this gift not as a means of gaining wealth for himself, but for being able to give back into the community for all that has been given to him. He not only makes films, but he also mentors other film makers, helping them to be connected, to create links, to help produce and gain funding, and encourages them with his favourite saying "don't wait, just create!'. Spencer shares his passion for filmmaking and serving others, and gives some great advice for those wanting to pursue a career in acting and filmmaking in the entertainent industry! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

"thankfully the Lord has never given up on me, he's always given me the opportunity to come back and a place to come back to" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews cinematographer and event coordinator of the CWVFF Dan Cleghorn, whose credits include Man of God and Timbertown. Dan has a passion for using multimedia to share the gospel. His passion started when he was volunteering in a church booth at a county fair, giving out CD's with worship music and gospel messages, only to find that most people had thrown them away. He decided from then that he was going to combine his faith and his passion and understand of multimedia being an incredibly powerful tool to share the gospel and create something so valuable that people will want it, and he did just that! Today, Dan is a well renowned cinematographer, as well as the events coordinator at the Christian Worldview Film Festival, aka CWVFF! Dan shares with us his journey and experiences along with some amazing advice for Christian actors and filmmakers. He also tells us about the CWVFF; how it came to be, what it's all about and how you can get there yourself! Listen here for all this and more! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

"I'm not saying there will never be an end to the tension, but I think there's certain lines that we should not cross, and we have to decide for ourselves what those are, and it's probably best to enumerate them upfront." Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews actor, producer, casting director and TV host Steve Shermett. Steve had an absolute passion for acting and performing, but when he became a believer, he stopped because he simply didn't know how to make the two work together. This was until 6 years ago, where on his birthday, he went to an acting class for a bit of fun and see if that passion was still there. Sure enough it was! And it was then that he began to learn from talking to others about how he can indeed make acting work around his faith, his family and his ministry. Today he is an incredible, well established actor, and has even been involved in producing and casting directing! Listen here as Steve shares his story, how his love for acting was rebirthed and how he has been able to make the two worlds come together! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"If I can do this and stand before the Lord tomorrow, would I feel like I gave him the glory, would I feel proud and feel like I've honoured him with what he gave me to steward in this career, in this life, in my choices?" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews actors and producer Taylor Kalupa and Masey McLain. Taylor and Masey met while filming the movie I'm Not Ashamed and years later Masey moved in with Taylor when moving to LA and became the best of friends. They both share their journey's of how they came to know Jesus and how they have grown through their faith into adulthood, and how they found themselves in their roles in I'm Not Ashamed. They also give some amazing advice for christians wishing to pursue a career in entertainment! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"People a lot of times will ask you what you do for a living and when people hear that you're in the entertainment industry, a lot of christians immediately have red flags go up and say 'how can you be a part of that without compromising?' I always love telling them, 'because it's possible to do it without compromising'. God has gifted creatives and artists and filmmakers just as he's gifted people to be in ministry or a plumber or any occupation, he has wired people and gifted people to be in all parts of the workplace in all parts of the world, so we just have to be faithful to what he has given us and trust him to take care of the rest" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews actor, composer and influencer Aaron Fullan! Aaron got saved at the early age of 5 years of age and throughout his life continued to grow in the process of God revealing himself to him into adulthood. He grew up with a passion for music and went into acting later, and is now blessed with being able to do both! Aaron is passionate about glorifying God in all that he does, and shares the challenges and decisions he has decided to make when it comes to facing opportunities that go against his convictions, but how in these moments, God has always shown through and allowed him the opportunities that would have otherwise not been available! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"The three things I told God that I didn't want, became the three biggest joys in my life" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews film producer and founder of the Hollywood Prayer Network Karen Covell! Karen grew up with creatives and while she went to church as a child, it wasn't until her freshman year that she made the decision to have a personal relationship with the Lord. She asked God for three things, that if she was to give her life, she didn't want to tell people about him, she didn't want to be a missionary, and she didn't want to go to Africa. But God had other plans and made all three happen! But today, Karen proudly tells of how these three things have been three of the best things that have ever happened to her! In Karen's early career of producing, it came to light that there was a huge divide between Hollywood and the Church, and in turn felt that Christians were either discouraged from entering the world of entertainment, or unsupported if they did. This is where Hollywood Prayer Network was birthed, and has since become an incredible industry for Christian entertainers to be covered by prayer, to be supported and to be part of a community who share the calling of being in entertainment for the Lord. It has since also helped to bridge the divide between churches and entertainment and the work they have done and are continuing to do is absolutely phenomenal! Listen here to Karen's journey, what Hollywood Prayer Network do, and can do for you if you are a Christian in entertainment, and how we can support them! This is one not to miss! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"When I felt persecuted from other people, I found a community who said 'no, God is with you, keep going!' and we need that. You need a christian community especially living in Hollywood" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews the Boylan sisters; Alexandra Boylan and Andrea Polnaszeka whose projects include the movie include Catching Faith, Switched and Identity Crisis. Listen as they share their journey's into entertainment, the challenges they have faced creating faith-based movies but also the amazing things that have happened in this journey! Aside from this, they also explain how they have been supported by the Hollywood Prayer Network, Alexandra shares her involvement in Women in Film and Andrea shares about her book and ministry The Elijah Project! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"Colossians 3:23: whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart as if working for the lord and not for men. That has been the goal, the mission, the vision everything for my life for so long, even when my mum would tell me to do something growing up I just wanted to obey, I just wanted to do what was right and I wanted to do it for the Lord. That hasn't changed in the tragectory of my career, being a new mum, everything has just been 'how can I do this for Jesus?', because that's the only reason I'm here, to honour and glorify him and that is what I want with all my heart" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews actor and director Jessica Koloian from Courageous Love, Thy Neighbour, Christine's Wager and the newly released Pursuit of Freedom! Jessica grew up as a Christian and had a gift for memorising and reciting scriptures. This gift translated later into doing monologues and speech contests, and then further into the beginning of her theatre career. Her love for Jesus is second-to-none and has been from a very very young age, and she has taken her love and passion for Jesus to reflect in all that she does. Hear Jessica's story here, where she shares her journey into acting, and her role in the newly released film Pursuit of Freedom. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"When I first became a Christian, all of my eating issues did NOT go away, they actually got worse and I thought what they heck?! But as I started studying the bible and started learning about warfare, the Lord spoke to me through the word and showed me in John 10:10 the enemey comes to steal, kill and destroy, and now that you're in the kingdom and now that you're on the path of destiny, the enemy is gunna turn up the heat, he's gunna find those vilnerable places and try to take you out!" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews actor and coach Robia Scott, known for her roles in, Unplanned, Pursuit of Freedom and Vindication to name a few. Robia shares her journey which started out as being a dancer who was filled with self-doubt and low self-esteem, which developed into an issue with food and chain smoking. Once giving her life to Jesus, she began a process of self-acceptance and learning the root causes of her struggles, and in turn, has taken what she's learnt on this process to write a book and create a course for other women who rely on conterfeit comforts such as food and cigarettes to help them become free of their holds too. Robia also talks about her roles in Unplanned and Pursuit of Freedom. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"...portraying a sin on screen as an actor is not condoning it, it's not promoting it, it's not saying "okay I as an actor am going to do a sinful act on screen"... it's us presenting real world struggles ... if it's something that's effecting your body in a negative way like a street drug like cocaine, and you portray that on screen, you're not saying "Hey, I want you to do this!" you're saying "this is where this character was, this character was in a very dark place, and then he found light" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews actor, director, writer and producer Justen Overlander, whose projects include TV show The Chosen, The Shift, and I Can to name a few! Join us as Justen shares his journey, and we discuss the need for films and TV to highlight the struggles that people face in the world. Justen explains that there is a fine line between portrayal and promotion, but in portrayal comes the ability to glorify God by also highlighting the redemtion that is given by our Lord! Justen also shares with us about his new up-and-coming project 'The Shift', an exciting new feature film to be made, a sci-fi, but in a new way! (Check this out here!). To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"When God gives us a dream, he doesn't change his mind because there was a misturn as we're following him, or maybe we ended up in a situation that we didn't see up ahead. God is faithful, he loves us, so much so that he proved it over and over again, and I just want to say to anyone who's listening and you're wondering "what is God gunna do with me?" - all you've got to do is just keep saying yes..." Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews Arnecye Walker, a full-time caregiver dedicated to using her God given gift of writing to give hope to other caregivers and show them that God loves them too! Arnecye has always been passionate about writing for the Lord, but circumstances changed which resulted in her becoming a full time carer. Her relationship with God however was unwavered, and it is through this relationship that God has allowed her to face the challenges she's faced, and shown her how she can use her gift of writing to create a message of hope for those in a caring capacity, understanding what a lonely and challenging position it is.  Arnecye shares her story and amazing advice for all that listen, whether you're listening as a carer yourself, or as someone who knows a carer and wants to know how you can support them, and about the project she has been working on to show that God never leaves. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"I've asked the question would you rather be a part of two projects that matter or ten that don't matter? In God's economy, he's like "I can do more with five loaves and two fish than the world can do with a years wages"..." Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews two of the Kendrick brothers; Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick! Both are hugely influencial writers and producers in the Christian film world, blessing us with films such as War Room, Courageous and their newly highly anticipated 2022 release Lifemark, which we will be talking about in this episode! Lifemark is an incredible film that shows the beauty of adoption through sharing the real story of David and Melissa. Presently, in time with the Roe vs. Wade being overturned, this film offers a beautiful alternative to consider for women who find themselves in the position of having an unplanned pregnancy and have nowhere to turn. Stephen himself, with his wife, have adopted themselves and are passionate about sharing the joy of doing so with others, and the story behind how his daughters adoption came to be is just incredible and is shared in this episode too. Alex and Stephen also share their experiences as Christians in the industry, and how their relationship with the Lord has opened opportunities for their projects to not just come to pass, but to bless many millions around the world, making them known as two of the most influencial christian writers and producers in the entertainment industry. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"I've noticed that whenever I feel like God is not near, its me that drifted, it's me that hasn't been really submitting and praying and letting him take over what I can't control, and a lot of acting is that" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews Lara Silva, a public speaker, a TV and film actor with credits from Queen of the South, Blue Ridge and The Chosen. Lara's journey into acting started in a miraculous way, she was having to take work where she could in restaurants etc... to make ends meet and was not happy, she felt unfulfilled and like she didn't know what her purpose was. But one day her best friend observed how unhappy she was and asked her "Lara, when was the last time you felt truly happy?" And when thinking back, she remembered the last time she felt truly happy was when she was in elementary school putting on shows and performing. This moment was a pinacle moment for her because from here, she looked into trying an acting class and realised that her passion and fire in her heart was rebirthed when attending and that's where her career in acting began! She shares with us her journey from there and how praying and submitting to God has opened doors, brought people into her life which in turn has revealed paths and amazing opportunities to her that has led her to be caste in the likes of the Chosen, and to now be a public speaker encouraging young actors, emphasising how pursuing a career in the entertainment industry does not mean having to let go of your morals and faith! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"The Lord had a deeper purpose for me being on set than just acting, although I love it in pleasure, the Lord opened my eyes that there was a whole poosibility of reaching actors and actresses" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews Mark Bitner, an actor in film, television, commercials and theatre, and is also a set minister for casts such as The Chosen! Isn't amazing how we can sometimes find inspiration in the most random of ways and random of places! Well, Mark's career began by simply finding inspiration and the desire to persue acting through the fun of lip-syncing to Beetles songs with his friend, and queuing for the Disneyworld ride 'Honey I Shrunk the Audience'! Through praying for opportunities, Mark found himself getting signed and involved in many productions and projects over the years, and it was through an article with an actor about the hurt and pain experiences by many actors that a flame began to burn in his heart to minister to those in the entertainment industry. He reached out to many in the industry, offering prayers for their needs as they carry out their acting, directing, producing, writing and so on, and having connected with Hollywood Prayer Network, he learnt about set ministering and found himself being a set minister himself on sets such as The Chosen. Mark shares some phenomenal testimonies and encouragement for those who are actors of faith, whether starting out or already well established, and shows us how God can use each and every one of us to be his vessel in the industry. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"I love the passage where Jesus is a man of sorrow and is well aquinted with grief, that has been a meaningful scripture for me when I have experienced my own grief and periods of depression and to know that Jesus knows what I'm experiencing, that he's well aquinted with grief and that just rings for me and gives me a great sense of comfort to know that I'm not alone" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews voiceover and onscreen actor, coach and podcast host Kay Bess who has some phenomenal credits attatched to her name including Star Trek: Picard and videogames such as Call of Duty, Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy to name a few! Kay is also the writer of the Trust and be Brave blog and hosts the Bee Hive podcast which she talks about and tells of how we can all support these. Despite having being brought up having had a wonderful experience of church, at 18 she found herself in a situation where her family seperated and moved away, she felt lost and started on drugs. This led to a spiral of anxiety, and her memories of church led her to want to return.  Kay is theatrically trained, but initially got into voiceover due to her insecurities and her belief that she didn't look how was expected to work on-screen. When returning to church, she was welcomed into a local church and remained there for 23 years. Over that time she experienced the process of learning her worth, and that her worth comes from God not Hollywood. This worth was affirmed through her journey in faith, but also through the community she surrounded herself with and over time moved out of the sense of inseucurity and anxiety that she had entered with. This has reflected in her career, where knowing her worth has meant that she's had the confidence to take opportunities presented that have landed her such amazing roles. She also uses her faith as a moral compass to ensure that the jobs she takes are ones that will be true to herself, to her family morals and how she wants to be presented to the world.  To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"God has always watched out for us and always provided, it's been miraculous, literally miraculous!" Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the Podcast! Join your host Alan Shires as he interviews actor and teacher Rich Swingle who has performed and/or taught on six continents, in 39 nations and in hundreds of venues! Rich shares his journey into acting and the challenges he has faced financially, but how God has always provided even in times when disappointment led him to face the decision as to whether to walk away from God or dive down deep! - no spoilers here though! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"I always did say there's something I'm supposed to do and I don't totally know what it is, but I know that this is the first step..." Join your host Alan Shires with special guest Maura Corsini, best known for her roles as Megan in the film 'Unplanned' and as Dana Ward in the BAFTA Award Winning Video Game series, Life is Strange. Alan talks with Maura about her journey into acting, where it all started along with her faith, and how her faith has helped her thorughout the years and what advice she would give to Christians wanting to work in entertainment, and how she comes to decide which jobs are right for her or not. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

“You have agents and you have managers, but God's really your agent, he's the one that's putting you in those positions to succeed” Join your host Alan Shires today with special guest Grifon Aldren, an amazing actor, composer and screenwriter in films including ‘The Expendables' and ‘Do You Believe?' Hear his journey into entertainment, how his faith has helped him throughout the years in entertainment, the importance it is of connecting to other Christians and how he navigated playing a role that is so opposite to who he is. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

Join your host Alan Shires with special guest Candace Kirkpatrick. Candace started her acting career at the very young age of just 4 years old, and since then has received a BA and Masters in acting, gained her equity status, and built a phenomenal portfolio of credits and travelled the world! However, in the midst of her career, she found herself trying to compromise with God as a means of justifying taking roles that she knew were not giving messages that align with her faith. But in the midst of this, God spoke to her clearly about getting her out of the entertainment industry; "I don't want your compromise, I want your obedience".  In this interview, Candace shares her journey, and how, having obeyed her instruction to leave the industry, 20 years later she is called back and her career in entertainment has catapulted to a whole new level, only this time in complete commitment to her faith-led values. To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

Join your host Alan Shires with special guest Robin DeMarco, an actor and producer with credits including Scandal, Greys Anatomy and Unplanned. Robin rekindled her relationship with the Lord during her career in acting, going from being in the industry for all the 'typical' reasons to suddenly being in a position where she questioned what meant more to her, God or her career? She made the decision to filter her auditions to those that will glorify God and be of a redemtive nature, but found herself dry of auditions due to the lack of such roles out there. However, God prompted her to go directly to faith-based producers, and having found herself only taking roles that would glorify God, found her career going from strength to strength with the Lord by her side. Robin tells us about her journey back to faith and this transition within her career in entertainment, it's certainly one not to miss! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

Join your host Alan Shires with special guest Ashley Bratcher from ‘Encounter', ‘War Room', and ‘Unplanned'. Her story is just incredible. Imagine being told “…you could be blacklisted if you take this role, you may never work in Hollywood again so we need to know that you're okay with that…” what would you say? Ashley took a leap of faith, declaring that “I know who I am, I know whose I am, and I find my identity and my worth in Jesus Christ, not in my projects or my success as an actor” and from here, she landed the main role of the most powerful movie “Unplanned”. Listen here to her journey of faith and how her faith has catapulted her career. P.S. Get your tissues ready! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"from a very very young age, I always had that 'footprints in the sand' experience where I knew that I was not surviving what I was going through because of my own strength, I knew that I was getting strength from God..." Join your host Alan Shires with special guest Shaan Sharma, who you may recognise as Shmuel from The Chosen. Shaan talks about his background in acting and where it all began, his role in SAG-AFTRA and his passion for enabling positive action for actors in the industry, and how his faith has helped him throughout the years in his success. We also touch on strength, trust in God and in our purpose, and how fear can inpact our success but how we have the ability to conquor it! To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter

"I, as a Christian actor, find it so difficult at times because the brief will come through and it will look amazing, and it will be so parallel with my appearance and my abilities and I'll think this is a great job to book! And then I'll see something in there which doesn't quite align with my beliefs and in those instances, I have to make a decision, do I compromise and just take the job? Or do I stay true to what I believe and say thank you, but no thank you, I'll wait for the next job to come along"  Sound familiar? Hello and welcome to Faith and Famous the podcast! My name is Alan Shires and I am a Christian actor and the host of this podcast. The Entertainment Industry is known for 'sex, drugs, & rock 'n' roll', so how do Christians navigate that? This series will cover the challenges and the testimonies of many successful professionals within the entertainment industry. In this introduction episode, you'll hear how this came to be and what to expect.  To join our community and see what we're up to, or simply to learn more about us, join us on; Patreon Instagram Facebook Twitter