Tough Questions for Young Actors

For too long Christians have isolated themselves from the world in the entertainment industry. Rather than being involved and influential in radio, TV, movies, music, and theater, we have created our own sub-industry of Christian entertainment that is, for the most part, rather sub-par. This is a problem of our own making, particularly when it comes to film. When the movie industry got rolling, for instance, most churches shunned movie houses and the industry as a whole as sinful and a waste of time. The industry grew up free of any sort of Christian presence, and now... well, I don't have to tell you how it's turned out.

As a Christian educator, I am mindful that God may be calling students of mine to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. I also firmly believe that we need to begin raising up Christians to be missionaries to the secular industry, and stop funneling everyone into the Christian film world. It's not just to redeem the content in films; we need people to share Jesus with their fellow actors, writers, producers, directors, and crew members. It's about winning people after all, not winning an industry, and we need to start seeing said industry as being filled with people who Jesus loves.

That said, we have a great responsibility to get our students thinking about how they will interact in Hollywood, New York, or where ever they may land. We should ask the tough questions now so they can begin praying for God's direction in making the right choices tomorrow. For you, and those students feeling the call to film or theater, here are some questions to get you started:

1. How will you choose what projects to pursue? Will you stick to G-rated material? Where do you draw the line as far as content?

2. Can a Christian play an immoral character who commits sinful acts and still be right with God? Is acting out sin while playing a character the same as sinning?

3. What if you are cast in a role that you feel is objectionable? What if turning down that role means you'll never be cast again?

4. Can a Christian work on the set of a movie where objectionable material is filmed? Again, where do you draw the line?

5. What disciplines can you begin in your life now to prepare for the temptations you may face on the set, particularly the temptation to compromise your values in order to get ahead?

If you have other questions to add, please drop me a comment.