Hollywood certainly doesn’t have a reputation for being harmless. The amount of child actors who have walked away from an acting career untouched by the social pressures are few and far between. But even more scarce are those that lead a life as “put together” on the inside as they appear to be on the outside.
Kirk Cameron, one of such men, would be the first to admit that he’s far from perfect, but he is also quick to remind people that his faith in God is the leading reason why he enjoys the life he does.
In a December 2019 “Sunday Special” interview with Daily Wire’s Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro, actor and producer, Kirk Cameron, shared how his faith impacted his career in the entertainment industry and how it has proved to be the foundation of a purposeful and successful life, both in Hollywood and at home.
Cameron’s acting career launched when he was 9 years old. Only 5 years later, he found himself starring as Mike Seaver on ABC’s hit show “Growing Pains.” It was at that point Cameron knew he was meant to be an entertainer.
The “Growing Pains” cast was like a family, said Cameron. And his experience was an overall positive one.
“But being a teenager in Hollywood is a pretty dicey road to take,” Cameron admitted to Shapiro. “And I think that’s where faith in God kicked in and pointed me in a different direction — I took the road less-traveled, so to speak.”
His journey of faith started at 17 when he was “captivated by the message of the Gospel” during a Sunday church message. Cameron said it helped him answer questions, existential and philosophical, that he was wrestling with at the time.
From that point on, Cameron worked to navigate a lifestyle of reconciling his new faith with his career in Hollywood.
“I was trying to figure out ‘how do I do this’ — I didn’t grow up like this. ‘How do I honor God in an industry that doesn’t always look to accomplish the same goal?’”
The changes in his behavior were subtle, indicated Cameron. “I just wasn’t dropping as many F-bombs, you know. I wasn’t going to the same parties, and I wasn’t interested in some of the same stuff my friends were interested in.”
The outside response to Cameron’s conversion was about as expected, considering the track record of teen celebrities.
“I would say there were some people who had a healthy concern,” Cameron explained. “You know when you hear of teen celebrities, child actors, often things enter into their life that makes them go wrong. And you know that can be very concerning.”
Despite those concerns, Cameron is confident that he picked the best path. And he attributes his faith for keeping him on track.
Looking back, Cameron stated, “Wow, I’m really blessed to have this life and I want to really live it in a way that honors the One who gave it to me.’ And I think that kept me on track more than anything.”
Forging the same career path but with a new identity was not as difficult for Cameron as one might expect. Cameron said doors began to open after high school, “and the doors that were opening were lining up with things that were happening to me on the inside.”
Not everything stayed the same — but for Cameron that was ok.
“There may have been some parts that I had to pass on because of content or conscience issues,” admitted Cameron. However, “It wasn’t like I felt like people’s disagreements with my faith or my values was inhibiting my career.”
Rather, Cameron has had the opportunity to pursue entertainment he’s passionate about through films including “Fireproof” and the documentary “Monumental: In Search of America’s National Treasure.”
“I want to be about things that promote faith, I want to be about things that promote family, and marriage,” Cameron told Shapiro. “And I think it’s really helping people,” he added.
Now, as a husband to his once-girlfriend on and off screen, Chelsea Noble, and father of six children, four of whom are adopted, Cameron seeks to live out the same values that he promotes in his films. He is convinced that, “when the family crumbles, the nation crumbles.”
In addition to his film work, Cameron and his wife lead marriage conferences across the country.
Cameron said all families begin with an expectation of success. “Nobody goes to the altar thinking, ‘Hey, if this whole thing blows up, I’m ok with that,’” he told Shapiro. Rather, he believes “people want and appreciate things that help them to live life in a way that causes people to flourish, families to flourish, and the nation to flourish.”
With marital commitment in Hollywood today being a rare phenomena, Cameron joked during the discussion, “I’ve been married for 29 years, which is like 290 in Hollywood years.”
Parenting is also a full-time job for Cameron. He told Shapiro that there are three key principles he and his wife refer back to. The first is to be the person you want your kids to become. The second is prioritizing the relationships with your children and making sure your house doesn’t become a “correctional center,” as Cameron put it.
Finally, “point them to truth,” urged Cameron.
“You know the kids get inundated with so much error,” he remarked, “with so much, you know, right is wrong, wrong is right.”
“For me, I go to God’s Word — those principles, those ancient truths that I can always go to,” he explained. “I want my kids to learn those things and know that truth is not relative when it comes to morality and things like that. Truth is something they can build their life on.”
Cameron is fully aware of the secularization in today’s society and is persuaded that culture is the key to bringing about change.
“Politics is downstream of culture,” argued Cameron. “I think that the hearts and minds of young people are being formed, and they vote accordingly.”
Cameron said one of the solutions is more people of faith in Hollywood.
Understandably, there are objections to joining such an industry. Cameron acknowledged the complaints that Hollywood can be “dark” and “dirty.” But just like politics, Cameron stated, “If you don’t like it, change it.”
While there is a strong but inarticulate demand for faith-based entertainment, fear of producing or even participating in such films is a big roadblock. Contrary to popular opinion, he suggested, there are in fact people of faith in the entertainment industry.
Cameron said that “there are more people of faith than you would think” in Hollywood, but “many of them are very cautious about expressing that faith.”
The actor is optimistic that we will be witnessing more people of faith “coming out of the closet,” both in Hollywood but also “all around the country and the world.”
Practically speaking, “people are making projects where faith is at the center because it does well at the box office,” he noted.
“Many people think that what I have done, like talking about my faith, would be suicide for a career,” he told Shapiro.
To those debating whether or not they should vocalize their faith or conservative values in their professional setting, Cameron said, “Go with your convictions.”
For him it was a matter of not wanting “to look back” in regret for not making the courageous choice. You won’t want to reflect back and say, “‘I wish I could do that over again. You know, I wish I had some courage and I wish I didn’t care so much about what other people thought.’”
“I care about people,” Cameron concluded. Ultimately that is why he wants to try to “speak the truth and live the truth in a compassionate way.”
“If I don’t do that I’m really not loving people,” he said. “I’m really just protecting myself and my career, which is selfish.”
At the end of the day, acting upon your convictions is of far greater value.
“You only live once,” said Cameron. “Do what you believe you’re here to do.”