Hilary Swank and Rainn Wilson talk about faith and spirituality in the media

From Rainn Wilson’s desire to spark a spiritual revolution in Hollywood and beyond, to Hilary Swank’s latest film, Ordinary Angels, and the premiere of her Amazon Prime Video series, The Baxters. variety Sponsored by the Faith & Media Initiative, Spirituality in Entertainment Breakfast explored expressions of faith and spirituality across media. Tuesday’s event, held at a Los Angeles-London hotel, delved into a variety of perspectives, including the role of spirituality in entertainment and how industry leaders are drawing inspiration from whale songs and meditation. Five in-depth conversations took place.

Rainn Wilson talks about wanting to ‘start a revolution’ and how ‘The Office’ played a role in his spiritual journey

Rainn Wilson sat like this. variety Senior entertainment writer Angelique Jackson talks about his latest projects, including writing the New York Times bestseller Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution and Soul Pancakes. A digital media company he co-founded with the hope of creating content that sparks conversations about spirituality. Fifteen years have passed since the production company was founded, and the actor reflected on the company’s evolution and his own mission.

“I tiptoed into the world of spirituality in media because of some mental health crises I experienced in my youth and the idea that I found great solace, peace and meaning through spirituality. It came from a few issues,” Wilson said. “We felt that culturally we weren’t exploring those, and SoulPancake was really the first of its kind. It was a positive, uplifting media company for young people that explored the human condition. .”

Wilson later reflected on times in her career when she felt deeply unhappy, such as when she was on The Office, even though she felt she should be living her dreams: told. It’s always looking for the next thing. ” He said he found himself on this “hedonic treadmill” of constantly coming up with ways to achieve more success, and was led on a journey to find a way out of this cycle.

Finally, when asked about his inspiration for writing Soul Boom, Wilson talked about his own journey as part of the Baha’i faith and “moving forward” as social issues become more complex over time. He reflected on his recognition that society lacks the spiritual means to do so. “I wrote ‘Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution’ because I wanted to start a revolution. I literally wanted to have a big conversation about how we learn. Any spiritual beliefs. ”

He added, “There is deeper truth and wisdom and applicability in spiritual thinking than, ‘What benefit does this have for me personally?'” People are starting to understand that as the system continues to break down and disintegrate even more, it opens up more and more alternative paths. ”

Watch the full conversation above.

Analysis of global faith and entertainment research

In a panel moderated by variety Andrew Wallenstein, President and Chief Media Analyst at Intelligence Platform, Dritan Nesho, CEO of HarrisX, and Brooke Zaugg, Executive Director of The Faith & Media Initiative, analyze recent research on faith and entertainment. Nesho said the study aimed to identify how entertainment “handles themes of faith, religion, and spirituality within its stories and characters,” and to “represent faith more accurately and diversely.” “It’s about seeing if there’s an opportunity.”

In fact, we found that people feel underrepresented or misrepresented in the media. Additionally, a large portion of viewers crave more diversity in media representations of faith, particularly with 73% of people identifying themselves as spiritual, religious, or believers. After the analysis, Zaug said that as a Christian, it was a “revelation” for the study to show that faith also plays an important role in the lives of others.

“Religion and faith are highly politicized,” she says. I feel so uncomfortable or nervous to say, “I’m a believer, or I have faith,” that I don’t talk about it. That’s why I think very few people think this is actually important to them. It turned out to be a quiet story. ”

Mr. Nesho discussed how the “Elevated State” is often overlooked. But the streaming revolution and generative AI are likely to close that gap, meaning entertainment must prioritize people’s desire to see faith expressed on screen.

“If we are not prepared to deal with it, the industry will be left behind and someone else will actually take advantage of this opportunity… This is a new frontier. It shouldn’t be a new frontier, but… It’s actually an area where you need to invest more time, focus and energy,” he said.

Watch the full conversation above.

Roma Downey and Ted McGinley talk about appearing on Prime Video series ‘The Baxters’

Actor Roma Downey is known for appearing in several faith-based projects, including “Touched by an Angel,” “The Bible,” “Son of God,” and “AD: The Bible Continues.” It is being Next, she will star in and executive produce the Prime Video series The Baxters, based on the novel by Karen Kingsbury. The show, scheduled for release on March 28, focuses on a couple and their five adult children, with Downey playing the matriarch of the family.

in a conversation with variety Co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton Downey said of The Baxters: Although it plays out a bit like a melodrama, I think it would be more appropriate to call it an “opera of hope.” We haven’t seen a drama like this come back to TV since Touched By an Angel and Seventh Heaven. ”

She also lamented the decline in television programs that bring families together, and the prevalence of gathering around phone screens instead. She said: “Part of my intention was to make a show.” [so] I hope we can come together as a family again…but that doesn’t avoid those issues. There is boldness. I think it’s the perfect time to do a show like this. ”

Joining the conversation, Downey’s co-star and on-screen husband Ted McGinley added: “A lot of faith-based dramas round the edges too much. This one will hit you right in the face. And it’ll be so shocking at times that you’ll tune in again. It’s completely different from anything I’ve seen. And this young cast is really great.”

Watch the full conversation above.

A breakthrough in spiritual storytelling Starring Neil Harmon, Devon Franklin, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Shakina Bolden, Jennifer Quinton

Co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton once again hosted a conversation with talent and executives from across the industry who are shaping the way faith is portrayed on screen.

Actor, producer, and talk show host Tamera Mowry-Hewsley began the conversation by detailing the qualities that speak to her in her roles. You can get a little more creative. To me, whether you’re a Christian or not, that’s something you can relate to. Christians are not perfect people. The reason we need God is because we are imperfect. ”

Devon Franklin, producer of “Miracles from Heaven” and “Flamin’ Hot,” said of the portrayal of faith in the film: “I’ve worked on everything from ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ to ‘Flamin’ Hot.’ When people look at the power of faith, sometimes they only see it through a religious lens. For me, all-time The biggest faith-based movie is Star Wars. That power is faith. ”

Also participating in the discussion was Shakina Bolden, Vice President of Digital Revenue and Experiences at Will Packer Productions. When it comes to selling and marketing faith-based projects, she talked about how important it is to put universal themes at the center of the story. , we have a variety of studios, but at their core we have a faith-based discipline. Being able to cross it, having that thread is very important. The underlying message is that we all have universal laws and universal principles. ”

Meanwhile, Angel Studios’ Neal Harmon explained the unique concept behind Angel Guild. His 260,000 people from around the world will vote on whether the company should pursue proposed stories and also provide feedback on those ideas. Harmon said, “No project can be picked up and released unless Angel Guild allows it.”

Watch the full conversation above.

Hilary Swank: Unpacking “Ordinary Angels” and the significance of acts of service.

variety Senior Culture and Events Editor Marc Malkin and two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank talk about her latest role as Sharon Stevens in the upcoming drama film Ordinary Angels, based on a true story. In the film, scheduled for release on February 23, Swank plays a Louisville woman facing personal hardship who steps up to help her widowed father’s family.

“I love Sharon. She’s a true imperfect human being,” Swank said. She is flawed, she is struggling to cope with her loss, and she is struggling to hold on to her beliefs in the midst of her loss. ”

Swank continued to unravel the character, explaining how the film explores the idea of ​​finding faith after losing it. “She had lost her son and he wanted nothing to do with her. How did she find her faith again after that? “Once she found her faith again, faith helped her get through it. How can it help? …The power of the church and community and how communities come together to help each other is also portrayed in a very beautiful way.”

The conversation also emphasized the importance of acts of service as they relate to spirituality and finding purpose. Swank said of his work as an actor, “Personally, as a storyteller, it’s my act of service and the privilege of being able to walk in the shoes of different people and see through their eyes.” And it blows away the blinders of how I walk in the world and how I see the world, because we see the world through our own experiences, and so on. Walking in the shoes of Brandon Teena, or Maggie Fitzgerald or Erin Gruwell from Freedom Writers, is an act of service that enriches my world. We are evolving as humans.”

Watch the full conversation above.