stephen baldwin opens up about leaving hollywood behind: 'jesus is my rock'
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stephen baldwin believes he could have become one of hollywood’s biggest stars. but looking back at 60, he has no regrets about walking away from that path.
the actor, best known for his role in the oscar-winning 1995 thriller the usual suspects, said he could have chased blockbuster fame after the movie’s success. he simply didn’t want it.
“i probably could have pointed myself in the direction of becoming a big star,” he told people in a new interview published sunday. “but that wasn’t me. i didn’t want to be tom cruise, and have to make $100 million at the box office. i’d rather be a schmuck from massapequa, (new york)!”
hollywood took a back seat to his christian faith
baldwin said his commitment to christianity began in 2001, after his wife, kennya, told him about a prediction made by their brazilian housekeeper, augusta. she claimed god had sent her to the family and that baldwin and his wife would eventually become born-again christians and start their own ministry.
baldwin admitted he was skeptical at first. but his faith grew, particularly after he saw a skateboarding ministry in fort lauderdale that combined extreme sports with worship. he said the experience made him feel “a calling.”
‘that’s when i left hollywood’
that calling eventually became the 2004 christian skateboarding film livin’ it.
the project quickly found an audience. “in the first six months we’d distributed 10,000 copies,” baldwin told the outlet. then a large church asked how much it would cost to bring the skaters featured in the film to perform at a live event.
“that’s when i left hollywood,” he said.
stephen baldwin with daughters alaia baldwin, left, and hailey baldwin attend the “noah” new york premiere at ziegfeld theatre on march 26, 2014 in new york city.
jamie mccarthy
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getty images
dramatic career pivot
according to e! news, his life is now centred on his faith and his family. he and kennya, whom he married in 1990, have two daughters, alaia, 33, and hailey, 29, reports page six. he is also a grandfather to alaia and andrew aronow’s daughter, iris elle aronow, 5, and hailey and justin bieber’s son, jack blues bieber, 2.
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“jesus is my rock,” baldwin said. “my wife is my anchor. i’ve had the most amazing life and i’m only 60. i’m so blessed. i’m just waiting for more doors open that i’m supposed to walk through.”
comedian chris tucker, right, and jackie chan in rush hour.
supplied photo
other stars who chose faith over fame
baldwin isn’t the only celebrity to trade mainstream fame for a life shaped by christianity.
former growing pains star kirk cameron embraced christianity at 17, reports the washington examiner. he eventually stepped away from mainstream commercial television to make independent faith-based films and run evangelical ministries, according to family theater productions.
chris tucker, best known for the rush hour movies, also changed direction. in 2014, tucker told the georgia straight that his christian faith led him to avoid insensitive profanity and rethink the material he used in his comedy.
“i never was a raunchy, raunchy comic, but i didn’t think about what i was saying because i was young,” he said. “being a christian helps me in comedy. i have to talk about other stuff (than sex and drugs).”
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