Thoughts on being a Christian Actor – Part 2
(Read Thoughts on Being A Christian Actor – Part 1)
Being an actor is a profession often associated with being a celebrity. Being a Christian actor… not so much. Actually I am quite grateful for that… I would hate to be a celebrity. However, being a Christian actor does carry a certain amount of recognition in the local community. Sort of a fishbowl syndrome where lots of people recognize you and you have no clue who many of them are. The recognition seems to happen at the worst of times. Like when I race to get into a parking space and “accidentally” cut off someone else.
Guy: Hey Buster, what’s the big idea cutting me off…. hey, aren’t you that Christian actor guy?
Or in the checkout at the grocery store.
Guy: Hey honey, look it’s that Christian actor guy. (notice that Christian actor guys have no name)
I have a flash of recognition–they’re from First Baptist Church–at the same moment their eyes flash on the bottle of wine in my grocery cart…
Me: It’s for a recipe. Look it’s on the list. Lorie told me…it’s Cooking Sherry!
Ah, yes, the Christian fishbowl. Everybody’s watching… and judging…
My kids really hated it. To them it seemed they were being monitored all the time. And when I would try to impress upon them that it mattered what they wore, where they were seen and what they were doing when they were seen…. they seemed to see right through me.
Kids: Your just afraid of what people will think because we’re your kids and you’re that Christian actor guy.
And sometimes they were right. No matter how much I don’t want to admit it, I live too much of my life trying to fit into the box that others have designed for me. How about you?
Chuck Neighbors
Posted by Chuck Neighbors | 10 comments
neil blom
Fame is fleeting. I know that my life now is as carefully played out with my actions in mind . People watch Christions, looking for a slip and forget that we are people just like them but are trying to rise to a higher level through Jesus teachings.Or maybe thy haven”t a clue about Christ. That life style is not easy in this world full of evil and instant communication.One false step and it can be all over the world almoet instantly. I just lean on Jesus teachings od “Love thy neighbor as thy self—and sigh— a lot
Deb Shelton
Chuck!
You nailed it on the head, although I must admit, I worried way more about that than David did. (He’s faith-gifted of course…I’m still learning) – but we can totally relate! One time we were on a getaway up near Mt Baker and took in a movie in Bellingham. It was a comedy, no idea what movie it was but afterwards, in the lobby, a couple was waiting for us and the husband said, “See I told you that was David Shelton’s laugh!”
Chuck Neighbors
Hey Deb, but at least he knew David’s name! I find it quite amusing that all of us “Christian actor guys” are the same person. I can’t tell you how many times people come up to me and assume I am same actor that does a totally different show. I know of at least one show that I did where they thought they had booked David and didn’t realize until it was over that they had the wrong “Christian actor guy!”:-)
Sean Gaffney
Chuck,
You make a good point about the necessity to always carry recipe cards calling for wine with us while shopping.
You also perfectly captured the pressure to appear holier than reality once identifiable as “the Christian…” Which, as you know, is an ironic pressure, since being a Christian is not about being perfect (rather about moving toward perfection). So one can only see Christianity truthfully modeled in imperfection, and how we deal with being imperfect beings.
And now I realize that I’m giving your kids arguments for why you should let them go out in public wearing “that”… Sorry, I’ll shut up now.
Thanks for the post.
Chuck Neighbors
Hey Sean… I am thinking we have a potential new marketing concept… recipe cards for Christian celebrities….
Barbara
Though not Christian actors, my parents are pretty well-known as leaders in their church fellowship. I was still in my teens when they were recognised as leaders–in a public ceremony, no less–and after the ceremony, another teenager, son of another leader, came up to me and greeted me with, “Well, guess who gets to be the big ‘example’ now?”
amber phillips
Hello Chuck, AKA That Christian Actor Guy,
I just wanted to say thanks for these snippets of life as a Christian Actor. I plan to share some of your thoughts during our unit devotionals. Please keep them coming! Take Care, Amber from CP that other drama team 😉
Chuck Neighbors
Glad to hear it Amber. I will endeavor to add more fodder! 🙂
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[…] the “Christian” part of being that Christian actor guy (see previous blogs Part 1 and Part 2) overshadows my profession to the point that I feel I have to defend that fact that I am a “real […]
You Should be on Broadway / Chuck Neighbors
[…] the “Christian” part of being that Christian actor guy (see previous blogs Part 1 and Part 2) overshadows my profession to the point that I feel I have to defend that fact that I am a “real […]