Actor Max Ehrich said he was so inspired by playing a pastor in the upcoming film, “Southern Gospel” based on a true story that it impacted his personal faith walk.
The recording artist, best known for his roles in “The Young and the Restless” and “Under the Dome,” portrays Samuel Allen, a 1960s rock ‘n’ roll star-turned-pastor who turned his life around after an arrest.
“It’s a redemption story,” he told KCAL News in Los Angeles Tuesday. “It’s someone who falls from grace and then finds their way back to God and I think that we can all relate.”
During the filming, Ehrich made a public declaration about his Christian faith.
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“In preparing for this role, I really was studying the Bible so much, and it really deepened my faith intensely to the point that when the character got baptized, I actually, in real life, decided to get baptized,” Ehrich told Christian Headlines.
Jeffry Smith, the film’s director who is also a senior pastor at City of Life Church in Kissimmee, Florida, baptized Ehrich on the set.
WATCH MAX EHRICH’S INTERVIEW BELOW:
“That’s how deeply it impacted me,” the 31-year-old actor explained.
“This movie never left me in a sense. I feel like my character and my faith will never be where it was before,” he said. “It’s so much stronger now that I’ve done this film – that I get to carry it out with my art, being able to spread not only my faith but also the gifts that God has given me.”
WATCH THE PREVIEW OF THE FILM BELOW:
Ehrich, who was previously engaged to Demi Lovato, said he is now motivated to do more movies like “Southern Gospel” in the future.
“I would love to do roles that have great messages and are faith-based,” he told Christian Headlines.
The movie hits theaters on March 10.
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Caleb Parke is the SMG managing editor. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and connect with him at calebparke.com.