Actor Ryan Phillippe opened up in a recent interview about how he embarked on a “spiritual journey” when he filmed his recent movie, “Prey,” and how that journey led him to start “craving” a relationship with God as he got into the character and learned and though more about his faith. Though raised in a religious household, the movie helped him get closer to his faith.
As background, Phillippe is starring in a new action thriller called “Prey.” In the movie, Phillippe plays the role of a Christian missionary who finds himself in deadly danger and, once presented with that terrifying situation, has a crisis of faith.
Speaking to Fox News Digital about his faith and how he thinks we should act in the world to glorify God, Phillippe, who says his faith is “incredibly” important to him, said, “I have a firm and fervent belief in God and that things happen for a reason and that we should put positive energies out into the world and treat people with respect and spread as much love and light as we can to offset the darkness that we see around us everywhere.”
Continuing, Phillippe said that he tries to spend time in prayer to think through his faith and learn more about it, saying, “I spent a lot of time in prayer and studying things of that nature I find very fulfilling.” He added, “I feel like it’s the most important thing that you could spend your time thinking about or learning about or trying to understand. So it’s become a very, very important part of my life.”
He then explained to Fox News Digital how the film and his role in it launched him on a spiritual journey that helped him renew his faith. Beginning, he said, “It’s interesting because I was kind of in a darker place when we filmed this, and it was right after filming it where I went on this spiritual journey where I started going really deep inside.”
Further explaining how his life was changed by the role, he said, “I got back into reading the Bible and various other religious tomes, but I found myself drawn to this notion of spirituality.” He continued, “You get to a point in life, a certain age, and the things that you thought would bring you pleasure or make you feel satisfied – these would be success or money – and it doesn’t. It doesn’t.”
Then, explaining how he had been craving a real relationship with God, he said, “And so you look for more. And I’m so thankful for what I’ve been given and for the experiences that I’ve had and for my children and everything else. But I wanted to have a relationship and understanding with God, and I was craving that.” He added, “And I’ve got to tell you, since I started that journey, I have not been more at peace. My depression is gone. I shedded addictions so I’m a big proponent for people going inward and trying to understand those aspects of life.”
Featured image credit: By Original work: Josh JensenDerivative work: Wren Valmont – Cropped version of File:Ryan Phillippe.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11508990