Actor Lucas Black on God's Transformative Power in 'Birthright Outlaw'
Hope is something we all say we have but in practice there doesn’t always seem to be evidence to support that.
We say we have hope for the future, that everything will work out in our favor. But how many times have things not worked out the way we wanted? Do we turn our backs on the one we rely on for all good things? Of course not. As long as there is a God above there is always hope even when things look grim.
In the new faith-based Western (yes, you heard that correctly, a faith-based Western) Birthright Outlaw, now available on Great American Pure Flix, we find a daughter kidnapped, a hidden past, and a seemingly futile chance at rescue. Sounds pretty hope-less. But ultimately, it is a story of unconditional love where it’s never too late to start again. Why? Simply because there is always hope.
Starring veteran Hollywood actor Lucas Black (Seven Days in Utopia, Fast and Furious), Birthright Outlaw examines God’s transformative power, as his character, Jeremiah, makes a pivotal decision to stand up and fight for his family even though he initially feels betrayed by something from his wife’s past. Rather than walk away, he leans harder to protect his marriage and fights to save his daughter.
I recently sat down with the thoughtful Black to discuss why he made the decision to transition away from secular movies to faith-based projects, how he used prayer to make a personal connection to his character, and his passion for letting people know that God loves them no matter what.
If you were trying to encourage a friend or family member to watch the movie Birthright Outlaw what would you say to encourage them? What would your sales pitch be?
Well, it would be that they don't make movies like this as much as they should. And the content coming out of Hollywood right now is not very good. I feel like the American people are looking for good wholesome content that they can really connect to their family values, their American values, and their Christian values. This movie has all of those and it's going to be entertaining. With most movies, the demographic is predominantly women, but this movie is going to be appealing to men as well because it's a Western. And if I sit down and I'm going to turn a Western on, we know that there's going to be a good guy. We know that there's going to be a bad guy, and usually the good guy wins. Also, we know there's going to be a gunfight. You are going to have all those aspects in this movie.
In doing some research for this interview, I did a little digging and found roughly 10 movies that kind of fit the mold of being a faith-based western. So, there aren't a lot. I believe that we're definitely ready for one. With that said, I'm sure you get lots of scripts that come your way to consider. What was it about Birthright Outlaw that made you want to take the role of Jeremiah?
Number one, the story is about God's transformative love. And number two, my character Jeremiah makes a decision at a pivotal point in the movie to stand up and fight for his family. To fight, to protect his marriage and to fight to save his daughter. I'm a husband and I'm a father. I have three kids and a beautiful wife. I feel like our families are being attacked today, more than ever in my lifetime. And there's so many different ideas and ideologies out there, and how do we fight that? Number one, we need to recognize there's an enemy. There's a spiritual enemy, and the devil is here to steal, kill, and destroy. He wants to get in the way of those relationships that mean the most to us. And so, we have to step up. We have to step up and be there for our wives, be present in our children's lives, and point them in the direction of truth. I love that about my character. You can see in their normal family life, in the beginning, he's reading out of God's Word to point his family in the direction of truth. I love that about this movie, and I love that about my character. That's one of the main reasons that I choose to do this (acting) now.
In this movie, you play a pastor who, along with your wife, must overcome the lies of the past to find hope for the future. Were you able to make a personal connection with your character?
Great question. It is interesting to see the journey that Martha and Jeremiah go through. Husband and wife, she has been keeping the truth from her husband, and not telling him the whole story of her past. It's because she's under the influence of the lie that no one would love her. No one could possibly love her if they knew the real past. It's amazing how God orchestrated a series of events so that that truth had to be revealed. And then you got to experience forgiveness. And you can see the freedom comes over her and that weight is taken off her shoulders. When the lies come off of her and the past is finally revealed, and she's forgiven, that’s unconditional love.
These types of movies are sometimes uncomfortable for people to watch. A kidnapping. A gunfight. A futile prospect for rescue. How important is it to get the story elements right to project hope even when there seems to be none?
I think you can see that in my character that he calls out to God. He relies on God. He's not just operating under his own power. He's a man that realizes he is weak in the flesh. He needs guidance, he needs divine help. There's moments throughout the movie where I tried to, even when there wasn't a prayer scripted, I would lift my head up and close my eyes and maybe even move my lips a little to portray that my character was praying. This is because he needs help, right? We go through things in life that if we're going through it on our own, it's just going to be such a heavy burden that God offers us a peace that surpasses our understanding when we submit to Him And we know that He's walking with us wherever we go, and in whatever circumstance we we are in, we can rely on Him. We don't have to do it all on our own. That's what I love about my character in this film, and hopefully that comes across.
After audiences have had a chance to see Birthright Outlaw, what would you like to see people take away from the viewing experience? What's your greatest hope for this film?
I hope people take away that it doesn't matter what you've done in the past, that God still loves you and He still wants to have a relationship with you. He's there waiting for you with open arms. He sent his one and only son, Jesus, to pay the price that we could not pay ourselves. It was a debt, a debt of sin that we could not pay. And He sent His son to make that right, for you to be in relationship with Him. And He wants us in heaven with Him. God does not want to be up there alone. And so I hope people take that away from this movie because it is a powerful story of God's transformative love, and you can see the difference in the characters of her old self being wiped away and being that new creation full of joy and jubilation in Christ. It's a powerful picture and I hope people come away from it feeling and knowing how much God loves them.
Directed by Aaron Burns (Legacy Peak, Beyond the Mask), Birthright Outlaw also stars Sarah Drew (Mom’s Night Out, Grey’s Anatomy), Jeff Fahey (Lost, The Lawnmower Man), and Janine Turner (Northern Exposure, Cliffhanger).
WATCH INSIDE THE MAKING OF BIRTHRIGHT OUTLAW:
