Scott Baio, David AR White Team Up for 'God's Not Dead: In God We Trust'

Actors Scott Baio and David AR White have had uniquely different careers over the last 40 years. Baio, of course, is best known for his role as Chachi Arcola in Happy Days, one of the most beloved episodic series in television history. White has made a name for himself in the faith-film industry starring in such notable productions as the God’s Not Dead (GND) series and as the co-founder of Pure Flix.

Baio and White make an interesting pairing in the fifth installment of the God’s Not Dead franchise, God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust, streaming exclusively only on Great American Pure Flix tonight (November 1) at 8pm ET. Starring the aforementioned duo, the film also features Dean Cain (Lois and Clark), Ray Wise (RoboCop), and Samaire Armstrong (The O.C.).

While previous GND movies examined such critical topical issues as the existence of God debate in college classrooms, silencing the Church via threatening acts of violence, or putting teachers on trial for their faith, In God We Trust navigates the treacherous waters of modern politics, where faith, optimism, and Christ-like principles are put to the test.

I recently sat down with Baio and White to discuss the relevance of faith in public life, the fight for it to remain a central tenet of our freedom, and the importance for Christians to get to the polls this November. 

As an actor, there always seems to be a trigger, a tipping point, a moment where you say to yourself, “I have to be a part of this project!!” With God's Not Dead: In God We Trust, what was that moment for you?

Scott Baio: It's a good movie, first and foremost,

David AR White: And Scott's in it. Let's just start with that. (laughs)

Scott Baio: It's a very good movie with a good story, and good performances. So, I think you start with that and then there's a very good message in it. What else do you need? If you want to really get into the weeds about it, there's this stat that 40 million Christians don't vote. If this message gets more people to vote, maybe it'll change the course of the country. So, there's a lot of stuff going on in this movie. I would tell a friend, just go see it because it's a good movie with a good message.

David AR White: That's the hope that all of these films start with. I love that answer.  You tell people to go see something because first and foremost it's entertaining. That it is a good movie. It's an underdog story. There's no doubt about it. It's “Mr. Smith goes to Washington”. It's a guy that probably shouldn't be in the whole political world arena, who's all of a sudden thrust into the center of it. And in the process of it finds his legs and walks through it. And then as you branch out from that, you start to realize, oh, wait a second. So our country was built on Biblical principles, right? And more and more we've seen those being stripped away. It's important that so often we like to sit on the sidelines and complain that, wow, somebody else needs to handle that. And why are they letting that happen? And there's this great line in the movie that says, “You know, you guys were angry when they eliminated prayer in school. Imagine what you're going to feel like when they start eliminating God more and more from culture and from our country.” There's so many reasons to go see this movie. Hopefully, people feel the same way when they watch the trailer.

David, how has your character Reverend Dave evolved over the course of these five films?

My character (Reverend Dave) is still confused as ever. My dad was a pastor. It's interesting because I can go anywhere in the world and people will come up to me believing that I'm a pastor and they have a lot of things to say. I know all about that. Growing up, I watched my dad go through that because he was an actual pastor and I watched the way he loved people, listened to people, and tried to help people. He was in the hospitals at night when he could have been so many other places. It was because he loved people. And I think playing a pastor in this franchise has been an incredible opportunity for me. I think working through some of these things, even as a kid watching my dad go through a lot of things with churches, because churches are filled with broken people. And then you throw broken people into any movie situation, or into the story, and it makes for great drama. It's just been an honor to play him. And he's grown in different ways. And I think at the core of it is that God is faithful and no matter what we face, He is there for us, to help us go through those things. And that's one of the beautiful things about this movie is that I think people resonate with that and they walk away with hope. They walk away with inspiration first and foremost, before any of the political affairs and everything else.

I'm interested to get both of your perspectives on this. God’s Not Dead is the most successful faith franchise of all time with the largest movie franchise returns. What sets this movie franchise apart from all the others?

Scott Baio: He has a flock out there of people that are hungry for this kind of stuff. What separates it is there was this gap in the culture for movies and for entertainment, for Christians who wanted to see entertainment that wasn't vile, disgusting, full of bad words, and sexualizing everything. And I think people just want to be entertained in a good, positive way. There are a ton of people that believe in God in this country, and I think David found a market, a huge market. I think that's why they continue to be successful. David would always bring up the ‘Fast and the Furious’ and they did 10 of them. You could do 10 or 15 of these movies, and I think you would have just as big an audience.

David AR White: I'm always amazed. I don't know if this is everybody, but it’s interesting, I just kind of remember my childhood as working on a wheat farm and being on a tractor. Hollywood was so far away in so many different ways. I was Mennonite, so I only saw one movie at the theater the first 18 years of my life. So it was really far away. But I wouldn't have imagined myself being where I'm at, being able to make films at all. And then on top of it, being able to make films that I actually find dear to my heart, movies about God's grace and God's faithfulness. And even working with Scott Baio. I watched Scott Baio growing up.

We have an incredible cast from Ray Wise to Isaiah Washington. Dean Cain comes back, he hasn't been in it since ‘God's Not Dead’. God's Not Dead is in its own universe, there's no doubt about it. Paul Kwo has been in almost every ‘God's Not Dead’ movie. And we can’t forget Samaire Armstrong. There's so many wonderful people that participate in these movies. They also see the heart of them, what they are, and the heart of them. God says, “My Word does not come back void.” And when you put God's Word in movies you will have success.  As you mentioned earlier about the Christian film industry, years and years ago it wasn’t so good in a lot of ways. From a production standpoint or maybe some of the writing and acting weren’t that good.

And we've watched this genre grow in so many different ways and facets. Ultimately, I think people have that heart for the Lord and that hunger for something spiritual in movies, because it's part of us in real life. You can't walk away. We all have a soul, right? We all have this stuff. So all that to say, is that the God’s Not Dead franchise and this movie specifically resonates to that. And I think that's what makes this movie special in a lot of ways that's different than even the Fast and the Furious movies.

Will there be a high octane car in this one like Fast and Furious? 

David AR White: Only if Scott Baio is driving. (laughs)

Earlier in our conversation, Scott mentioned a stat that millions of Christians do not vote. Specifically, 40 million Christians do not vote, 25 million are registered, but don’t vote, and 15 million aren’t even registered. Are you hoping that this film will somehow inspire Christians to get out to the polls this year? Why is this so important?

David AR White: I sure hope so. I mean, it’s amazing to think that 15 million people aren’t even registered to vote. It gets back to that sideline thing. How often do we sit there and complain about … well, so and so, they make terrible decisions, or I would never vote for that person, on and on it goes. It's not somebody else's problem. It starts with, with our own self. We have the power to change things if we just get out and vote. That's just the starting point.

Scott Baio: I hope that these people get out and vote. David said something once in a different interview that this is the fifth installment of these movies. And for some reason or another, probably the work of God, these movies were not designed for any specific issue in the country, but somehow the issue that is important in the country happens to be germane to what the movie's about. Whether David has a crystal ball or God is steering him in one direction or another. Just the fact that we are addressing that in this movie, that there's 40 million people that don't vote is crazy. It's crazy. And I would tell those people, I don't know what your problem is. I don't care what your problem is, but I know you're not about the removal of God and everything, and if it means anything to you, really then go vote. Vote!

After audiences have had a chance to see God's Not Dead: In God We Trust what would you like to see people take away from the viewing experience? What is your greatest hope for the film?

David AR White: We hope that obviously people are inspired, people are entertained, and more importantly that they are inspired. One of our quotes that we use all the time when we established Pure Flix, is that the whole reason for these movies is that hopefully people are uplifted, inspired, and they gained wisdom and found God's purpose for their lives. These films hopefully encourage them in that walk.

WATCH A TRAILER FOR GOD'S NOT DEAD: IN GOD WE TRUST: