Christian Retailing

From 'Mission Impossible' to inner-city mission Print Email
Wednesday, 24 September 2008 08:00 PM America/New_York

Perhaps best known for his appearances in the three "Mission Impossible" adventures alongside Tom Cruise, rugged actor Ving Rhames was drawn to his starring role in Saving God: One Soul at a Time, released next month, by his personal appreciation for its message of faith.

Playing an ex-prisoner trying to revive his father's old church, Rhames valued the opportunity to be part of a project that presented the need "to put your faith in something larger than man, and for me, that's God," he said.

Releasing Oct. 14 from "Left Behind" movie makers Cloud Ten Pictures and Clear Entertainment, the PG-13-rated drama sent Rhames for a freezing winter shoot to Hamilton, Ontario, where the city doubled for the tough backstreets of Baltimore.

Rhames became attached to the project, also serving as executive producer, after meeting screenwriter Michael Jackson-who had been inspired to pursue writing for the screen after seeing Pulp Fiction, which offered an early part to the actor.

Rhames "really wants to show that there are positive and negative choices we all make and that this voice of conscience is given to us by God," said co-producer and Cloud Ten CEO André van Heerden. "He was quite passionate about it."

Read more in the Oct. 13 issue of Christian Retailing.