Kelsey Grammer Took 'Jesus Revolution' Role After Apparent Sign from God
Editor’s Note: Our readers responded strongly to this story when it originally ran; we’re reposting it here in case you missed it.
Actor Kelsey Grammer shared a recent episode of NBC’s “Tonight Show” how he took a part in the movie “Jesus Revolution,” which had a strong opening at the box office recently.
Grammer, who is of course known for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane in “Cheers” and “Frasier,” told “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, “The truth is I was having sort of a meditative evening one night in my home, and I was up pretty late. It was about 3, 4 in the morning.”
“And I started to think, ‘I want to do something worthwhile, something that has a bigger purpose than just me.’ And I was kind of saying a prayer, I guess. And the next morning the script lands on my door. And I read it and I said, ‘OK, that’s it. I’m doing this Jesus story.’”
“It’s a sign,” Fallon said.
Grammer seemed to agree, saying, “It’s pretty cool.”
Grammer plays Southern California pastor Chuck Smith in “Jesus Revolution,” which is about the last great spiritual awakening in the U.S.
Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, came to faith nationwide during the Jesus movement in the late 1960s and 1970s, and Smith played a prominent role in it all.
The 1966 Time magazine cover asking “Is God Dead?” and the 1971 title “The Jesus Revolution” are seen in the movie to illustrate the arc American culture made in a few short years.
What a difference 5 years makes. In 1966, Time asked, “Is God Dead?,” then in 1971 Time ran “The Jesus Revolution” cover after revival had broken out nationwide during the #Jesus movement.
Is the same happening in our day? #Asbury had a big-time revival back then too. pic.twitter.com/vIohLk3t5S
— Randy DeSoto (@RandyDeSoto) February 21, 2023
Other important characters in the film include hippie pastor Lonnie Frisbee (played by Jonathan Roumie from the popular series “The Chosen”) and Greg Laurie (portrayed by Joel Courtney).
Laurie, now pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in the Los Angeles area, was a struggling teen who became a Christian during the Jesus movement.
Laurie believes many will accept Jesus into their lives while watching “Jesus Revolution,” particularly when they see the baptism scene.
In the scene, Laurie prays with Frisbee just before being baptized by him in the Pacific Ocean off Newport Beach, California. His love interest Cathe (Anna Grace Barlow) is also baptized by Smith.
Grammer told NBC’s “Today” that shooting the movie took him right back to his teen years in the late ’60s and early ’70s, when all of this was happening.
“In our time, the love, the sense of community, the things that we all had, it was real, and I miss it,” he said.
“Who knows?” Grammer said. “Maybe this film will bring some of that back. But the light in people’s eyes then was genuine and sincere, and there was a connection of faith that was extraordinary.”
“Jesus Revolution” more than doubled industry estimates, taking in over $15 million in its opening weekend box office and earning a third-place finish overall. The film was forecasted to earn between $6 million and $7 million in ticket sales.
Moviegoers gave it an A+ CinemaScore and a 99 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, though critics gave it mixed reviews at 56 percent.
We polled @JesusRevMovie and it scored an A+ grade! Congrats to #JonErwin, @brentmccorkle, @JonathanRoumie, #NicholasCirillo, @kelsythekilljoyand the entire cast and crew! #CinemaScore pic.twitter.com/oqHDeRJtXU
— CinemaScore (@CinemaScore) February 25, 2023
Jon Erwin, who co-wrote and co-directed “Jesus Revolution,” believes it’s God’s timing that the film’s release came on the heels of a revival at Asbury University in Kentucky early last month. A similar outpouring happened in February 1970 during the heart of the Jesus movement.
Our country was in need of a good news story after all the tumult of the last few years. “Top Gun: Maverick” met the need for an uplifting, unifying pro-America film last summer.
And now “Jesus Revolution” is meeting the need people have to see and experience the love of God.
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