Hollywood has a reputation for being a tough place to hold on to faith, but some of the biggest names behind the kids’ shows we grew up with were also devout Christians.
Leigh-Allyn Baker
Former Disney star Leigh-Allyn Baker, known for her role as Amy Duncan in Good Luck, Charlie, has publicly shared the high cost of standing up for her conservative beliefs, and how persecution led to a deeper relationship with Christ.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Baker publicly voiced her opposition to mask mandates and vaccine requirements, which she says cost her career opportunities and friends and even threatened her physical safety.
“It was in that darkness on my knees that my eyes became laser focused on the truth of Jesus Christ,” she said of the experience, noting that it helped her understand who God was calling her to be.
“God is more interested in your character than your clout,” she added. “It’s not about who follows you. It’s about who you follow.”
Now a Christian conservative activist, Baker regularly speaks at Turning Point USA events and at prominent Christian schools such as Liberty University, where she encourages young people to stand up for what’s right and put God at the center of their lives.
David Henrie
Another Disney Channel star, David Henrie, known for playing Justin Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place, recently opened up on the Bryce Crawford podcast about his faith and how it has shaped his journey in Hollywood.
“I’m a son of God. I’m Catholic. I’m a husband. I’m a father of four on earth. And then we have 10 in heaven,” he said, introducing himself.
Henrie reflected on growing up as a Disney Channel child star and on the pressures he faced afterward in Hollywood, then described his return to the Catholic faith. He also spoke about staying true to his morals in the industry, the grief he and his wife endured after losing ten pregnancies, and the miraculous birth of their child following a trip to a monastery in Spain.
His faith, he said, now guides him as a father raising his children to know God.
“If you’re not living your life for something bigger, if you’re not living your life for Christ, ultimately you’re living for yourself. And the more you chase that, it’s going to hit a wall eventually,” Henrie told listeners.
Butch Hartman
Butch Hartman, animator and creator best known for Nickelodeon hits like The Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom, joined the Greg Laurie podcast to discuss his journey to Christianity and its impact on his career.
Though The Fairly OddParents wasn’t an explicitly Christian project, Hartman saw making children’s content as a way to give kids facing hardship the same peace and joy that cartoons gave him during his chaotic childhood. He wasn’t yet a Christian when he started out, but his later faith deepened his sense of responsibility for what he puts on screen.
“There’s a million kids that won't ever go into a church ever in their life, but they will watch an iPhone, and they’ll watch a screen. So what can I put on that screen?
Since leaving Nickelodeon in 2018, he has moved toward explicitly Christian work like the animated series The Garden, which uses scripture and storytelling to teach families values such as generosity and reliance on God.
"I give Jesus all the credit for what I've done,” Hartman told Laurie. “I don't take any credit at all because it's His show at the end of the day. I'm just a steward."
The Takeaway
The stories of Baker, Henrie, and Hartman show that Hollywood is not as closed to faith as it may seem. Staying true to Christian values in the entertainment industry is possible, though it is rarely easy.
But beyond that, their examples also point to something larger. For millions of kids, the shows they watch are among the first stories they ever take in, which gives the people behind them a chance to shape what children see and value.
Although it may seem that Hollywood is only growing darker, we aren’t as alone as we might think. More and more actors and creators are speaking openly about their Christian faith, letting it influence the content they produce, and empowering others to do the same.
As Hartman put it, “The entertainment industry is a giant refrigerator. It’s full of junk food, but [Christians] are the apple. We’re the grapes. We’re the healthy option.”
