Stephen Baldwin has revealed why he stepped back from Hollywood to focus on his Christian faith, telling People magazine that Jesus and the Holy Spirit fascinated him.
The 60-year-old actor, whose brothers are Alec Baldwin, 68, William Baldwin, 63, and Daniel Baldwin, 65, said he reached a turning point after starring as McManus in 1995's The Usual Suspects. He said he could have pushed himself toward becoming a major star but that wasn't who he was, adding that he didn't want to be Tom Cruise and have to make $100 million at the box office. Referencing his roots on Long Island, New York, Baldwin joked that he would rather be a schmuck from Massapequa, saying he is good at that.
Baldwin pointed to several milestones in his life, including getting sober in 1989, marrying his wife Kennya, 58, in 1990, and undergoing a spiritual awakening as a born-again Christian in 2001. He and Kennya share two daughters, Alaia Baldwin, 33, and Hailey Bieber, 29.
A prophetic vision from Brazil
Baldwin said that after Alaia's birth, Kennya hired a woman named Augusta from Brazil to live with the family and help out. Augusta spoke only Portuguese and communicated solely with Kennya, who is Brazilian. Baldwin recalled that Augusta once told Kennya it was funny that she believed she was there just to clean the house.
According to Baldwin, Augusta explained that she'd had a prophetic vision while attending church in Brazil, learning that an American family was seeking to hire help. Kennya later told him that Augusta said the real reason she was there was that God had spoken to her, predicting that Kennya and Stephen would become born-again Christians and start their own ministry. Baldwin said he initially found the idea absurd, telling Kennya they were from New York but living in Arizona and that she needed to go lie down in the air conditioning.
From Syracuse to Fort Lauderdale
After Hailey's birth in 1996, the family moved back to Stephen's native New York, and he began attending evangelical events. One, featuring gospel performer Kirk Franklin, took place in Syracuse, New York, and he attended with his sister Elizabeth Keuchler, 70, who was already a born-again Christian.
Baldwin then attended an evangelical event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, run by a ministry of skateboarding enthusiasts, which he said ultimately solidified his path, as he felt a calling. He described a skate park built out of plywood on the sand, where tattooed, pierced skateboarders would skate, stop, pick up a microphone and preach, drawing crowds of around 5,000 kids who came for the skateboarding.
Leaving Hollywood behind
Baldwin said he later connected with author Kevin Palau on a music video project fusing punk rock, skating and Christianity, resulting in a video called Livin It. He said 10,000 copies were distributed in the first six months, and one larger church called to ask what it would cost to bring the skaters from the video for a live event, a moment he marked as when he left Hollywood.
Baldwin said he went on to visit 125 churches over four years with the skate ministry, connecting with fellow born-again Christians along the way. He said people in the entertainment industry probably thought he acted a little too weird, and said he is now retired from political commentary after previously voicing public support for President Donald Trump. He said he receives many direct messages on social media from people telling him how his work has touched them, adding that's all that matters.
Life at 60
Baldwin is currently busy hosting his podcast, One Bad Movie, and producing Christian-themed films. He said his commitment to the Lord now is simple, recalling that he asked God to give him the platform and resources to tell stories like filmmaker John Hughes did.
Baldwin said he has found contentment, noting he has made 100 movies, earned more money than he could have imagined, and is married to, in his words, the hottest chick he has ever seen. He said Jesus is his rock and his wife is his anchor, adding that he has had an amazing life and is only 60. He said he feels blessed and is waiting for more doors to open that he is meant to walk through.
