'Vampire Diaries' Actor Talks Sharing Jesus on Hollywood Sets, Valuing Faith More Than Fame
Hollywood actor Nathaniel Buzolic recently opened up about why he values his Christian faith above his Hollywood fame.
The 35-year-old actor is known for his roles in the hit TV shows "The Originals" and "The Vampire Diaries," and for his appearance in the 2016 blockbuster film "Hacksaw Ridge." When asked how he navigates his Christian faith with the demands of Hollywood, he explained that having perspective is key.
"It's helpful in enabling me to disconnect from a business that is based on how you look, how much money you make, how relevant you are, and how many followers you have. When you look at the teachings of Jesus, it's an absolute upside down Kingdom where the person who is last is first, the person who serves is considered greatest in the Kingdom of God," Buzolic said in an interview with Insights, a magazine produced by the Uniting Church in Australia's Synod of New South Wales.
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He maintained that "the world doesn't need another actor's success" for it to improve. Instead, "the world definitely needs to start listening to the truth of what Jesus said."
"I think one of the best things you can do as a Christian is represent Jesus well, not from a place of judgement or fear, but humility," Buzolic continued. "When you really do read Scripture and when you do talk to people — and I have had many conversations with people on set about Jesus — what you start to realize is that people who are so against it haven't really had a chance to have explained who Jesus is and what He represents."
Buzolic was raised Catholic and testified that he became a born-again Christian at age 27.
"Even for me, before I became a Christian, before I started really following His path, I think I really missed the point of the Gospel, which is that we need to understand we are broken, we need to have a relationship with our Creator. When you come to that relationship, it is not about religion," Buzolic added.
The successful actor does not shy away from publicly posting about God on social media. He recently visited Israel and spoke in-depth about how being in the Holy Land deeply touched his life.
"An opportunity to discover Jesus. One of the greatest experience of my life was going to the Holy Land and following in the footsteps of the person I wish to follow most — Jesus of Nazareth," Buzolic boldly proclaimed.
