7/8
"As an adult with my religious upbringing, 95% of the time I am in a room with people who did not have that. I remember being in Hollywood and being a little embarrassed to talk about it because people were making fun of it all the time. They were very overtly making fun of it and criticizing anyone from the South and anyone associated with religion -- particularly Republicans.
When I started to understand that I wasn't going to be kicked out of the room or ridiculed for my religious upbringing, I started to raise my hand. I started to tell them all the verses of the Bible that character would say or how those two characters would talk about the story of Christ. I remember working as an associate producer on a movie called Amistad. The director was asking, 'How would this character teach this other character the story of Christ? How would you teach a child?' I was like, 'Well, I know exactly how we teach kids the story of Christ.' I didn't have to study for it. I just knew, and I started to bring that unique part of myself into the room, and it was honored. I worked at Amblin and Dreamworks for 15 years and can remember being called in for that knowledge.
It was the thing I thought people were going to criticize or tease me for. And it was being requested.
I learned that it’s a facet of my life that I can gift to creative situations. Our uniqueness as human beings can give us a place in the room. I would say the same for me being gay. I would say the same for me being an alcoholic. I would say the same for me having bad eyesight.'"
7/8