In the romantic comedy The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, Hollywood party animal Gavin Stone finds himself in church for the first time in his life–serving 200 hours of court-appointed community service. One of the film’s cast, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, reflects on his journey from fame to faith.
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The journey of the fictional Gavin Stone is not unlike that of the real-life cast member Michaels–minus the career nosedive. Michaels, one of the most celebrated professional wrestlers of all time, who makes his feature film debut as the quiet and humble Doug, a biker who gave up hard living for a higher calling in The Resurrection of Gavin Stone.
“Shawn’s playing a character who reflects a lot of himself,” director Dallas Jenkins says. “Becoming a Christian didn’t make him boring. He’s still the same cool guy; he just has a humility about him he didn’t have before.”
VIDEO: Shawn Michaels reflects on his personal role in “The Resurrection of Gavin Stone”
Michaels, known as The Heartbreak Kid during his wrestling days, did a fair bit of rule-breaking when he wasn’t performing as one of sports entertainment’s top draws. That changed in the late ‘90s when he realized his lifestyle was hurting him and his family.
“When I gave my life to Christ is was a natural development – it wasn’t something that I tried to do,” Michaels remembers. “The things that I do now are from the heart, and for me they come from my salvation. I’m fully aware and grasp that what is good within me comes from the Good Lord above and not actually from within me.”
So, playing Doug, who has a similar story, if on a dissimilar stage, seemed the perfect role for his feature-film debut. But that’s not to say it was an easy transition from life in front of fans to life in front of the camera.
“Shawn was just as nervous and giddy about this as I was because he has no experience with it,” says Patrick Gonyell, who plays Anthony, one of Doug’s two best buddies. “It’s a departure for him, and it’s kind of fun for The Heartbreak Kid to be so down-to-earth and unsure and humble and self-deprecating about it all.”
It was also a bit surprising to the film’s star, Brett Dalton, who grew up a major wrestling fan. He remembers well Michaels’ persona in and out of the ring – a lothario with an attitude who never met a rule he didn’t gleefully bend.
“He is the most humble, sweetest, most caring guy I’ve met,” Dalton says, “You don’t get that if he’s just walking down the street in the leathers and long hair with that swagger. But as soon as he opens his mouth and looks you in the eye, you’re like, ‘Man, I misjudged you.’”
It’s a quality Dalton tried to bring to his portrayal of Gavin Stone as his journey reaches its end.
The filmmakers and actors alike hope audiences walk away having had more than a few laughs and with a fresh appreciation for the power of forgiveness and redemption – wherever it may be found.
“There’s nothing in this movie that isn’t accessible to someone who doesn’t regularly go to church,” Jenkins explains. “This is a story about finding a family and finding traditional values and finding a place to call home, whether you are successful or not or whether you’ve made a big mistake or not.
“Any one of us, all of us, can use a little more of that message in our lives.”