Today I found out some wonderful news. No Victoria is not pregnant (I hope not). I found out that one of my favorite characters from my second favorite sitcom of all time, Arrested Development, is a Christian. Somehow I missed this before. Not sure how. Usually when I ‘get into something’ I research it extensively (meaning I look it up on Wikipedia). But I overlooked this interesting fact before.
While ‘researching’ the show, I found out that Tony Hale who plays the part of Buster Bluth, is a Christian. You may have also seen Tony in Stranger Than Fiction with Will Ferrell. Tony also founded The Haven in NYC which is a group of professional Christian artists. The website even lists members of the group, which I must say is a pretty brave thing to do given Hollywood’s anti-Christian attitude.
In one interview Tony was discussing one of his favorite scenes where Buster, the child-like grownup, uncharacteristically uses a string of foul words that are ‘beeped’ out. He says he had two or three words he would repeat over and over. He said the crew even joked with him about not cussing.
What I find amazing is that Tony was able maintain Christian values and still play an amazing character on one of TV’s best sitcoms ever. He was also nominated for a few big awards for his acting on the show. Tony is of a breed of Christians that are trying to redeem the arts for Christ, rather than remove themselves from something that has been corrupted. Its our responsibility as Christians to engage in culture and transform it. Not to hide in bomb shelters in Wyoming and pray for the best. I hope one day I get to meet Tony and thank him for two things: playing such an incredible part as Buster and being a voice for Christianity in a dark world.
Nerd Droppings 