{"id":26187,"date":"2026-08-03T15:06:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T10:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=26187"},"modified":"2026-08-03T15:06:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T10:06:42","slug":"stephen-baldwin-finally-reveals-why-he-ditched-hollywood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=26187","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Baldwin finally reveals why he ditched Hollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2026%2F08%2Fbalfwin.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Stephen Baldwin ditched Hollywood at the start of his success after becoming a born-again Christian in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n<p>The actor reflected on stepping out of the spotlight shortly after starring in the Oscar-winning 1995 thriller, \u201cThe Usual Suspects,\u201d despite heading in the \u201cdirection of becoming a big star.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut that wasn\u2019t me,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/why-stephen-baldwin-left-mainstream-hollywood-for-god-and-a-ministry-exclusive-12027721\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told People<\/a> in an interview published Sunday. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to be Tom Cruise, and have to make $100 million at the box office. I\u2019d rather be a schmuck from Massapequa, [New York].\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Stephen Baldwin (seen here with his daughter Hailey Bieber in 2011) shared he left Hollywood after becoming a born-again Christian. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>The actor (seen here in 1994) told People in an interview published Sunday that he was heading in the \u201cdirection of becoming a big star.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9TriStar Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Stephen, 60, explained how he shifted his focus on religion after his and his wife Kennya Baldwin\u2019s housekeeper prophesied\u00a0that they would \u201cbecome born-again Christians and have [their] own ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cBio-Dome\u201d star admitted he was initially skeptical, saying it wasn\u2019t until the early 2000s when he attended several church events, including a skateboarding ministry event in Florida, with his sister Beth Baldwin, who was a \u201cborn-again Christian,\u201d that his perspective changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDown on the beach, they had built a skate park on the sand with plywood,\u201d he told the outlet. \u201cAnd these funky, super committed, cool, tattooed, pierced skateboarders were there.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>\u201cBut that wasn\u2019t me,\u201d he said. (Seen here: Baldwin at People Magazine\u2019s 50th Anniversary event in 2024.) <span class=\"credit\">FilmMagic<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>\u201cI didn\u2019t want to be Tom Cruise, and have to make $100 million at the box office. I\u2019d rather be a schmuck from Massapequa, [New York],\u201d Baldwin (seen here in a portrait for the 1999 film \u201cFriends &amp; Lovers\u201d) said. <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9Lions Gate\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019d skate, stop, pick up a microphone and start preaching evangelistically, and like 5,000 kids would be around watching because of their interest in the skateboarders,\u201d Stephen continued,<\/p>\n<p>It was then that the \u201cThreesome\u201d star \u201cfelt a calling\u201d to work on a skateboarding video featuring punk-rock Christian music and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NvfoOZfaDmU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an evangelical message <\/a>now known as \u201cLivin It.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The actor immediately found success, distributing 10,000 copies within six months.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The \u201cThreesome\u201d star (seen above speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2010) shared that he started leaning into his faith after attending a skateboarding ministry event in Florida in the early 2000s. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Baldwin (seen here with his brother Alec Baldwin in 2025) explained that\u2019s when he \u201cfelt a calling\u201d to work on a Christian-based skateboarding video. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Page Six Daily\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWant more celebrity and pop culture news?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with Page Six Daily.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThen one of the bigger churches called and asked what it would cost to bring the skaters from the video to their church for a live event. So that\u2019s when I left Hollywood,\u201d Stephen recalled.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cThreesome\u201d star shared how he toured with the skate group and \u201cwent to 125 churches over four years,\u201d saying, \u201cJesus and the holy spirit fascinated me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephen has starred and produced several Christian-themed projects throughout the years, telling the outlet, \u201cMy commitment to the Lord now is simple.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI said, \u2018Lord, give me the platform and, and the resources to tell, to tell stories about you like John Hughes,&#8217;\u201d he continued, referring to the filmmaker responsible for \u201cThe Breakfast Club,\u201d \u201cSixteen Candles\u201d and \u201cPretty in Pink.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Baldwin (seen here in the 1996 movie \u201cCrimetime\u201d) sold 10,000 copies of \u201cLivin it\u201d within six months. <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9Trimark Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>He has since worked on several Christian-themed films, including the one photographed above with Blythe Baird titled \u201cThe UnMiracle.\u201d  <span class=\"credit\">Everett Collection \/ Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He\u2019s also the host of the \u201cOne Bad Movie\u201d podcast, where he invites fellow actors to chat about the worst movies they\u2019ve been a part of.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve made more money that I could have wildly imagined, and I\u2019m married to the hottest chick I\u2019ve ever seen in my life,\u201d Stephen gushed. \u201cJesus is my rock. My wife is my anchor. I\u2019ve had the most amazing life and I\u2019m only 60. I\u2019m so blessed. I\u2019m just waiting for more doors open that I\u2019m supposed to walk through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephen and Kennya tied the knot in 1990 and later welcomed daughters, Alaia Baldwin, now 33, and Hailey Bieber, now 30.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stephen Baldwin ditched Hollywood at the start of his success after becoming a born-again Christian in the early 2000s. The actor reflected on stepping out of the spotlight shortly after starring in the Oscar-winning 1995 thriller, \u201cThe Usual Suspects,\u201d despite heading in the \u201cdirection of becoming a big star.\u201d \u201cBut that wasn\u2019t me,\u201d he told&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26188,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/balfwin.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26187\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}