Hello, my friends, Welcome back. Welcome to another episode of Loves Someone with Delilah. I'm so glad you are joining me. I could not have chosen two more perfect guests to have on this springtime I have been a huge fan of the series. This is us. I don't know a fan is the right word. I'm addicted. It's my guilty pleasure. I love all of the characters, but I especially love Kate Pearson. When I heard that the actress that plays Kate Pearson was starring in a movie called Breakthrough, I had to get in touch with her. I had to invite her to come and chat with me. Little did I know that this interview would come with a bonus guest, because the producer of the movie Breakthrough is also joining us, and he is also somebody that I am so geeked to meet. I can barely contain my excitement because though we have never met, I've actually worked for him in the past. Let's meet my guests right now with me today is Devon Franklin and Chrissie Met and in the studio is also my little dog. I have a five month old puppy Schnauzer, and I got to tell you too. When my my little puppy gets excited, chief he pedals on the floor and I'm I feel like I'm going to do that any minute. I'm so excited. Well, you should just put a puppy pad down, right, I should right now. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Chrissie, I love you and de Vaughn. I love, love, love you guys so much. Well, the feeling is so mutual. I can't even tell you. I almost fell off my chair when I was like, wait, who like Delilah. I'm like, wait, like Delila Sila? Yeah? Yeah, And I like Christie. Oh Mike, Christie. I love you, but I hate that you make me cry so much. You know, I know that you love to hate that and you hate I do get it. I have not had television in my house for over twenty years. I haven't had TV in my house, so I have to have my teenagers show me how to get to you. And I gotta be honest, it's my guilty pleasure. And I save up the episodes until I'm having a really really bad day and then I just like, okay, Mom is going up to the room and they're like, oh, here we go. She's gonna be crying and the floodgates open. But oh my gosh, I love you and Devon. I'm surprised upon we haven't met because you were the executive producer in the movie that I start in The Star. Why did we not win like an Academy for that? I don't know. Well, the next one we will. My my four lines. I delivered them with passion. Listen. We were grateful to get you, uh you know. I know it was unfortunate that our past, you know, didn't cross, but I was incredibly grateful that you would spend some time and record those lines for us, because you did a great job and we needed to Well, I have to share before we talk about Breakthrough, which I don't know if I'm going to be able to talk about because it's really hard to talk about. But before we talk about that, I have to tell you this strange coincidence. I don't know who wrote my lines, if you wrote those, or who wrote my lines for the Star. And like I said, I only had a few of them, but the last line that I had in that cute little movie was common. Zachariah parties over. It's time to go home because I played Elizabeth, wife of Zachariah, who God had shut his mouth because he was saying foolish things. I went in the studio recorded the lines. I completely forgot about it. And from the time that I recorded the lines and the time that the movie debuted in in during the holidays, God called my sons Zachariah home, Oh my goodness, and I had completely forgotten that line. So the movie comes out, I pack all my kids together, we go down to see it together, and I'm like, Oh, this is gonna be the most amazing thing, you know. And and it was literally weeks after zach had gone home and changed his address to have and and then that line comes on in the whole theater because everybody in the theater was with me. They're like parties over time to go home. Who absolutely unbelievable. But let me tell you, while he was here the eighteen years God gave him, he partied with love and his heart for everybody. I want to talk about breakthrough and how what brought you two together to rip all of our hearts out again? Oh wow? I mean you know, listen, uh, it was not us. A couple of years ago when I was promoting Miracles from Heaven, which is the film I produced. Before I produced The Star, I was on TVN and on that program there was a Smith family, Joyce Smith and John Smith and uh pastor Jason Noble, and they were telling their story. And when I heard that Joyce prayed John back to life after he died falling through a frozen lake, I said, this is unbelievable. I mean, in the medical record it says patient dead, mother prayed patient came back to life. And once I heard that, I knew that I had to bring this to the big screen. And that was just about three years ago. And you know, there is no movie without a star, and there was no other star that could do the role of Joyce but for Christie Mets. And when she said yes, that was the process that really allowed us to make the film. And uh, we're just hoping that audiences around the world are inspired by it. Our podcast sponsor is the Home Depot. They allow their team members to do some incredible things, some wonderful things for their communities throughout the year. One regularly scheduled event happens to be on the third Thursday of every single month. It's called the Do It herself workshops imagine spending an hour or two once a month learning how to use all the tools you might need to know how to use to keep your own home updated. Do what herself workshops are get togethers for you and I, and they're free. By the way, you learn how to make something different each time, and in the process of doing so, you actually learn how to use so many different tools. I've been going myself for years to these whenever I can, and there are a lot of fun sign up in advance so they know you're coming at the home Depot's website and remember to do it herself workshops are absolute lea free. Now let's get back to the conversation we were just having. So, Chrissie, what was your gut reaction when you first heard about Joyce or or read the script? What happened in your in your heart? You know, I thought, oh am I capable of doing this? Um. I mean that's always sort of the question. I don't want to do something if I know. Of course, my ego is like if you don't do it well, then don't do it at all. Um. But also there's a lot of growth to have have been been had, and so I I just sort of how to sit with with myself and my thoughts and pray about it and you know, ask for guidance or advice from you know, my team. And I was attached to another project at the time that wasn't really going to allow me to be a part of both. And then that fell through when I thought, okay, okay, everything already knew was just confirmed because everything just fell into place. Um, so, you know, trusting your gut is it was a hard thing to do, especially in Hollywood, I think, but yeah, it just was. It was the right thing. It was meant to be obviously, so it got to me on many levels, obviously as a mom, but also as a mom who has adopted kids, because that's a piece of the story. I don't know how many people are going to talk about, but we need to talk about that because you playing Joyce the mom, are praying back your son John, who you adopted. And I think a lot of times when well, I know, when people talk to me about my children, they're like, well, which ones are your real children? Of them? Yeah, and the character, the role you play, you make it very very clear, and and all of us adopted moms are saying thank you. Yeah, that the level of love and intimacy and commitment and and just undying love you have for that child, it mountains. Yeah. Well that's Joyce Smith for him. Yeah. Yeah, that is how she really is in real life. I mean, just a powerhouse um doesn't take no for an answer, but she does it with love and the way that she loved John. I mean, that's really one of the reasons why I wanted to do the movie was when I found out that, you know, she had adopted him, her and her husband Brian adopted him when he was six months old from Guatemala, and you know, just the idea that he struggled with, why wasn't he wanted And you know, she would try to affirm that, but it wasn't until he went through this incident and came out on the other side of it and saw that it was his mother's prayers and the prayers of the community and the love of the community and his mother that really helped save his life. That he began to understand that he had a purpose in a place. And I think that's just so powerful, and we really wanted to portray it in the way that they experienced it. And we're just grateful that Joyce and John really feel like we got it right. So how much backlash Devon did you get when you said, well, you've been doing this for a long time. You've been getting backlash because you have been involved with movies, powerful movies about miraculous faith since your career began. Uh. But when you said, Okay, Christie, let's do this, did you guys get you know, backlash from people or are people being really supportive? You know? I mean as far as I don't really read comments and whatnot, um, but from what I can tell you, having screened the film and been across the country in multiple screenings with all different types of audiences, there haven't been any any backlash. I mean, people love Christie Mets. They love her portrayal of Joyce. It is so emotional. No matter what your faith journey is, you can find something relatable and breakthrough. I think we all, you know, are searching for our place. We all want love, and so there really hasn't been that kind of backlash. And when people see breakthrough, I mean they I think it's all worth it. So whatever conflict there may be, or whatever backlash may come, it's all worth it because there are lives that will be changed for the better because of a like that. So, Christie, I gotta ask you, after watching you for hundreds of hours on three seasons of This Is Us, where your character sometimes is a little self centered. Um, I was so happy to find out because I after I watched the first season, I researched you, like at nauseum and to find out that that you are not that character, but you play her very well. But the character you you play in in the movie Breakthrough Joyce is so other focused and yet both characters you play with such tenacity. Thank you. So I'm guessing that tenacity is the real Chrissy Matts. Yes, I mean I didn't pursue acting for twelve years eating Ramen noodles without that finacity, you know, And I know a hundred in one way to cook Ramen noodles by the way, you know, let me tell you, after you've been fired twelve times in radio, you you and Acier raman noodle resies, right and then very delicious? Yeah? Absolutely, um, but yeah, you have to be tenacious in in that pursuit. Um. And I always was really cognizant of why was I doing it because it wasn't about fame and fortune that sort of just like a nice byproduct, But like, what is it that I'm supposed to be doing? And how do I how? How am I an instrument? And how am I a conduit? And so um so answer that question with this movie? How are you a conduit? What do you feel gud called you to do? UM? I think to portray Joyce and um and this Smith family, there's their story and how you know even in the most uncertain times, that you you can ask for what it is that you want and that you need. And I hope that is conveyed through through the message and through the story because that's exactly what she did and she had no qualms about it. And do you think you'll carry that into your life? Oh? I definitely have. I definitely have more shows than I ever have before. Devon. What do you hope folks will be talking about once they go see I'm going to tell everybody because take your family, take your friends, everybody to go see Breakthrough. It's so perfect, especially during you know the season of of renewal and new life and new birth and springtime and and Easter Sunday. What do you what are you hoping Devon? People will be saying um as they drive home and talk about breakthrough right before they turn my radio show back on. Well, you know the lot of I really hope that people, you know, go and see this film and they have the experience that audiences around the country are already having, which is, you know, we hold so much in you know, the day to day, and what's happening is people see this film they're able to release and let go. It's very cathartic. Audiences are walking out of the theater with their own breakthroughs, um, you know, breakthroughs of emotional healing, breakthroughs of love, breakthroughs of finding a feeling like they have a place in life. And so my hoping prayers everyone who sees the film will experience their own breakthrough in an area of their life, so that it goes beyond just being entertainment for two hours, but it becomes a callous for change in their life. Well, thank you, thank you, thank you for spending this time with me. I hope someday I can just squeeze you and kiss you and telling her how much I both love you. Cannot wait wait. Thank you, Make sure you take the time to go see the movie Breakthrough when it comes out on the sevent of this month, and make sure you subscribe to Love Someone with de Lina. I'll have new episodes on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, and sometimes more often if I find somebody that's fascinating and I just can't wait to share that with you, so we we sometimes surprise you and have more than two episodes a month. Anyway, subscribe to Love Someone with Delilah and tell your friends to join us as well.

Hello, my friends, Welcome back. Welcome to another episode of Loves Someone with Delilah. I'm so glad you are joining me. I could not have chosen two more perfect guests to have on this springtime I have been a huge fan of the series. This is us. I don't know a fan is the right word. I'm addicted. It's my guilty pleasure. I love all of the characters, but I especially love Kate Pearson. When I heard that the actress that plays Kate Pearson was starring in a movie called Breakthrough, I had to get in touch with her. I had to invite her to come and chat with me. Little did I know that this interview would come with a bonus guest, because the producer of the movie Breakthrough is also joining us, and he is also somebody that I am so geeked to meet. I can barely contain my excitement because though we have never met, I've actually worked for him in the past. Let's meet my guests right now with me today is Devon Franklin and Chrissie Met and in the studio is also my little dog. I have a five month old puppy Schnauzer, and I got to tell you too. When my my little puppy gets excited, chief he pedals on the floor and I'm I feel like I'm going to do that any minute. I'm so excited. Well, you should just put a puppy pad down, right, I should right now. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Chrissie, I love you and de Vaughn. I love, love, love you guys so much. Well, the feeling is so mutual. I can't even tell you. I almost fell off my chair when I was like, wait, who like Delilah. I'm like, wait, like Delila Sila? Yeah? Yeah, And I like Christie. Oh Mike, Christie. I love you, but I hate that you make me cry so much. You know, I know that you love to hate that and you hate I do get it. I have not had television in my house for over twenty years. I haven't had TV in my house, so I have to have my teenagers show me how to get to you. And I gotta be honest, it's my guilty pleasure. And I save up the episodes until I'm having a really really bad day and then I just like, okay, Mom is going up to the room and they're like, oh, here we go. She's gonna be crying and the floodgates open. But oh my gosh, I love you and Devon. I'm surprised upon we haven't met because you were the executive producer in the movie that I start in The Star. Why did we not win like an Academy for that? I don't know. Well, the next one we will. My my four lines. I delivered them with passion. Listen. We were grateful to get you, uh you know. I know it was unfortunate that our past, you know, didn't cross, but I was incredibly grateful that you would spend some time and record those lines for us, because you did a great job and we needed to Well, I have to share before we talk about Breakthrough, which I don't know if I'm going to be able to talk about because it's really hard to talk about. But before we talk about that, I have to tell you this strange coincidence. I don't know who wrote my lines, if you wrote those, or who wrote my lines for the Star. And like I said, I only had a few of them, but the last line that I had in that cute little movie was common. Zachariah parties over. It's time to go home because I played Elizabeth, wife of Zachariah, who God had shut his mouth because he was saying foolish things. I went in the studio recorded the lines. I completely forgot about it. And from the time that I recorded the lines and the time that the movie debuted in in during the holidays, God called my sons Zachariah home, Oh my goodness, and I had completely forgotten that line. So the movie comes out, I pack all my kids together, we go down to see it together, and I'm like, Oh, this is gonna be the most amazing thing, you know. And and it was literally weeks after zach had gone home and changed his address to have and and then that line comes on in the whole theater because everybody in the theater was with me. They're like parties over time to go home. Who absolutely unbelievable. But let me tell you, while he was here the eighteen years God gave him, he partied with love and his heart for everybody. I want to talk about breakthrough and how what brought you two together to rip all of our hearts out again? Oh wow? I mean you know, listen, uh, it was not us. A couple of years ago when I was promoting Miracles from Heaven, which is the film I produced. Before I produced The Star, I was on TVN and on that program there was a Smith family, Joyce Smith and John Smith and uh pastor Jason Noble, and they were telling their story. And when I heard that Joyce prayed John back to life after he died falling through a frozen lake, I said, this is unbelievable. I mean, in the medical record it says patient dead, mother prayed patient came back to life. And once I heard that, I knew that I had to bring this to the big screen. And that was just about three years ago. And you know, there is no movie without a star, and there was no other star that could do the role of Joyce but for Christie Mets. And when she said yes, that was the process that really allowed us to make the film. And uh, we're just hoping that audiences around the world are inspired by it. Our podcast sponsor is the Home Depot. They allow their team members to do some incredible things, some wonderful things for their communities throughout the year. One regularly scheduled event happens to be on the third Thursday of every single month. It's called the Do It herself workshops imagine spending an hour or two once a month learning how to use all the tools you might need to know how to use to keep your own home updated. Do what herself workshops are get togethers for you and I, and they're free. By the way, you learn how to make something different each time, and in the process of doing so, you actually learn how to use so many different tools. I've been going myself for years to these whenever I can, and there are a lot of fun sign up in advance so they know you're coming at the home Depot's website and remember to do it herself workshops are absolute lea free. Now let's get back to the conversation we were just having. So, Chrissie, what was your gut reaction when you first heard about Joyce or or read the script? What happened in your in your heart? You know, I thought, oh am I capable of doing this? Um. I mean that's always sort of the question. I don't want to do something if I know. Of course, my ego is like if you don't do it well, then don't do it at all. Um. But also there's a lot of growth to have have been been had, and so I I just sort of how to sit with with myself and my thoughts and pray about it and you know, ask for guidance or advice from you know, my team. And I was attached to another project at the time that wasn't really going to allow me to be a part of both. And then that fell through when I thought, okay, okay, everything already knew was just confirmed because everything just fell into place. Um, so, you know, trusting your gut is it was a hard thing to do, especially in Hollywood, I think, but yeah, it just was. It was the right thing. It was meant to be obviously, so it got to me on many levels, obviously as a mom, but also as a mom who has adopted kids, because that's a piece of the story. I don't know how many people are going to talk about, but we need to talk about that because you playing Joyce the mom, are praying back your son John, who you adopted. And I think a lot of times when well, I know, when people talk to me about my children, they're like, well, which ones are your real children? Of them? Yeah, and the character, the role you play, you make it very very clear, and and all of us adopted moms are saying thank you. Yeah, that the level of love and intimacy and commitment and and just undying love you have for that child, it mountains. Yeah. Well that's Joyce Smith for him. Yeah. Yeah, that is how she really is in real life. I mean, just a powerhouse um doesn't take no for an answer, but she does it with love and the way that she loved John. I mean, that's really one of the reasons why I wanted to do the movie was when I found out that, you know, she had adopted him, her and her husband Brian adopted him when he was six months old from Guatemala, and you know, just the idea that he struggled with, why wasn't he wanted And you know, she would try to affirm that, but it wasn't until he went through this incident and came out on the other side of it and saw that it was his mother's prayers and the prayers of the community and the love of the community and his mother that really helped save his life. That he began to understand that he had a purpose in a place. And I think that's just so powerful, and we really wanted to portray it in the way that they experienced it. And we're just grateful that Joyce and John really feel like we got it right. So how much backlash Devon did you get when you said, well, you've been doing this for a long time. You've been getting backlash because you have been involved with movies, powerful movies about miraculous faith since your career began. Uh. But when you said, Okay, Christie, let's do this, did you guys get you know, backlash from people or are people being really supportive? You know? I mean as far as I don't really read comments and whatnot, um, but from what I can tell you, having screened the film and been across the country in multiple screenings with all different types of audiences, there haven't been any any backlash. I mean, people love Christie Mets. They love her portrayal of Joyce. It is so emotional. No matter what your faith journey is, you can find something relatable and breakthrough. I think we all, you know, are searching for our place. We all want love, and so there really hasn't been that kind of backlash. And when people see breakthrough, I mean they I think it's all worth it. So whatever conflict there may be, or whatever backlash may come, it's all worth it because there are lives that will be changed for the better because of a like that. So, Christie, I gotta ask you, after watching you for hundreds of hours on three seasons of This Is Us, where your character sometimes is a little self centered. Um, I was so happy to find out because I after I watched the first season, I researched you, like at nauseum and to find out that that you are not that character, but you play her very well. But the character you you play in in the movie Breakthrough Joyce is so other focused and yet both characters you play with such tenacity. Thank you. So I'm guessing that tenacity is the real Chrissy Matts. Yes, I mean I didn't pursue acting for twelve years eating Ramen noodles without that finacity, you know, And I know a hundred in one way to cook Ramen noodles by the way, you know, let me tell you, after you've been fired twelve times in radio, you you and Acier raman noodle resies, right and then very delicious? Yeah? Absolutely, um, but yeah, you have to be tenacious in in that pursuit. Um. And I always was really cognizant of why was I doing it because it wasn't about fame and fortune that sort of just like a nice byproduct, But like, what is it that I'm supposed to be doing? And how do I how? How am I an instrument? And how am I a conduit? And so um so answer that question with this movie? How are you a conduit? What do you feel gud called you to do? UM? I think to portray Joyce and um and this Smith family, there's their story and how you know even in the most uncertain times, that you you can ask for what it is that you want and that you need. And I hope that is conveyed through through the message and through the story because that's exactly what she did and she had no qualms about it. And do you think you'll carry that into your life? Oh? I definitely have. I definitely have more shows than I ever have before. Devon. What do you hope folks will be talking about once they go see I'm going to tell everybody because take your family, take your friends, everybody to go see Breakthrough. It's so perfect, especially during you know the season of of renewal and new life and new birth and springtime and and Easter Sunday. What do you what are you hoping Devon? People will be saying um as they drive home and talk about breakthrough right before they turn my radio show back on. Well, you know the lot of I really hope that people, you know, go and see this film and they have the experience that audiences around the country are already having, which is, you know, we hold so much in you know, the day to day, and what's happening is people see this film they're able to release and let go. It's very cathartic. Audiences are walking out of the theater with their own breakthroughs, um, you know, breakthroughs of emotional healing, breakthroughs of love, breakthroughs of finding a feeling like they have a place in life. And so my hoping prayers everyone who sees the film will experience their own breakthrough in an area of their life, so that it goes beyond just being entertainment for two hours, but it becomes a callous for change in their life. Well, thank you, thank you, thank you for spending this time with me. I hope someday I can just squeeze you and kiss you and telling her how much I both love you. Cannot wait wait. Thank you, Make sure you take the time to go see the movie Breakthrough when it comes out on the sevent of this month, and make sure you subscribe to Love Someone with de Lina. I'll have new episodes on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, and sometimes more often if I find somebody that's fascinating and I just can't wait to share that with you, so we we sometimes surprise you and have more than two episodes a month. Anyway, subscribe to Love Someone with Delilah and tell your friends to join us as well.