Actor Sean Patrick Flanery, who is starring in the new faith-based psychological horror movie Nefarious, told Breitbart News that he credits “traditional family values” — including hard work and meritocratic achievement — for the success he has experienced in his professional and personal life.
In an interview Friday with Breitbart News’ editor-in-chief Alex Marlow on Sirius XM Patriot 125’s Breitbart News Daily, Flanery spoke about Nefarious as well as his personal life far away from Hollywood. The actor, who lives outside Houston with his wife and children, said he champions a traditional approach to living.
“A lot of it is, unapologetically, traditional family values,” he said. “Almost everything in my life good came from a somewhat conservative approach,” which he said means earning an honest living and actively confronting adversity to build strength and character.
“I’m not embarrased by that. It’s the way I want to raise my kids.”
He said moving from California to Texas brought numerous benefits, including being closer to extended family members. “I always wanted that for my kids,” he said. “We were thinking about going back and forth but we never actually did. We sold everything and our only regret was why didn’t we do it sooner?
Flanery achieved fame early in life when he landed the title role in the ABC series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. He later starred in Powder, The Boondock Saints, and its sequel. But he describes himself as a “blue collar” worker at heart because he still has to go out and make a living.
“I’ve never had marquee roles that allow you retire on a fat payday. I’ve never had that. I still work to pay bills. And I’m grateful for that.”
Flanery said working in an industry that is frequently inimical to his traditional values creates a certain cognitive dissonance.
“I’ve made movies where I kill ten, 15 people, nobody has a problem with that. But if I play a role that says, ‘I believe Jesus is our Lord and Savior,’ that’s an issue. It’s so odd when you think about it. In Boondock Saints, how many people did I shoot in the head? They didn’t go through the justice system.”
He said he still has industry friends, including some on the left who admire the way he has raised his family.
“They love the result, but if they saw the recipe, they would tend to hate it, based on the labels alone.”
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