Guess Which Famous A-List Actor Once Considered Becoming a Christian Pastor

Image: Getty
Image: Getty
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Actor Denzel Washington is known for his iconic movie roles, but he once considered a very different career path.

Washington told ABC News’ Peter Travers that he once entertained becoming a pastor, though he clearly didn’t end up going that route. While the actor, who is a practicing Christian and whose father was a Pentecostal minister, “thought about it,” he said he initially “hated” going to church” as a kid.

“Because we had to go to church, I hated it … it was like a job,” Washington said. “I rejected it in my early teen years, when you’re working stuff out.”

Of course, he’s come full circle now, oft-times openly speaking about the power the Christian gospel has had in his life.

One of the other ironies, though, is that the A-list actor — known for films like “American Gangster,” “The Hurricane” and “The Preacher’s Wife” — wasn’t allowed to watch a lot of movies as a kid.

Noting his dad’s pastoral role, he told ABC News most of his feature film viewing as a kid was limited to movies like “King of Kings” and “The Ten Commandments” — again, ironic considering his robust entertainment career.

Watch Washington describe his story below:

But, despite his success, acting wasn’t Washington’s initial career aspiration. While he said he considered preaching, he originally started college studying pre-med, then moved on to political science and pre-law.

“I found out I wasn’t doctor material. I found out I wasn’t lawyer material,” he said. “Then, I started studying journalism, so I was actually working my way towards the arts. I didn’t know it.”

Washington eventually discovered his acting chops and the rest is, well, history. Over the years, though, Washington has found ways to exercise his faith in his career.

It was during a 2015 charity event in St. Louis, Missouri, for the Church of God in Christ that the actor really dove deep into his Christian laurels, urging the audience to pray and appeal to God with gratitude, as TheBlaze reported at the time.

“There’s never been a time where God didn’t direct protect, and correct me. There may have been times where I was less than faithful to him, but he had faith in me,” Washington told those in attendance. “Give thanks for blessings everyday. Everyday. Embrace gratitude. Encourage others. It is impossible to be grateful and hateful at the same time.”

Watch those comments below:

According to a 2010 Christianity Today article, Washington reads his Bible every morning, chooses roles he can remedy with his faith and has been a member of West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles for more than three decades.

(H/T: Christian Post)

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