NBC’s series ‘Chuck’ is one of my favorite shows to watch every week. Zachary Levi as Chuck Bartowski is the most lovable tech-smart spy-geek (or is it geek-spy?) to hit television since Maxwell Smart of ‘Get Smart,’ though Chuck is far more adorable and swoon-worthy a hero. Season three of this cult favorite has Chuck slightly less bumbling, and back and forth between two gorgeous love interests, the kick-butt real spy Sara Walker and newcomer Hannah (Kristin Kreuk of ‘Smallville’).
The other day when I was discussing the latest post-Olympic episode with another fan friend, she asked me, “Did you know that Chuck is a Christian? A really devout one, I mean?”
Turns out, Relevant Magazine just did a major cover feature, “The Life and Faith of ‘Chuck’ Star Zac Levi” and Q&A with Levi on not only the show’s success but his faith life. For example, here’s Zac Levi on the topic of what advice he has for other aspiring actors going out for tough auditions:
“The first advice that I would give is to really spend time in prayer to make sure that this is exactly what God wants you to be doing and not just something that you really feel like you should be doing. Many times I have come home from a really devastating audition, and I’d be really thoroughly depressed because it was a role that I really was hoping for. I realized how crucial having a walk with God was because I could turn around and say, “It didn’t happen, but obviously it wasn’t God’s will.” People who don’t have God in their lives only have themselves to blame. So they look back at the audition and they say, “I didn’t do a good enough job.” But so often it has nothing to do with how good you did in the audition; it has to do with the fact that you’re a brunette and they were looking for a blonde. So, to me, the most important factor in all of the rejection was that I had a walk with God.”

And on the subject of whether Hollywood is a difficult place to be a Christian:
“Absolutely. The atmosphere in Hollywood in general is very anti-conservative, very anti-Christian. The liberal segment of Hollywood, which is 80 percent of it if not more, they look at Christians as hypocrites that are false and fake. The tough part is that in many cases I can’t argue with them. My job on my set, I believe, is to first just love people and gain that trust with people where they know that I really do love them and care about their well-being, so that when they are running into problems, they will hopefully, at some point, come to me and ask me, “What is your peace all about? What is your comfort all about? Where do you get your love? Where do you get your talents? And I can turn to them and say without blinking, “Jesus Christ.””
Woah. Levi is really Christian. To be honest, I’m only surprised because the name Zachary Levi sounds so Jewish!