“It’s not what you drive–it’s what drives you,” is a line from John Schneider’s film “Adrenaline.” The words are fitting for the award-winning actor with 35 years in show business. What drives the former Dukes of Hazard star is passion, faith, forgiveness, and living with purpose in his personal life. This theme is also a reflection of the film about a drag racer who becomes paraplegic after a car crash—losing all hope. Paul Sharpe played by Schneider, aids Joseph Jenkins by helping him back into the race car by using hand controls, teaching him to race again. In the process, Sharpe hopes to find redemption.
“For my character it’s not about forgiveness, it’s about the need to apologize, which is a very fine distinction. There are things that lay on your soul and in this movie–my character did something during a race that caused great harm to the main character’s father. He can’t apologize to him, he’s not around anymore, but he can apologize to the son.”
Forgiveness is not a popular topic—this is what made the script appealing. In his other roles (Smallville), forgiveness was a common thread, even back to the Duke days.
“Uncle Jessie used to make the Duke boys apologize all the time, and Smallville’s Jonathan Kent was very big on apologizing. It’s a very important distinction, and a very important part of this film,” said Schneider, who purchased 58 acres in Baton Rouge, LA to build John Schneider Studios to help filmmakers on a budget share their vision.
If the story doesn’t have a redemptive quality, the actor said he will pass on the project. Adrenaline is out on DVD/VOD, and it has something for the entire family, especially kids he said. “They just might learn something, and wind up coming out as better people for seeing it. It’s a terrific story, and it is exciting, and it is fast-paced, and it has all the excitement the title indicates.”
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