Roma Downey speaks ‘Resurrection’, dealing with pain: ‘It was my faith that kept me from falling to my knees’

EXCLUSIVE: Roma Downey has many reasons to thank this year.

The actress and producer is finally releasing “Resurrection”, an epic biblical film that follows the immediate consequences of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The 60-year-old woman and her husband, film executive Mark Burnett, originally hoped to release the feature film at Christmas last year. But as the cinemas remained closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, the couple decided to partner with the new streaming discovery + platform in time for Easter.

Downey, best known for starring in the hit 90s series “Touched by an Angel”, has devoted her career to launching religious and family programs through her production company LightWorkers. The miniseries “The Bible”, which launched in 2013, won three Primetime Emmy nominations and drew more than 100 million viewers in its 10-week screening on the History Channel, Deadline.com reported.

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Downey spoke to Fox News about why we need a film like “Resurrection” now, how she relied on faith during the painful moments of her life, as well as the message she hopes to convey this Easter.

Fox News: What inspired you to release a film like “Resurrection” now?
Roma Downey: You know, it was really born out of our feelings about the COVID pandemic and the need for a story of hope. We wanted to have this offer available to families during the Easter season.

And we decided to go with discovery + because there is a lot of content for the family. I am excited that he is available in the safety and comfort of people’s homes. Families can now see the biggest story of hope on the screen.

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Fox News: Why do you think people are looking for biblical Hollywood stories now more than ever?
Downey: It’s the best story. If you are a screenwriter, the Bible has it all. There is tension, betrayal, love, sacrifice, heroism, drama, danger – you choose. It has all the ingredients that make up a great story.

But it goes deeper than that. People are hungry for God. I think they are hungry for hope. We have been so visual and there are so many streaming services now. There is a lot of content available. But I think people really want to see these stories on the screen. And the Bible is beautiful.

I think seeing the Bible on the screen allows people to make a real emotional connection. And this story focuses on the disciples. We look back and see how heroic and courageous they were. I’m sure they were scared to death and still persevered. And I think the public can relate to that. We see ourselves in them and it makes us feel even more connected to the story.

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Fox News: “Resurrection” is the definitive story of hope. Could you describe a time in your own life when things became difficult and it seemed impossible? How did your faith encourage you to continue?
Downey: I am no stranger to grief. I lost my mother when I was just 10 years old. She died unexpectedly of a heart attack. I lost my dad when I was in college. In recent years, I lost my beloved Della Reese, who starred with me in “Touched by an Angel”. She was like a mother to me. It’s my brother. I mention this because I am someone who has lost many people [I] love, but I don’t think I would be able to bear any of those losses without the hope of the resurrection, without the promise of the resurrection.

It was my faith that inspired me. It was my faith that kept me from falling to my knees. It was my faith that helped me to stand up again. I was able to make the choice to live my best life, to try to honor the memory of my mother and father. But there is not a day that goes by that I do not miss them. I really wanted them to be around.

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Fox News: When did you realize that you wanted to share these Bible stories on the big screen, either as an actress or behind the scenes?
Downey: I had the opportunity in the early 90’s to be cast and play an angel in “Touched by an Angel”. And, as a believer, it was like a divine post. I have to be the messenger every week and deliver a message of God’s love. And at the height of the show’s success, more than 25 million people tuned in every week. And I believe that they were attuned to that message. And the message was really simple.

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In each episode, the message was that there is a God, that he loves us and wants to be part of our lives. That same message is really embedded in all the work I do, whether in front or behind the camera. I want to use this platform to share God’s love. It was a great privilege and a great joy.

Fox News: What is it like to work with your husband?
Downey: It was a blessing. I have friends who laugh constantly and say, “I can’t even hang wallpapers with my husband.” Mark and I have worked together for almost a decade. We started our production company, LightWorkers Media, and just watched it grow and expand. Every day, even on social media, we are committed to spreading positive content. We publish scriptures, we publish uplifting stories – just trying to add light to the world.

This is our commitment. And then, of course, we have bigger projects, like these films. We have another biblical film coming to an end. So we have a lot of things that we are working on together. In fact, we’re going to start shooting at the end of the summer … This is exactly what we love to do and it gives us a lot of joy. We are so passionate about it.

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Fox News: What story in the Bible would you like to tell at some point and why?
Downey: Our next film we’re working on will take us deeper into the Book of Acts. It is very exciting. Even with “Resurrection”, we tell the story of where there were only a handful of believers until the 21st century, reminding people that there are now more than 2.2 billion Christians in the world.

I find this very comforting, especially in a year in which, because of the COVID pandemic, we were all isolated. We are all disconnected from each other in some ways.

We are all ready to leave. We are ready to see a resurrection in our own lives. And it is comforting to be reminded that we are part of a larger family of 2.2 billion sons and daughters of a loving God. I think this is a great reminder, especially during times when I hardly see anyone. I think this is a story that we all needed.