Actor Eddie McClintock has had a successful career in Hollywood, appearing in shows like “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,” “Bones,” and “Shooter,” among many others.
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McClintock, who directs and stars in the new film, “Miracle at Manchester,” a real-life story now streaming on Pure Flix about a teen who faces a harrowing cancer battle, shared the ups and downs of his own journey into Tinseltown.
McClintock, 55, initially went to California to sell corporate insurance but, after realizing he wasn’t very good at that trade, found himself kicking around Hollywood. And after joining a project as a production assistant, he started learning about the entertainment industry and was intrigued.
“Someone said to me one day, ‘You should really try being an actor,'” he said.
McClintock listened to that advice and soon started pouring himself into classes and studying the craft. Before long, his TV career took off.
Getting Sober
It was a new trajectory that came after he decided to get clean and sober. Fearing death or some other horrific result, McClintock left behind a life of partying and refocused his energies.
Watch McClintock tell his story:
“As a kid, it started off … you go out and party with your friends and I took it too far,” he said. “I knew I had taken it too far. My family knew that I had taken it too far. I had gotten tired of apologizing to everyone for a lot of different things.”
With the support of his sister and parents, McClintock said he was able to get sober.
“They say you hit your rock bottom, and I got to the point where I was like, ‘I feel inside my body that there’s more to my life than what I’m giving it at this point,'” he said, noting that acting became a viable opportunity for him to push forward into a positive space.
After things took off, McClintock enjoyed a robust career, though he said the situation in Hollywood eventually changed, making it tougher to secure more prominent roles.
A New Career Turn
As some of those opportunities dried up, the actor said he faced an “existential crisis” and worried about providing for his family.
“I was like, “What else can I do to provide for my family in a manner that I have up to this point been able to do?'” McClintock said.
That pondering led him to do something quite stunning a few years ago: he applied to the Los Angeles Police Department and embarked on a quest to become a police officer.
It was an opportunity, he felt, to “help the community.”
“I talked to my wife and I said, ‘What can I do that, at the end of the day, I can be proud of myself and I can look myself in the mirror and I can be of service?'” McClintock said. “You know, that’s one of the tenants of sobriety, is being of service.”
The actor said he wanted to make his sons proud while also feeling personal fulfillment. These factors led him to take law enforcement seriously. Despite being on the older side of the candidate pool, he said he passed the physical fitness qualifiers and nearly made it through the entire process.
In the end, the effort didn’t work out, but the actor positively reflects on the devotion he sought to show his community. As it turns out, there was yet another career shift on the horizon, as McClintock found himself diving into faith and family-friendly filmmaking.
Faith and Family Films
“Miracle at Manchester” is his latest project — and one of which he’s deeply proud, especially considering its uplifting and powerful themes.
“I don’t want to throw shade on Hollywood; they do what they do and they do it well,” McClintock said. “The difference for me was … [the films] we’re making are about hope, and faith, and happiness, and struggle, and the ability to come out the other side.”
The actor said he’s hoping “Miracle at Manchester” and other similar faith and family-friendly projects help inspire and encourage people to recognize that “life is still worth living,” and, despite what culture often portrays, that “there are good people” out there.
“People are stressed out,” he said. “They’re stressed out about money, they’re stressed out about the state of our union, they’re stressed out about the state of our world. And, so, if we can provide them a couple hours to escape and then at the end go, ‘OK, all right, there’s still good things to believe in,’ I think that’s basically the point.”
Watch McClintock discuss family-friendly films, his path to sobriety, and more here.
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