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Stephen Baldwin left Hollywood at the peak of his career to devote himself to his Christian faith, according to the actor.
Baldwin, who became a born-again Christian, said his fascination with Jesus and the Holy Spirit drove the decision.
Speaking during a recent interview, the actor looked back on the breakout success that came after his part in the 1995 Oscar-winning crime thriller ''The Usual Suspects,'' explaining why fame never held much appeal for him.
''I probably could have pointed myself in the direction of becoming a big star,'' he said. ''But that wasn’t me. I didn’t want to be Tom Cruise and have to make $100 million at the box office. I’d rather be a schmuck from Massapequa.''
Before ''The Usual Suspects,'' Baldwin played Barney Rubble in The Flintstones and afterward co-starred with Pauly Shore in Bio-Dome, a stoner comedy now marking its 30th anniversary.
''I love Bio-Dome,'' he said about the cult classic. ''I think it’s right up there with The Usual Suspects," he described feeling thrilled at the time to receive the offer. ''I totally adored Pauly and his sense of comedy. I remember falling out of my seat laughing at the theater at his movies In The Army Now and in Law.''
Baldwin maintains that his career slowed down because of a personal choice, rather than box-office failures.
Married his wife Kennya in 1990, years after he became a born-again Christian after a revelation involving the family's housekeeper.
He told the publications that his wife once relayed a conversation with their housekeeper, who claimed God told her she was sent there for a higher purpose. According to the housekeeper, Baldwin and his wife would eventually become born-again Christians and launch their own ministry.
He admits he was skeptical at first. Baldwin says his skepticism faded after attending evangelical events with his sister and encountering a Christian skateboarding ministry.
"In the first six months we’d distributed 10,000 copies. Then one of the bigger churches called and asked what it would cost to bring the skaters from the video to their church for a live event,'' that's when Baldwin left Hollywood.
"I went to 125 churches over four years," he said. "Jesus and the Holy Spirit fascinated me."
Baldwin admitted that Hollywood hasn't always been super accepting of his religious and political outspokenness.
"I think they thought I act a little too weird," said Baldwin.
Baldwin now says his focus has shifted to creating faith-based films aimed at younger viewers, alongside hosting his podcast ''One Bad Movie,'' where actors reflect on the worst film or filming experience of their careers.
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