Masey McLain and the Role God Wanted Her to Play (Part 3)

John Farrell: How can young people today control their emotions when faced with stressful situations?

Masey McLain: That’s hard. I think it goes back to remembering that no matter what happens, we have a firm foundation in Christ and that again no matter what the world throws at us Jesus has already overcome it all and He’s already our hope. It’s just hanging onto that with everything and that being the ground you stand on.

Everyone else might be standing on other fear or anxieties. That’s all sinking sand. But if you stand on Christ and the foundation that He is and cling to that, He won’t shake. Himself in His word does not change. It does not falter, it does not shake, it is completely solid ground. So, I would say any time you’re attacked with those throw those thoughts out and as best as you can submit them to the Lord and then speak truth from scripture over your life and over the promises that God has said over our lives as Christians.

JF: With media today being so negative and depressing, how can people find hope when they’re faced with this negative slant almost everywhere they turn?

Masey: I would say the only source of hope is Jesus. I don’t want to give the Sunday school answer all the time, but it truly is, especially in times like this.

I think even just finding hope. I think this is the time where the church could be the brightest light and the beacon of hope and us looking different when all the world is swallowed in fear and anxiety and scared to death. I know people that are like that and they’re not Christians. They have really no hope. They’re terrified because this life is all that they know and all that they think they have. But in Christ we have that peace that no matter what comes in this life, He’s got us. He’s already promised that there’s a place for us and that no matter what happens in this world, this isn’t even home. This is on our way home.

I would say take this time to fixate your eyes on Jesus because He really is the only source of hope. There isn’t any other.

The Baxters

JF: Going back to your acting, you have a show called “The Baxters.” Tell me a little bit about that show and your character on that show.

Masey: “The Baxters” has honestly been like a dream project to work on. It’s based on Karen Kingsbury’s novel series about a family called the Baxters, and I play my favorite character. I read these books in high school and loved them. They were my favorite series.

When I moved out to California, I found out they were making a TV show, so I called my manager and was like, “I have to audition. Like you don’t understand. I love this series so much.” He was like, “Okay.” So, he got me an audition and I ended up booking my favorite character in the series, which was so cool.

It’s been a blast to work on that show. It’s the best cast. We all get along like we’re family. Roma Downey is the one that’s doing it. She played an angel on “Touched by an Angel,” and I think that she might be an angel in real life. Something extra is there, but she is just a dream to work with. It’s been one of my favorite experiences ever.

JF: What is the show about?

Masey: If you’ve ever seen “This Is Us” or “Parenthood,” it’s that tone of a show, but it has the faith element throughout it. It’s about this family and they all have crazy different things happening in their lives, but really their faith and family is what holds them together. I

t’s really interesting and so real because you see characters completely walk away from their faith and then navigate life without it. And some characters that are just kind of like “ehh” about it, and you see through their eyes. Then you see the parents who are the rocks of the whole family, and they’re just so grounded. You watch these different lives play out and what it looks like with their faith and what it looks like without it. It’s really real. That’s my favorite thing about it. It’s just very relatable.

To the Dreamers

JF: Tell me about your music album, “To the Dreamers.”

Masey: I’ve written music since I was in high school. I would lock myself in my room and write songs and then make my mom listen to them. That’s how I started writing music. I just loved it.

Acting has always been a thing I love so much, but there’s so much in acting you can’t control. You’re auditioning all the time and then someone tells you if you got the part or not. There’s just a lot you can’t control, but with music it was always mine. It was something I could write and sing, and I could express myself without auditioning for anyone or playing a role. It was like these are my words from my journal, with a guitar.

I’ve written for a long time. Then I was like, “I’m ready to do something with music. I don’t know where that’s going to lead, but I don’t want to look back and not have done anything.” So, I sent my music to some producers in Nashville and asked them if they wanted to do it with me. They said “yes,” and we made the EP.

The really cool thing that happened after that was I did “The Baxters” and “The Baxters” ended up buying two of my songs off the EP—one’s off the EP and the other is a new one that no one’s heard—to put in the show, and my character actually sings them in the show. That my acting and music is going together more and more is really exciting.

JF: How would you describe sound?

Masey: I would say it definitely has a country feel. I don’t know who vocally to compare it to. I would say definitely country with a little bit of pop in there.

My songwriter inspiration is surprise, surprise, Taylor Swift. I just think she’s a brilliant songwriter. I listen to a lot of people like her—her style of writing. But sound-wise, I’m not sure. No one’s been like, “You sound like this person.” But I definitely love the country world a lot.

JF: How does your own faith play a role in your career?

Masey: I’d say it plays the biggest role, for sure. I get scripts all the time, and I have the best manager in the world where he’s amazing at what he does. If I tell him like I’m not comfortable with something, he’ll literally call me and tell me he’s proud of me. He’s like, “I’m proud of you. No one else has turned that down.” I’m like, “Thank you.”

It’s really hard at times, but I’ve gotten to the point now where if I look at something and I’m like there’s no way I can do this and honor God with this, I just don’t really have a desire or a taste to do it at all. I think in the beginning it was harder because I would be like, “Oh my gosh, this is my dream role. I want to do this if only it didn’t have this scene and this scene.”

It would be a harder blow when I would turn things down, but now I’ve really seen that God has orchestrated my entire career in a way that I could never imagine. If there is anything He has for me to do, I will do and I don’t want to be a part of anything that He doesn’t have for me. I’m sure there’s going to be times where it hurts to turn a role down—and it has in the past—but I’ve seen God totally orchestrate everything that it’s just been a neat ride.

JF: Where can people find your book, your music, and also watch your movies and shows?

Masey: The book, It’s Worth It, can be found online at Barnes and Nobles, but Amazon is probably the best place to find it. The music is on all music platforms: Spotify, Apple, all the good stuff. You can find I’m Not Ashamed anywhere. Amazon again is probably your best bet. If you want to follow me on social media, MaseyMcLain is my social media handle. Instagram is the main one I use.

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