On and Off Screen, John Michael Finley Explores Fame, Fatherhood, and Faith

Having a second opportunity to portray MercyMe frontman Bart Millard was not something actor John Michael Finley had thought about in the years since the inspirational movie “I Can Only Imagine” became a surprise hit in 2018.

“I certainly never saw it coming,” he said in a recent interview about the new movie, “I Can Only Imagine 2.”

“The first process was so beautiful and wonderful. We feel like we tied it up perfectly with a nice little bow, and it felt like the story was complete,” Finley told The Epoch Times.

That powerful made-in-Oklahoma drama chronicled the life of MercyMe’s lead singer Millard and the obstacles he overcame to find his way to healing and grace. These struggles and redemption became the basis for the song “I Can Only Imagine,” which sold millions of copies worldwide and achieved major crossover appeal, appearing on Christian, pop, and adult contemporary Billboard charts.

Early access worship screenings of the first film’s sequel, “I Can Only Imagine 2,” are scheduled for Feb. 14, ahead of the nationwide release on Feb. 20.

Although Finley wasn’t expecting another turn as Millard, it doesn’t mean he didn’t want to do it.

“I got a text from Bart, and he said, ‘Hey, can you keep a secret? And I was like, ‘Of course not, no.’ And he’s like, ‘No, really, I have something to tell you.’ I was like, ‘Okay.’ And he was the first one to let me know, ‘Hey, we’re going to go to Lionsgate and pitch a sequel. We’re going to try to get the band back together.’ No pun intended.”

In an instant, Finley realized that as much as his own life had expanded in the years since the original tale, so had Millard’s.

“I was just elated,” he recounted. “And this was before I knew what the story was, before I’d seen a script. It was just like, ‘Hey, are you interested in doing this again?’ And I said, ‘You tell me where, you tell me when, I’ll be there.’”

The Off-Screen John Michael Finley

The Broadway actor who made his film debut in “I Can Only Imagine” and has since added films like “Faith of Angels” to his resume, in the intervening years kept in touch in with Millard and the band.

“Since the first film, I’ve become a husband and I’ve become a father,” said Finley. He and Elizabeth Doran were married in 2017 and together they have a 5-year-old son.

“And so, even more reasons to kind of have all these older brothers that have kids older than my kid and have been married longer than I have that I bounce some ideas off of,” he added.

The new movie catches up with MercyMe’s Millard after the breakout success of the song “I Can Only Imagine.” Millard is living the dream—sold-out arenas, a devoted fan base, and a thriving career. Behind the spotlight, however, Millard’s past threatens the family he’s built, especially the fragile bond with his son, Sam, played by actor Sammy Dell.

“It scares me and it makes me nervous for the third, fourth, and fifth film,” said Finley about the potential challenges that await him in fatherhood, marriage, and life. “We keep making movies off of all this trauma in [Bart’s] life, but he’s been so courageous and brave and humble to share those stories with us, knowing that, man, if it can help one other person, if one other person can say, ‘I feel what he’s feeling, and I thought I was alone.’ That’s huge trust.”

Finley, 37, was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and raised in Lebanon, Missouri—and was not the typical stage kid.

“I did not grow up in a place where we played instruments or studied singing,” he said. “I went to church, and I’m a preacher’s kid, so there was music in church. I sang for pure enjoyment: In the shower, mowing the lawn, riding my bike. It was church and sports, and sports and church.”

After resisting the school choir for as long as he could, Finley surprised himself and “fell in love with it” even though he was “not a confident or even talented singer” when he started.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I’m not good at this. But I want to be good at it.’ And you start learning the technique and the culture and the vernacular. I enjoyed the challenge. Sports in some ways came naturally to me. And there wasn’t a struggle there. But arts and theater, and acting and dancing was really challenging. But the mindset of an athlete was, ‘I got to figure this out. I can figure this out.’”

As for his own son, he already sees something musical in him.

“He has a rhythm,” said Finley. “My wife is a music director and a conductor, but she is also an accomplished singer. We were at a friend’s house the other day, and of course this friend had a drum set. And I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, please no, please don’t.’ And my son jumped on that drum set and was banging around, and actually, yeah, it wasn’t too bad. So I think we might have a drummer or a percussionist.”

Now that he’s got the career and the wife and the family, like MercyMe’s Millard, Finley can connect to the struggles of the balance of it all. He tries to remember the powerful message of  “I Can Only Imagine” in his daily life.

“Stop pushing for things and enjoy the moment,” he reflected. “All of us can do a better job of living in the moment, especially now that I have a young son. It’s not all about me anymore and my selfish career and my selfish wants and needs. It’s ‘How can I help other people? How can I be a servant to other people?’”

Of course that doesn’t mean he, like Millard, gets it right every time. In fact, Finley insists it’s not about that. “But, my desire is to work on building my family and building a home and building a community.”

Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled the band name MercyMe. The Epoch Times regrets the error.