David Henrie, known for his role in "Wizards of Waverly Place," spoke on the "Bryce Crawford Podcast" about how committing to his faith affected him in Hollywood. He lost agents and friends and turned down roles that conflicted with his beliefs, resulting in significant financial losses. Despite these challenges, Henrie found new supportive friendships that led to meeting his wife. Recently speaking to Fox News Digital, he noted a shift towards more acceptance of people of faith in the industry and emphasized his desire to create value-driven content through Novo Inspire Studios.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
David Henrie, best known for his role in "Wizards of Waverly Place," revealed during a September podcast interview that he lost friends and jobs after committing to his faith.
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he → know → faith
During an appearance on the "Bryce Crawford Podcast," Henrie was asked what his faith cost him in Hollywood.
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faith → ask → Hollywood
"It was rough, lost my agents," he said.
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he → lose → agents
"I walked away from a lot.
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I → walk → lot
I turned down a lot of roles.
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I → turn → roles
I was like I'm just not going to do something that I think will disrespect my belief now or disrespect our Lord.
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I → go → Lord
I'm just not going to do it.
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I → go → it
I'm not going to go near it.
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I → go → it
And it cost me a lot.
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it → cost → lot
It cost a lot.
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It → cost → lot
I lost a lot of money.
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I → lose → money
I kind of was stripped of everyone, everyone that I would call a friend."
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I → strip → that
However, Henrie added that he made new friends that challenged him, which eventually led to him meeting his wife.
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him → add → wife
"I found new friends," he said.
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I → find → friends
"I found guys I respected, guys I loved, that were building me up in Christ.
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that → find → Christ
You know, I think that friendship is like an elevator.
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friendship → know → elevator
It brings you up or it brings you down.
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it → bring → you
So, I made new friends and I made friends that elevated me and that challenged me, gave me great books to read and helped form me in my faith and led to meeting my wife, my best friend now."
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that → make → wife
Henrie said it had been a "great journey" and that some of the people he lost had come back into the picture.
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he → say → picture
"Some of those people who left have now come back into the picture," he said.
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he → leave → picture
"They've gotten older.
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They → get → ?
They've changed the way that they think.
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they → change → way
And I get texts from people like, 'Hey, just want you to know I went to church this Sunday.'
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I → get → church
I didn't, would have never thought this person would, that would happen.
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that → think → ?
Henrie told Fox News Digital in January that the industry was now much more accepting of faith.
"Now people are much more accepting about people of faith," Henrie, who is a devout Catholic, told Fox News Digital, describing what he sees as a noticeable change from a decade ago.
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he → tell → change
He said he regularly hears executives asking for "content for people of faith" because they’re "underrepresented" on screen.
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they → say → screen
Henrie’s push for value-driven storytelling has become more personal since becoming a father, he said, shaping the kinds of projects he wants to champion and the kind of content he wants available for families like his.
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he → drive → his
"I really wanted to find a way to use everything God’s given me to tell stories on a bigger scale," he said, explaining why he launched Novo Inspire Studios, a production company he describes as focused on "entertaining and elevating content."
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he → want → content
Entrepreneur David Friedman, the head of Friedman Ventures, who has a Master's degree in philosophical theology, told Fox News Digital, "Mr. Henrie's comments reveal the natural implications of walking out your Christian faith in a cultural context that has opposing values and worldviews.
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that → have → values
What's not discussed is that the losses were due to fundamentally different understandings about what human flourishing really means."
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flourishing → discuss → what
"However, there are many actors that also lose opportunities in staying true to their own versions of what is important," he continued.
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he → be → versions
"The reality is that anyone that has a strong core faith or values will experience some form of rejection or cost, especially if the reigning paradigm is in direct opposition about the fundamental elements of reality, around morality and even the spiritual dimension to reality."
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paradigm → have → reality
Friedman pointed to Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympian who chose not to run in a race in the 1924 Summer Olympics because the event was held on Sunday and conflicted with Sabbath.
"
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event → point → Sabbath
The lesson applies to David and anyone in these situations, as the characters reveal that paradox of these tensions in that if Eric had run on Sunday, he would have cut himself off from the very power source that enabled him to win.
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that → apply → him
There is really not another choice in these situations," Friedman continued.
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Friedman → be → situations
Entertainment journalist DeWayne Hamby said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Hollywood decision makers were likely a little scared of someone marching to the beat of a different drum.
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makers → say → drum
"I think it scares people a little bit, people who are making the decisions, that you have someone who you really can't predict," he said, responding to Henrie's comments about job loss.
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he → think → loss
"They're marching to the beat of a different drummer, so they can't really predict them as much."
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they → march → them
Actor Chris Pratt said during an interview in March that success in the industry can quickly turn destructive without a strong inner foundation.
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success → say → foundation
"You are a man of great faith, and your Instagram bio says, ‘God first, grateful to be here.’
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bio → say → faith
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
