From Nearly Quitting, To A Role She Couldn’t Believe, Madeline Carroll, Shows Her Grace & Maturity In ‘I Can Only Imagine’

It’s not often that I meet a very young adult with such a grounded head on her shoulders. I’m not sure I had such clarity about things in my life when I was 22 years old. (Pst..this young lady was born the year I graduated high school!) But, I got to sit with the very intelligent and kind, Madeline Carroll.

My most memorable role from Madeline Carroll, is Jane in ‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins’ starring Jim Carrey. But Miss Carroll is most recently known for starring in the faith based film, ‘I Can Only Imagine,’ opening tomorrow in theaters. She plays Shannon, the girlfriend of the lead actor, and as we all know, eventually becomes his wife.

The film brings to life the true story behind the song of ultimate hope, “I Can Only Imagine.” A transformed relationship with his troubled father inspired Bart Millard, the lead singer of the Christian band MercyMe, to write what is now the most-played radio single in Christian music history.  The story beautifully illustrates that nobody is ever too far from God’s love —  or too far from an eternal home in Heaven.

Madeline says, “I really did enter this role differently because to be honest with you, when I got this part, I was about to leave acting. I was going to quit. I had been acting since I was three…it was all I knew, it was all I’d ever done, but, for me I personally don’t like to make films that are inappropriate or that have no redemption at the end. When I hit about 15 or 16  years old, the material just changed. It was a radical change, it was a quick change. and the the things that I was seeing were just nothing I could be proud of or want to venture in to. So, I’m passing on this…passing on this.”

But a role in a film with a message she could stand behind was coming her way.

“I was ready to walk away, went into my bathroom, had this whole meltdown and was like “Lord, I don’t understand, this is all I know, this is all I’ve been doing, this is my dream, I said “If this isn’t what you want of me anymore, then just let me know, I’m ready to walk away. Literally the next day I got a text message from a director asking me to be in his next faith based film and I cried so hard. and I told that director that he was being used to answer my prayers.” she says.

“There’s always someone more qualified. There’s always someone who’s the better actress, the prettier actress, but I know that I was just meant to be here and I’m so thankful for it. God completely revived my career”

When finished filming Scandal with Kerry Washington, Madeline recollected some of the best advice in the business she has ever received. She said Kerry called her and said, “God is your director, God is your casting director and God is who’s going to give you the right roles. And I never forgot it “

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I Can Only Imagine opens everywhere in theaters tomorrow, on 3:16.

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‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever shall believeth in Him, shall not parish, but will have everlasting life.” John 3:16