Harrison Stone

Harrison Stone is an actor and director, known for "The Liberator" (2020), "Red Right Hand" (2024) and "Manhunt" (2024). In this interview, Harrison shares about his small-town upbringing, how he handles his struggle with self-image and how he always makes time for what’s most important in life.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

I was born and raised in the small east Texas town of Daingerfield. Its population is in the ballpark of 1,500, so yeah–very small. There wasn’t much there besides the amazing, multiple-state-championship-winning Daingerfield Tigers football team and a Dairy Queen. In Daingerfield there is a tiny little restaurant called Outlaws. As soon as you walk in on the bare wooden floors, you notice on the walls classic western movie posters, from Clint Eastwood to John Wayne films.

Many days when I was little, my grandparents would take me after school or on the weekends to Outlaws to get one of their famous smoked hamburgers. I will say, those burgers are absolutely incredible, but to me Outlaws also represents the imagination and wonder of movies and movie posters — which I am proud to say I have several in my house now. But even more than the inspiration of movies it gave me, Outlaws to me mainly represents those special times I cherish with my grandparents. My grandmother has since passed away, and so now when I visit my grandfather in Daingerfield, eating at Outlaws brings back all these incredibly special memories of us being together in that tiny little place in Daingerfield, Texas.

blue tennis court — Ben Hershey; Unsplash

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So, what are yours? What so-called "nonspiritual" activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?

Before I ever became an actor or ever had any interest in acting, I was a competitive tennis player. When we moved from Texas to Alabama when I was about 10 years old, my grandmother suggested I start playing tennis to get to know some of the other kids in the neighborhood and to find something I may enjoy and like. Right from the beginning I was hooked. I would spend hours each and every day playing tennis up at the courts, whether with other kids from my group or just by myself, hitting on the wall or practicing serves, doing sprints solo, etc. I remember just about every day my mom would pick me up and I would have cuts on my knees from falling on the court. We would have to pour peroxide in the cuts to get the green clay out.

With tennis I found something I absolutely loved and had a passion to strive to be the best I could be in. And even today, I am a tennis coach when I am not on set filming. Now I love to help primarily juniors achieve their best potential both on and off the court, so I have to thank my grandmother for suggesting I start.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human, too. We're just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?

For most of my life I have absolutely struggled with my self-image and belief in myself. It’s been a struggle that has plagued me since I can remember. I have such a tendency to beat myself up and pick myself apart with negativity and self-doubt. And this self-doubt and terrible self-image would show itself in all areas of my life, whether it be on the tennis court, in my interactions with friends and at school, or in the way I looked. Now I find I really struggle with it in my career as an actor. My dad has told me for a long time, “Take your thoughts captive,” and I have really found that this is something I have to do daily or my tendencies of beating myself up will take over. I have really tried to fight this with prayer, with time with God asking him to help me overcome these thoughts, as well as with exercise and positive notes I leave for myself. But this negative self-image is something I hide pretty well. I usually don’t let any of it show, as I am good at putting on a smile and acting totally fine, as many of us are. But I’ve found that in dealing with this struggle, I am now able to help a lot of people who also deal with this struggle.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?

I am very happy to say that I have been very blessed lately in my career as an actor. God has opened doors and allowed me to work on some amazing projects, many of which will be coming out this year. In particular, I had the opportunity to work on an amazing Apple TV series called “Manhunt,” which will be released in March, as well as a few other movies that will be coming this year that I can't talk about just yet.

I am also really excited to say that I am in post-production on my first short film, which is an incredibly personal project about my grandmother. I was really able to write about how much she meant to me and the incredible impact she made in my life. I was able to use old home video footage as well to try and capture who she was. I really believe it will be a special tribute to her.

As far as things that are inspiring me right now, the work of Terrence Malick has really moved me. His work, I find, is deeply Christian and truthful, and ever since I watched my first Malick movie — “Days of Heaven” — I’ve been such a fan. As an actor, I am always watching films and taking inspiration from the amazing works other actors and directors have done.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors, or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it's God when it happens?

Several years ago, in 2016, I had the opportunity to audition and eventually book a test shoot for a WWII project in Atlanta. After a couple of auditions and a callback, I eventually found out I booked the role of Lt. Childers in this project and was going to get to shoot for a few days in Atlanta. While filming I had the best time working with our director, Greg, who was from Poland, as well as our producers, Chad and Taylor. It was just such a blast. I couldn't believe I was getting paid to have this much fun.

After we wrapped, I went about my life and forgot about the project. Years later, at the end of 2018, I received an email from my agent about how the project I had filmed years earlier was officially greenlit by Netflix and going to begin production in Poland later the next year. And a few weeks later, I received an audition for the same role I had played the years earlier. The lines were even the exact same from the initial audition and filming I had done. At this time in my life, I was really struggling with self-doubt and belief. I was actually even considering giving up acting, feeling I was not good enough to make it. So, through this struggle, I taped my audition for Lt. Childers again and sent it in. For several months, I heard nothing. Eventually in a deep moment of self-doubt, I gave up on the project, assuming they picked someone else.

In a phone conversation with my dad, he asked me if I had heard anything about the project, and I told him they must have moved on. He asked me to reach out to my agent and ask. I told him no — that it was over. I had no shot. Soon after the phone conversation, I got home and opened my laptop to find an email notification from my agent before I even typed in my password. The email was titled “Callback.” I had received a callback for the show, which I eventually booked and filmed for several weeks in Poland. I found out after my phone conversation with my dad that he had gotten on his knees in his office and prayed I would book the role. The series is called “The Liberator,” and it's on Netflix. It was one of the most amazing moments in my life where God took control. I can do nothing but give him glory for it.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So spill it, which spiritual practice is workin' best for you right now?

I remember when I was younger I told my dad that I hadn’t had time that day to spend time with God and read my Bible. He responded by saying, “You always have time for what is most important in your life.” I’ve never forgotten that. That being said, I have really found that being on a consistent schedule of when I spend time with God makes a huge difference in my life. If I ever find myself just saying, “I’ll do it later,” then many times I’ve found that I messed up and didn’t make time to spend with God that day. So for me, I have a specific time of the day that I read my Bible and spend time with God in prayer. I’ve always always loved the verse, “Pray without ceasing.” I have really found that while I do have a specific time when I focus totally on reading my Bible and praying, I can have these amazing moments talking to God when I’m driving to work or working on this and that. I remember being on the tennis court when I was younger and talking to God about my match going on. I think some of the best moments to talk to God are just as you go about your day.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are some resources that have impacted you?

One major resource I have found is the collection of C.S. Lewis’ books. I remember being in Mrs. Andrea Thoenes’ creative writing classes back in high school and reading “The Great Divorce.” Ever since I read that book, I was hooked by its creativity and ability to tell these amazing Chrisitian truths but also be this incredible imaginative work of fiction. Then I proceeded to go out and buy his collected works and read them all.

I remember reading “Mere Christianity” specifically and seeing how someone, who at one point in his life completely rejected the idea of God, eventually comes to recognize his existence and give his life over to Jesus. I actually recently recommended the book to a non-believer friend of mine who has since read it and found it incredibly thought-provoking.

I also remember reading “A Grief Observed” around the time my grandmother passed away and relating to Lewis’ grief about the loss of his wife. I just really believe C.S. Lewis’ work is a work of absolute genius and should be read by Christians and non-Christians alike.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it's done for you.

I find that when I am especially struggling, I keep a couple of little daily devotionals in my backpack and carry them around wherever I go. I have found that reading them can really help me get through times I am struggling with whatever life is throwing at me. Just taking a few minutes and reading these devotionals and the scripture passages makes a huge difference in my day. One in particular is written as if God wrote it to you, and I find it can absolutely help me re-adjust my focus on him. By focusing more on him, suddenly a tough day doesn’t seem so tough.

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

Truthfully, I have really been focused on being an actor and acting for several years now, but I have recently found myself being pulled to also directing and writing. Acting is and will always be my passion, but I have found that being a writer and director is something I am starting to want to pursue as well. To me, especially with my struggle with self-doubt, being a writer and director, just like originally being an actor, seemed so crazy to me. It doesn’t seem possible, and yet it’s something I am really pursuing. I’m trusting God to allow me the ability to do it, to bring people in my life that will help, and to open doors and help me achieve this.

Harrison’s struggle with self-image has led him to realize that he can be a source of hope and inspiration to others who are dealing with the same challenges. Are there areas in your life where you wrestle your thoughts, working to take captive those that don’t reflect the truth of what God says about you? What wisdom have you gained from that struggle, and who might benefit from hearing about your process? Ask God for opportunities to share your experience with someone you can encourage.

Harrison also reminds us that we always have time for what’s most important in our lives. He believes the key to consistency with spending time with God is to do it at the same time every day. Is there a consistent time you could set apart, the same time every day, to spend time with God in prayer?