For lovers of Christian movie, particularly from Africa, the name Karen Abercrombie might not ring a bell. But unknown to many, she has carved an image of herself in our hearts and sunk deep into our memories unknown to us. If you remember the character, Aunt Miss Clara, the persistent, old but spiritually agile Christian lady whose role was pivotal in projecting the essence of prayer in a Christian home in the movie War Room, that is Karen Abercrombie.
The 56-year-old (then 51), played the role of a significantly older person. In an interview with Billy Hallowell in a pureflix podcast, she talks about growing up as a Christian, falling off the way, challenges as a Christian actor in Hollywood and finding God all over again.
She gave her life to Christ at the age of 7 but walked away as a teenager and lived a “typical teenage life.” Her Aunt Divine who was a devout Christian had led her to Christ, but living with non-Christian parents, an alcoholic father and drug addict mother, she soon fell to peer pressure, which stared her in the face.
What gives her joy is that both parents had “death-bed confessions.”
In her late 20s she started tracing her steps back to Christ. It wasn’t as difficult because, in her words, “All of the time I was out there, I could feel the presence of God. He never lives us or forsake us. All I had to do was open my arms and say yes, I am coming back. The prodigal daughter is coming home.”
Her experience with Aunt Divine has been a great influence on her life so much so that she patterned her character, Miss Clara in WAR ROOM after her.
She told Billy Hallowell about the pressure of Hollywood on Christians. She wasn’t getting the kinds of gigs that would give her the break into mainstream Hollywood. She constantly had to weigh being a Christian with being a Hollywood star. But for a long time, doors were shut at her. She almost gave up due to pressure of Hollywood.
But finally, her break came and it wasn’t what she thought.
“God has a sense of humour. He gives me the opportunity to play a much older woman later in life and my career now is on fire more than it has ever been. But see, these are His plans. He kept closing those doors for me so that I would eventually come into the right door and be at the right place at the right time or His purpose. And I am beyond grateful.”
She had to turn some jobs down and walk away because it didn’t fully represent her faith. “I’m gonna be honest with you I was tempted to take some of these stuffs and use the gifts that I have been given (by God).”
“It’s never too late.”
Listen to the complete interview below.
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