Actor DeVon Franklin recently spoke with ChurchLeaders about his role as Nurse Roy in the upcoming inspirational film “Soul on Fire.”
Franklin has starred in “Jesus Revolution” and is known for producing “Breakthrough,” “Miracles From Heaven,” “Ruth & Boaz,” and “Flamin’ Hot.”
“Soul on Fire” is based on the 2016 bestselling book “On Fire,” which tells the true story of John O’Leary, who miraculously recovered after suffering life-threatening burns all over his body when he was 9.
Despite doctors giving him zero chance of survival, with the support of his family, his faith community, and Hall of Fame baseball announcer Jack Buck, O’Leary endured to make an inspiring recovery.
In the film, Franklin portrays a real-life nurse and helps O’Leary to walk again.
“It’s almost like Nurse Roy is a modern-day angel who comes into this kid’s life to help him do something that others don’t think is possible,” Franklin told ChurchLeaders.
After reading the script and speaking with director Sean McNamara, Franklin said it was easy to say “yes” to the film because he’d be portraying a “real-life hero.”
“Nurses and doctors are unsung heroes so often, and for me to be able to play this role, to be able to highlight them, I thought was truly an opportunity and an honor,” Franklin explained.
Franklin continued, “When you talk about a soul on fire, the thing about the movie that ignites the soul to be on fire is compassion.”
“When John got burned as a 9-year-old kid, 100% of his body, it required those around him to be compassionate, and it was that compassion that ultimately led to the care that he received that was instrumental in his recovery,” Franklin added.
The actor shared that the film’s message is timely. We live in a time where “our soul does need to be set on fire as it relates to being compassionate. Compassionate for each other, compassionate for each other’s different point of view and different walk of life,” Franklin said.
