From www.charismanews.com - by permission
Full profile of Ralph Winter in Jan/Feb "New Man" magazine
February 3, 2004 edition
People & Lifestyle
Top Producer's 'Complete Life as a Christian' in Hollywood
Ralph Winter may churn out Hollywood hits, but the highly regarded film producer says his faith in God always gets top billing.
He has seen his share of box-office successes: "Planet of the Apes" (the 2001 movie); "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," which was nominated for four Academy Awards; "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," which was nominated for two Oscars; and "X2: X-Men United," which opened to $85 million in 2003, the fifth-largest opening of all time.
Besides working with stars such as Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry and Charlize Theron, Winter has had the privilege to travel first-class worldwide and do things most people only dream about --hobnobbing at premieres, even landing on an aircraft carrier.
But as a Christian, Winter holds all of the perks and accolades loosely. He says his reason for being in Hollywood is to entertain audiences. If along the way people get a glimpse of Jesus, even better.
"I see my job as serving people and doing the very best I can," he told "New Man" magazine in the January/February issue. "Along the way, there will be opportunities to share what is important [faith in Christ]."
But Winter does evangelism on his own terms: he doesn't have a Bible on his desk and he's an unlikely candidate to lead a Bible study on a studio back lot. That brand of evangelism just isn't his style.
"Ralph is a very unusual creature in Hollywood," says his longtime friend Jim Collins, who once served as a production assistant under Winter. "He doesn't hide his spirituality in any way, but he's not overt about it either -- it's just a part of him. Whether people agree with his spiritual views or not, they appreciate that he treats them with respect and he cares. He gets hired because people know they can trust him."
Though Winter shudders at the idea of being referred to as a "Christian movie producer," he believes his presence and that of other believers in Hollywood is imperative if positive change is going to ever take place in the media and society.
"Churches need to be commissioning missionaries to Hollywood and recognize it is a valid way to serve," Winter, 51, says. "I reject the notion that I am not living a complete life as a Christian by working in Hollywood."
Having established himself as a top producer, Winter has taken career risks in the form of producing films such as Frank Peretti's "Hangman's Curse," which he notes is not a Christian movie. Rather, it is one that has "characters who have a biblical worldview."
Winter embraces the risks because he wants Christian filmmakers to reach a level of excellence on par with any major studio's offering.
"I want to help bring along another generation that's going to do even greater things in the media," he says. "We're hitting singles, but one of these days were going to hit a home run."
The full profile of Ralph Winter is featured in the January/February 2004 issue of "New Man" magazine.
Full profile of Ralph Winter in Jan/Feb "New Man" magazine
February 3, 2004 edition
People & Lifestyle
Top Producer's 'Complete Life as a Christian' in Hollywood
Ralph Winter may churn out Hollywood hits, but the highly regarded film producer says his faith in God always gets top billing.
He has seen his share of box-office successes: "Planet of the Apes" (the 2001 movie); "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," which was nominated for four Academy Awards; "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," which was nominated for two Oscars; and "X2: X-Men United," which opened to $85 million in 2003, the fifth-largest opening of all time.
Besides working with stars such as Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry and Charlize Theron, Winter has had the privilege to travel first-class worldwide and do things most people only dream about --hobnobbing at premieres, even landing on an aircraft carrier.
But as a Christian, Winter holds all of the perks and accolades loosely. He says his reason for being in Hollywood is to entertain audiences. If along the way people get a glimpse of Jesus, even better.
"I see my job as serving people and doing the very best I can," he told "New Man" magazine in the January/February issue. "Along the way, there will be opportunities to share what is important [faith in Christ]."
But Winter does evangelism on his own terms: he doesn't have a Bible on his desk and he's an unlikely candidate to lead a Bible study on a studio back lot. That brand of evangelism just isn't his style.
"Ralph is a very unusual creature in Hollywood," says his longtime friend Jim Collins, who once served as a production assistant under Winter. "He doesn't hide his spirituality in any way, but he's not overt about it either -- it's just a part of him. Whether people agree with his spiritual views or not, they appreciate that he treats them with respect and he cares. He gets hired because people know they can trust him."
Though Winter shudders at the idea of being referred to as a "Christian movie producer," he believes his presence and that of other believers in Hollywood is imperative if positive change is going to ever take place in the media and society.
"Churches need to be commissioning missionaries to Hollywood and recognize it is a valid way to serve," Winter, 51, says. "I reject the notion that I am not living a complete life as a Christian by working in Hollywood."
Having established himself as a top producer, Winter has taken career risks in the form of producing films such as Frank Peretti's "Hangman's Curse," which he notes is not a Christian movie. Rather, it is one that has "characters who have a biblical worldview."
Winter embraces the risks because he wants Christian filmmakers to reach a level of excellence on par with any major studio's offering.
"I want to help bring along another generation that's going to do even greater things in the media," he says. "We're hitting singles, but one of these days were going to hit a home run."
The full profile of Ralph Winter is featured in the January/February 2004 issue of "New Man" magazine.
