Only by taking God out of the religious box can you truly reach your full potential, Sealy told Faith & Fitness Magazine in an interview. “It is this thinking that has enabled me to extend my business interests into arenas outside of the Christian marketplace and still be effective.”
Already widely-known in the United Kingdom (UK) Christian community through his Ministry In Art (MIA) publishing business, Sealy recently became the surprise star of an upcoming Hollywood action thriller called Presidential Dilemma. He got the part after a chance meeting in April 2011 with producer/director Lovelace Lee III while traveling in Los Angeles. Lee was reportedly not only struck by Sealy’s handsome rugged looks, but also by how physically and mentally prepared he was for the lead role of Dobbie, a US colonel who has to protect the American president during a state visit that turns violent.
“Prior to this role I have always kept myself reasonably fit by visiting the gym two to three times a week,” said Sealy, who has studied acting at the Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio in Los Angeles, California, and has already appeared in a couple of minor films. I would usually start off with a two mile run on the treadmill before working out mainly with free-weights. I got into martial arts as a teenager, starting with Judo, Ju Jitsu and then kick-boxing. I stopped practicing for several years due to overwhelming business demands.
“However, along with my decision to pursue a career in acting, I felt a fighting skill would be a key tool to have and was thus drawn to Krav Maga“.
Since agreeing to play Dobbie, this fitness regime has stepped up a few gears to ensure he not only looks the part, but can also keep up with the physical demands of shooting an action film. “After reading the script several times, I took it upon myself to undertake a more demanding training regime in order to give justice to the role of Dobbie,” he said.
Sealy is currently training twice a day. In the morning he undertakes a five mile run, which is followed by intensive free weight exercises that focus on two-three muscle groups a day, such as chest and triceps one day; back, shoulder and bicep another, then leg and abs – with abs exercises done everyday. In the evening he completes a 20-minute run followed by a cardio work that is mainly spin, or swimming. “At home, I would also workout with resistant bands which I found very effective,” he added. “I managed to extend my running distance from two to five miles and was in the gym almost everyday. I also combined my training with a high protein diet consisting mainly of chicken.”
The upcoming movie star is also learning the fundamentals of secret service and military maneuvers from actor and combat expert Adam Simon, who has trained the likes of Kristanna Loken of Terminator 3 fame. This combat training covers hand to hand, knife and gun fights.
But underpinning this training regime is Sealy’s faith, which he draws upon for the strength to seek and achieve all his goals.
“The faith that underpins all I do is that the vision I have for my life is from God and is not just selfish ambition,” he explains. “The reason that is so crucial is that early in my Christian walk I was made to feel that ‘a business’ had nothing to with ‘a ministry’ from the leadership of my previous church. Although I ministered and taught within the four walls of the church my inclination was towards business as that was where I was being led. At that time I had never heard of the concept of ‘marketplace ministry’ and it took faith to overcome the limitations that were being imposed on me and follow this path. That same faith and a wider understanding of the Kingdom of God has led me towards a wider audience outside of the ‘comfort zone’ of the Christian marketplace.”
His MIA business consists of multi-faceted media services that fuse art and personal development to aid in the success of others. It is perhaps best known in the UK as the publisher of the gospel event guideSpread The Word, which has been in monthly circulation for the past 14 years. Spread The Word also provides a free advertising design service that enables small churches to stand head and shoulders with larger churches that can afford high-end graphic design. In addition to this, Sealy also runs a book publishing business called MIA Publishing MIA Publishing.
Rather than letting his new movie stardom negatively impact any of these businesses, Sealy insists they can co-exist to achieve even greater goals. “For a long time I have envisioned that acting and film making will play a major role in our ultimate desire to make a global Kingdom impact using the power of art and media combined,” he said.
Because Sealy’s faith is not confined to religion, it always comes into play, especially when it comes to releasing potential and overcoming obstacles. “So in my mental preparation for the role, I use faith in a very practical way in order to overcome any short comings that may prevent me from portraying this character truthfully,” he said.
“The reason why faith plays such a pivotal role in my acting is based on Sanford Meisner’s definition of acting, acting is telling the TRUTH under imaginary circumstances. That definition is a stark difference from the overall perception that acting is just pretending. What I also find so intriguing about this definition is the thought that many of us are living a lie under real circumstances! As far as I am concerned in principle faith and truth are one and the same and I therefore employ the principles of faith within my acting. The main principle being that faith without works is dead. Belief is only evidenced by correlating actions. The training, study and preparation I have undertaken for this role are the acts of faith required to portray Dobbie as truthful as possible. I have never been one to just name it and claim it without doing the work, actions or study necessary to achieve a goal. As far as I am concerned success must be preceded by preparation.”
He continued: “I’m a great believer in following one’s passions because it’s there for a purpose. That is the advice I would give to anyone else. I am passionate about acting and I have deep respect for what it takes to make a good movie. With prayer, planning and preparation I hope to make my mark in this industry in maintain the vision of my MIA business.
Shooting for Presidential Dilemma is scheduled to begin in late 2011.
