'Black Panther' stuntman on how 'God equipped' him, and how he sees 'God working in his life'
It's a dog-eat-dog world in Hollywood, and people often go to extreme lengths just to nab roles or get to the top. This is why Travis Love, a stuntman, feels grateful to God for helping him take part in Marvel's latest blockbuster hit, "Black Panther."
Love, 39, has already taken part in TV shows such as "The Walking Dead" and "The Haves and The Have Nots," but one of his greatest career accomplishments is playing a warrior in the Jabari tribe for the film "Black Panther."
It was his friend who asked if he wanted to do stunts for the film, and Love did not think twice about it. While many stuntmen undergo rigorous training before taking part in films like that, Love didn't, and he believes it was God who ultimately prepared him for his task.
"He called me back three minutes later and said, 'They want you to come in today.' ... So that was God working in the midst of things," he told The Times And Democrat. "Stunt people train, rehearse and practice all of their lives to get a gig like stunts on 'Black Panther,' and God made it so that I was qualified with that picture I sent in."
Love has proven himself to be a humble believer, crediting all his achivements to God. He even said that it was God who helped opened doors so that he would get to act and do stuntwork for "Black Panther."
"Because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, God equipped me to do both and I hope that that makes me a more viable option moving ahead in the future when these roles come up. I'm trying to establish myself as an actor with the potential to pull off stunts if necessary," he explained. "I can do whatever is necessary for the production, and I really see God working in my life in that manner."
There were a lot of Christians hired in "Black Panther," with Sope Aluko, who plays Shaman, saying that the set felt like a church setting because of their constant prayer gatherings and sharing of faith.
"It felt very familiar and like home. We had early call times but I didn't even feel the long set hours because it was such a good time," the Christian actress actress has said. "I didn't feel like I was amongst stars, everyone was so down to earth and normal. During breaks we shared our testimony of how we got to where [we] did and most of the people were testifying to God's miracles, it was almost like church."