Love Wins Interview: Chip Miller

We continue our Love Wins Interview series with: Chip Miller. Chip plays the role of Mitchell Bankston. Esther's dad and husband to Jennifer. You can still check out our first interview with Hannah Killian here.

Enjoy!

Write on the Wall: How many plays have you been apart of before Love Wins?

Chip Miller: Well, most of the plays I’ve been a part of have been related to school or church. I was in “Hello Dolly” in college, “The Wizard of Oz” in school, played the role of Tiny Tim in “A Christmas Carol” and have been in several roles in church plays over the years ranging from support roles to leading roles.

WOTW: Who do you play?

CH: Mitchell Bankston

WOTW: Tell us something about Mitchell. What makes him tick?

CM: Mitchell is driven by a love for his family, especially his daughter. He is an emotional guy when pressed and wants to do the right thing, even in tough situations. At his core you get the feeling that God is a large part of his life.

WOTW: How was Mitchell different from other characters you’ve played?

CH: Mitchell is a fairly tragic character. He is faced with real-life situations that no one would want to deal with and has struggles that bubble to the surface every once in a while. He definitely has more anger and frustration than any character I’ve ever played.

WOTW: A lot is thrown at Mitchell in Love Wins, was it difficult to play a character that was constantly second-guessed?

CM: Absolutely! The range of emotions Mitchell’s character requires is pretty tough to muster sometimes. You feel for the guy knowing the whole story and, in some ways, that helped me play some of the hurt Mitchell experienced.

WOTW: Did you learn anything from anyone else in the play?

CM: I learned a lot about commitment from my fellow cast members; they worked so hard! I was also surprised and moved by some of the testimonies about how divorce and broken families have affected some of the cast. It was humbling that they would be willing to share their stories of pain with us so that God could use it for His good.

WOTW: What’s it like working in an ensemble cast?

CM: The energy, rapport and feeding off the others was an amazing thing! You seem to react to the other members of the cast when they are struggling or doing an incredible job. It is impressive how the members of the cast can really gel at a certain point (after a lot of practice together!) It seemed that when someone stepped up and performed well, the rest of us went above and beyond too.

WOTW: Were there any challenges working on the play?

CM: Lines are always tough when you’re working on a live production. Probably the toughest thing is making those lines your own, making them sound like something that would actually come out of your mouth. There was also the challenge of keeping a straight face in practice even though the subject matter often wasn’t all that humorous. We tended to laugh sometimes in spite of the gravity of the situations presented.

WOTW: Do you have a favorite scene?

CM: My favorite scene would have to be the confrontation between Harrison and Dr. Lawson at the auditorium. My favorite scene of Mitchell’s would have to be the scene where he is packing his things and telling Jennifer ‘goodbye.’ It was a tough scene to play with all of the emotions involved.

WOTW: What do you hope Love Wins will accomplish?

CM: I hope those who have and will see the play would realize that God seeks to redeem any life, any situation regardless of how hopeless, shameful and broken it appears to be. The brokenness of divorce, adultery, deception, etc., can only be mended by a God who is big enough and compassionate enough to see His work through. I think that God exists and that He sent His son for just such a purpose.

Thanks so much for you time, Chip!

More interviews to come!