Kirk Cameron

Kirk Cameron
Cameron at Calvary Baptist Church in Manhattan, May 5, 2007.
Born	Kirk Thomas Cameron (1970-10-12) October 12, 1970 (age 54) Panorama City, California, United States
Occupation(s)	Actor, Evangelist
Years active	1979–present
Spouse	Chelsea Noble (1991–present)
Website	http://www.kirkcameron.com/

Kirk Thomas Cameron (born October 12, 1970) is an American actor best known for playing "Mike Seaver" on the television situation comedy, Growing Pains, and in other television shows and movies. He was the main actor in the Left Behind movie series and in Fireproof. He is also an active Christian evangelist, and works with Ray Comfort on The Way of the Master. He co-started The Firefly Foundation with his wife, actress Chelsea Noble.

Birth and family

Cameron was born on October 12, 1970^[1] in Panorama City, California.^[2] His parents are Robert Cameron, a retired school teacher, and Barbara Bausmith, a stay-at-home mom.^[3] He is the brother to Bridgette, Melissa, and Candace Cameron, who is played "D.J. Tanner" on the television sitcom, Full House.^[4] He would go to school on the set of Growing Pains, as opposed to a normal school.^[5] He graduated at age 17 with high honors.^[6]

Cameron and his wife, actress Chelsea Noble, were married on July 21, 1991. They now have six children, four of whom were adopted: Jack (born 1996), Isabella (born 1997), Anna (born 1998), and Luke (born 2000); and two biological: Olivia Rose (born July 18, 2001) and James Thomas (born April 13, 2003).^[7]

Acting career

Cameron as a young adult.

Cameron began acting at the age of nine, and his first job was for a breakfast cereal.^[8] His first starring role was at the age of ten in the television series Two Marriages.^[9] At this age, he appeared in several television shows and movies. He became famous after being cast as "Michael Seaver" in the 1985 television series Growing Pains.^[10] In the series, Seaver's girlfriend was Kate MacDonald, who was played by Chelsea Noble, Cameron's future wife.^[11][12] Cameron subsequently became a teen heartthrob in the late 1980s,^[13] while appearing on the covers of several teen magazines, including Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, 16 and others. At the time, he was making $50,000 a week.^[14] He was also in a 60-second Pepsi commercial during Super Bowl XXIV.^[15]

Cameron went on to star in many movies, for example 1987's Like Father Like Son,^[16] which made a lot of money.^[17] His next movie, 1989's Listen to Me, did not make very much money.^[18] When Growing Pains ended in 1992, Cameron went on to star in the sitcom Kirk which began in 1995 and ended two years later. In Kirk, Cameron played Kirk Hartman,^[19] a 24-year-old who has to raise his siblings.^[20] Cameron and Noble also worked together on Kirk.^[12]

Ten years after Growing Pains ended, was a part of The Growing Pains Movie,^[21] in 2000, and Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers, in 2004.^[22] Cameron has also often worked in Christianity-related movies, among them the post-Rapture movies Left Behind: The Movie, Left Behind II: Tribulation Force, and Left Behind: World at War, in which he plays Cameron "Buck" Williams. Cameron's wife Noble also starred in these movies,^[23] playing Hattie Durham. Cameron has worked with Cloud Ten Pictures, and has been in several of their movies. He was also in Fireproof, which was made by Sherwood Pictures. They only spent $500,000 making the movie. Cameron as the main actor, playing Captain Caleb Holt.^[24] Though it was a did not cost much money to make, the movie made $33,415,129. Cameron said, "[Fireproof is] the best work of my life."^[25] In 2015 Kirk ( alongside his son James) voiced General Stonewall Jackson in heirloom audio productions adaptation of G.A henty's novel with lee in Virginia

Christianity and evangelism ministry

Cameron was once an atheist,^[14][26] but around the age of 17-18, during the height of his career on Growing Pains, he developed a belief in God, and became a Christian.^[14][27][28] After converting to Christianity, he began to insist that storylines be stripped of anything he thought to be too adult or racy in Growing Pains.^[29] The cast ostracized him from their activities. They did not attend his wedding, nor was he invited to any of theirs.^[30] A decade later, Cameron agreed to appear in The Growing Pains Movie, where the entire main cast reunited with one another. Cameron said,

"It’s a lot less crazy of a time than when we were teenagers. It’s an opportunity to begin new friendships as adults, and I’m really looking forward to that."^[30]

Cameron currently partners with fellow evangelist Ray Comfort, training Christians in evangelism. Together, they founded the ministry of The Way of the Master,^[31] which is best known for its award-winning^[32] television show Cameron co-hosts. It also formerly featured a radio show known as The Way of the Master Radio with talk show host Todd Friel.^[33] The radio show was later canceled, and Wretched Radio began, hosted by Friel. He, with wife Noble, founded The Firefly Foundation, which runs Camp Firefly, an organization that gives terminally ill children and their families a free week's vacation.^[34][35]

Cameron and Comfort were a part in a debate on television with atheists Brian Sapient and Kelly O'Conner of the Rational Response Squad, at Calvary Baptist Church in Manhattan on May 5, 2007. It was moderated by ABC's Martin Bashir and parts of it were played on Nightline. They debated whether or not there is a God. Some of the people in the audience believed in God, and some did not.^[36]

Filmography

Movie

Year	Title	Role	Notes/Box office
1981	Goliath Awaits	Liam	Television movie
1982	Beyond Witch Mountain	Boy	Television film
1983	Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land	Gary	Television movie
1986	The Best of Times	Teddy	$7,790,931[37]
1987	Like Father Like Son	Chris Hammond	$34,377,585[38]
1989	Listen to Me	Tucker Muldowney	$4,299,023[39]
1991	A Little Piece of Heaven	Will Loomis	Television movie
1998	You Lucky Dog	Jack Morgan	Disney Channel Original Movie
2000	The Growing Pains Movie	Mike Seaver	Television reunion film
	Left Behind: The Movie	Buck Williams	$4,224,065[40]
2001	The Miracle of the Cards	Josh	Television movie
2002	Left Behind II: Tribulation Force	Buck Williams	Direct-to-video
2004	Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers	Mike Seaver	Television reunion film
2005	Left Behind: World at War	Buck Williams	Direct-to-video
2008	Fireproof	Caleb Holt	$33,456,317[41]

Television

Year	Title	Episode	Role
1981	Bret Maverick	The Lazy Ace: Part 1–2	Boy #1
1982	Disneyland		Boy
	Herbie the Matchmaker		Young Kid
1983	Two Marriages		Eric Armstrong
	ABC Afterschool Specials	The Woman Who Willed a Miracle Andrea's Story: A Hitchhiking Tragedy	Jeff
1984	Children in the Crossfire		Mickey Chandler
	More Than Murder		Bobby
1985 - 1992	Growing Pains		Mike Seaver
1988	Full House	Just One of the Guys	Cousin Steve
1991	A Little Piece of Heaven		Will Loomis
1993	The Horde		Chauncey
1994	Star Struck		Runner
1995	The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes		Dexter Riley
1995 - 1996	Kirk		Kirk Hartman
1997	WMAC Masters		The Bibler
2002	Family Law	Blood and Water	Mitchell Stark
	Touched by an Angel	The Birthday Present	Chuck Parker
2003 - present	The Way of the Master		Himself
2004	Jack & Bobby	Today I Am a Man
2005	Night of Joy		Host
2009	18 Kids and Counting		Himself

Awards

Young Artist Awards

• 1985 Best Young Supporting Actor in a Daytime or Nighttime Drama, Two Marriages (Nominated)
• 1986 Best Young Actor Starring in a New Television Series, Growing Pains (Won)
• 1987 Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor Starring in a Television Comedy or Drama Series, Growing Pains (Won)
• 1987 Best Young Male Superstar in Television, Growing Pains (Won)
• 1989 Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture, Listen to Me (Nominated)

Saturn Award

• 1987 Best Performance by a Younger Actor, Like Father, Like Son (Won)

Golden Globe Awards

• 1987 Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film, Growing Pains (Nominated)
• 1989 Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film, Growing Pains (Nominated)

People's Choice Award

• 1988 Favorite Young TV Performer (Won)
• 1989 Favorite Young TV Performer (Won)

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

• 1990 Favorite TV Actor, Growing Pains (Won)

Notes

1. Laufenberg, Norbert B. (June 2005). Entertainment Celebrities. Trafford Publishing. p. 99. ISBN 9781412053358.
2. Mansour, David (May 2005). From Abba to Zoom. Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC. p. 64. ISBN 9780740751189.
3. Celizic, Mike (October 18, 2007). "Candace Cameron has 'Full House' of her own". The Today Show. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
4. "Full House: Cast Listing". TV.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2008.
5. "Just one of the guys". Chicago Sun-Times. November 16, 1987. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2009. I go to school on the set, not to a regular school.
6. Mills, Bart (August 31, 1988). "Kirk Cameron grows past his early fame as teen idol". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2009.
7. "Kirk Cameron: Summary". TV.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
8. Mills, Nancy (June 26, 1987). "Curly-Haired Kirk Cameron Teen-Age Heartthrob Takes Fame In Stride". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
9. O'Conner, John J. (March 8, 1984). "ABC's Two Marriages Now A Weekly Series". The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2008.
10. Rhudy, Ben (January 29, 2009). "Kirk Cameron talks Fireproof, marriage, and the demands of playing a firefighter". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
11. Kogan, Rick (September 20, 1991). "End of the line Saturday winds up the week with series winding up their runs". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
12. Slewinski, Christy (May 27, 1996). "'Growing Pains' Pair A Couple Once Again". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 24, 2009.^{[permanent dead link]}
13. "Will Fall Strategy Keep New Networks Alive?". The Charlotte Observer. August 28, 1995. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
14. Ewald, Dan (March–April 2003). "The Rebirth of Kirk Cameron". Christianity Today. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
15. "Channel Hopping". Dayton Daily News. January 12, 1990. Retrieved February 28, 2009.
16. Tucker, Ernest (September 27, 1987). "Dudley Moore & Kirk Cameron - Comic team of 'Like Father Like Son'". Chicago Sun-Times.
17. "Like Father Like Son Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
18. "Listen to Me Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
19. Grahnke, Lon (August 23, 1995). "More Growing Pains - Kirk Works On Being Adult". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
20. Johnson, Steve (August 23, 1995). "Up And Running, WB Gets A Jump On Fall With 'KIRK'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 27, 2009.^{[permanent dead link]}
21. Owen, Rob (November 3, 2000). "On the Tube: 'Growing Pains Movie' catches up with the Seaver clan". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
22. "Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers : Overview". MSN Movies. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2008.
23. Lammers, Tim (November 4, 2005). "Film Series Is Something Kirk Cameron Won't Leave 'Behind'". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
24. "Church hosts showing of 'Fireproof' movie". The Herald-Dispatch. January 22, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
25. Wilde, Carol (February 16, 2009). "Filmmakers enjoy success of low-budget Fireproof". Video Business. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
26. Jones, Oliver. "Life after Growing Pains: Kirk Cameron on Faith, Marriage and Being a Hollywood Christian". People magazine. p. 34.
27. "Back of Book Segment". The O'Reilly Factor. April 12, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2008.
28. Cameron, Kirk; Ray Comfort (2004). The Way of the Master. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Foreward. ISBN 1414300611.
29. "The Cast of 'Growing Pains:' Where Are They Now?". Fox News. Dec 18, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
30. Keck, William (Nov 3, 2000). "TV Family's Cast Gets Over Its Own 'Growing Pains'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved Dec 8, 2008.
31. Phan, Katherine T. (February 14, 2009). "Christian Evangelist's Book Ranked Bestselling 'Atheist' Item". The Christian Post. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
32. "Christian Reality TV Show wins 'Best Program' and 'People's Choice' Awards". Christian Broadcasting Network. June 14, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
33. "Wretched with Todd Friel" (PDF). InTouch Ministries. February 26, 2008. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
34. "'Fireproof' shows Christian movies sell". ABC News. October 3, 2008. Archived from the original on March 14, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
35. "Growing Pains Are Behind Him". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. September 13, 1998. Retrieved February 24, 2009.^{[permanent dead link]}
36. "Prepare for a Conflict: The Nightline Face-Off No-Holds Barred Battle Over the Existence of God". ABC News. May 7, 2007. Retrieved November 27, 2008.
37. "The Best of Times". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
38. "Like Father Like Son". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
39. "Listen to Me". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
40. "Left Behind: The Movie". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
41. "Fireproof". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 27, 2009.

Further reading

• Still Growing: An Autobiography : ISBN 0-8307-4451-7

Other websites

Websites

• Official website
• The Way of the Master
• Kirk Cameron on IMDb

Interviews

• CNN People In The News (August 20, 2005)
• Christianity Today interview (October 2000)
• The Dallas Morning News interview (September 24, 2008)