Young actor uses faith as filter in Hollywood work

Malachi Barton, 19, stars as the new lead in Camp Rock 3, which premiered on Disney Channel on August 13, and is set to headline Coven Academy, a YA series coming to Disney Channel and Disney+. With 7 million TikTok followers and 3 million Instagram followers, Barton has drawn unprecedented response from Disney executives, but he told Variety that Jesus Christ and being a light of God in the entertainment industry is what actually drives him. He described his approach to the business as running decisions through a filter of faith, saying he uses God to decline involvement in what he called the "crazy stuff" while maintaining focus on his work and having fun. Barton acknowledged struggling with social media's pull on his self-worth, admitting he has fallen into various online pitfalls common to his age and platform size. He said he catches himself spiraling over view counts and audience approval, then consciously corrects course by questioning whether those metrics matter. He framed his faith not as a phase or subplot to his career but as a foundational lens through which he navigates the entire industry and his public presence.

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Source: Relevant Magazine — https://relevantmagazine.com/culture/camp-rock-3-star-malachi-barton-is-surprisingly-candid-about-his-faith-in-hollywood/