The star of "The Mulligan," which hits theaters today, says he's not sure where he'd be now were it not for that moment.
If you watch much TV, chances are you know Eric Close from Without a Trace or Nashville, where he played in 160 and 68 episodes, respectively. A committed Christian, he also portrayed an army officer in the 2018 faith-based film Indivisible and is now leading man in a new Christian picture, The Mulligan.
In that movie, Close portrays a hard-charging businessman who is estranged from his family and from God, that is until he meets a retired golfer played by Pat Boone. Known as the "Old Pro," Boone's character mentors the younger man, opening his eyes to what really matters in life and helping provide him with a second chance, which is what the term mulligan means in golf: a do-over after an errant shot.
Close knows personally about second chances, particularly when it comes to matters of faith. Having become a Christian as a teenager, he then fell away as a young man. In an interview with CBN News, he says, "God wasn't a priority for me," adding that "I wasn't making him number one."
By the time he graduated from college, the New York City native found himself feeling "kind of empty, just kind of lost." That, however, changed radically one day in his apartment when he called out to the Lord.
"I just remember saying, 'God, I don't know if you want anything to do with me, but I miss you.'"
That simple cry for help led to what the actor calls a "supernatural" change as his "life just transformed" and he became serious about his faith. And Close understands clearly how much of an impact God's reaching out had on him.
"If I didn't have that happen in my life, I don't know where I would be today and what my life would look like."
As to The Mulligan, it is a limited engagement put on by Fathom Events. The movie will play in theaters nationwide just today and tomorrow and you can find out where to watch it in your area via this link. You can also watch Close's entire interview with CBN News here.