Actress Roma Downey was looking for a new job when the script for Touched by an Angel crossed her desk. “I would have been happy playing a doctor, a lawyer, a woman who worked in a shop, a mom — whatever. I needed work because I had to pay my rent,” Roma, 63, tells Closer. “But as a person of faith, I couldn’t believe this script was asking me to play an angel and to be the messenger of God’s love.” The series, which ran from 1994 to 2003, would be a huge hit.
Roma recently returned to the small screen in The Baxters, a family drama based on the bestselling book series by Karen Kingsbury, available to stream exclusively on Prime Video. “It’s a very rich, meaningful drama about a family and all of their issues and how they deal with them through the lens of their belief system and their faith,” she says.
Had you read Karen Kingsbury’s books before you got involved with this project?
“Yes, I was a fan girl. I had read the first book, Redemption, and I was very moved by it. When I was reading it, I thought, ‘Gosh, this can make a great television series.’ When I called Karen, she said it was an answer to a prayer. It felt like there was serendipity at play.”
How does the show differ from the books?
“I think fans of the book won’t be disappointed by this adaptation. They’ll recognize their beloved family. They’ll recognize the big plot points, the big dramas, the big conflicts. The first book dealt with Kari’s story. She is the second oldest daughter, who discovers that her husband, Tim, has been cheating on her. The main difference is that Karen wrote the first book about 20 years ago and we have updated it to current day. The only major plot point that was impacted was a storyline around 9/11. We have replaced that with another incident, not quite as epic in proportions, but heart-wrenching, too.”
How do you relate to your character, family matriarch Elizabeth Baxter?
“She is somebody I can only hope to be like because she’s got such inherent goodness. She’s kind, she’s loving and she’s compassionate. She has a lot of empathy and a lot of patience with her five adult children. I think maybe what I admired most about her was that she’s a feisty parent in that kind of mother lioness way — don’t mess with her kids!”
It’s a show about a family of faith — which is rare on television.
“The thing that touched me most is the ease with which this family are able to just call in prayer when needed. [For a Christian family,] that’s what we do, right? If there’s an issue in our lives, we pray around it. For people who don’t share a faith, it may seem more unusual, but I have never really seen this in a TV drama before.”
How important is faith in your everyday life?
“A number of years ago, along with my husband, Mark Burnett, we started a company committed to creating spiritual, inspirational, uplifting content. The company is called LightWorkers. Our adopted mantra is that it’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. I have really felt that intention in all my work since my early days on Touched by an Angel.”
Nobody expected Touched by an Angel to become such a big hit.
“At one time, Touched by an Angel was the number one show in all of American television, with an audience of over 25 million people who tuned in for that message of God’s love. That’s what they were craving, and that’s what they got. We know that this is an underserved part of our community. We know that these stories are important, whether they’re biblical stories or contemporary stories.”
What’s been your favorite moment of working on the new series?
“I had the good fortune to be able to invite my dear friend Kathie Lee Gifford to work with me on set. To do scenes together, just the two of us, was nice because in the quiet moments between takes, we were able to catch up like old friends. That was special. I also had the opportunity to work with my own daughter, Reilly. She plays the youngest Baxter daughter, Erin Baxter. To get to work on a few scenes with her was very special.”
What’s your best piece of advice for young actors like your daughter?
“I think it’s a hard career. I tried to dissuade my daughter from going into the profession because there is inevitably so much rejection, and if you take it personally, you will be emotionally distraught most of the time. As an actor, you could be rejected 10 times a week. I think one piece of advice that I have learned — and it doesn’t necessarily have to apply to acting — is just a reminder that courage is not the absence of fear; courage is having fear but still taking action.”
What do you do for fun in your free time?
“I became an author in recent years — I love to write, so I’m always journaling. I like to sketch. I also have a little watercolor set, and it’s very relaxing. I’m not very good, but I enjoy doing it. I like being outside. My husband is very outdoorsy and very active. He’s dragged
me up more mountains than I want to climb, to be honest.”
What do you do to feel your best?
“Particularly as I get a little bit older, I realize the importance of moving and keeping active. I do Pilates every day. I used to run — my runs are now more like fast walks. I try to drink plenty of water, and I try to get a good night’s sleep. I have dogs that I love, and they love me unconditionally. They’re such a source of joy.”
Can you share some secrets to a happy marriage?
“Compromise. It can’t be my way or the highway. Sometimes it’s my way, sometimes it’s his way, and sometimes it’s some way in between. We laugh a lot. My husband has a great sense of humor.”
Any final thoughts?
“We feel that The Baxters is ready for this time. We came through the awful pandemic, and there was such loneliness and isolation. I’m hoping people come to the show and they’re reminded of how connected we are to each other, how we belong to each other, and how important it is that we all take care of each other.”
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