Actor Ryan Phillippe says 'firm and fervent belief in God' helped him shed addiction and depression

Actor Ryan Phillippe said he developed a strong sense of faith and a desire to develop a relationship with God after filming his latest movie, in which he played a missionary.

After working on the film "Prey," where Phillippe played a Christian missionary who faces a life-or-death situation in South Africa, he became inquisitive about some of the film's themes.

"I have a firm and fervent belief in God and that things happen for a reason and that we should put positive energies out into the world and treat people with respect and spread as much love and light as we can to offset the darkness that we see around us everywhere."

These themes were reflected in the movie, which Phillippe said featured a "slight theological thread" of questioning God and "wondering why things happen to certain people."

"They’re just good people trying to do a good thing in Africa in these villages and help others. Then something like this befalls them," Phillippe explained, according to the Boston Herald. "It makes them question. ‘What’s going on here? Is it worth being good? Who’s looking out for me?’ These aspects — Man’s search for meaning or search for God — really appealed to me."

Phillippe admitted in an interview with Fox News that he ended up spending "a lot of time" in prayer and study, calling it the "most important thing" a person can spend their time doing.

"It's become a very, very important part of my life."

His prayer, along with a newly strengthened belief in God, is what Phillippe said got him out of a dark place he found himself in after the film's production ended.

"It was right after filming it where I went on this spiritual journey where I started going really deep inside," he remembered. "I got back into reading the Bible and various other religious tomes, but I found myself drawn to this notion of spirituality."

Along with saying that spirituality seemed to come with age, the actor revealed that success and money no longer brought him pleasure or satisfaction.

"You look for more," he said. "I wanted to have a relationship and understanding with God, and I was craving that."

Phillippe has publicly discussed his depression since 2015, calling it a "huge obstacle" since he was a child.

"I'm just innately kind of a sad person," he described at the time. "I see it in my daughter, she has it, and I wish to hell she didn't. It's just some people do have this pervading sort of sadness or they're so analytical that they can kind of take the fun out of things because they think too much."

However, since his prayer and spirituality became a larger part of his life, Phillippe says he has shed those feelings.

"Since I started that journey, I have not been more at peace. My depression is gone, I shedded addictions so I'm a big proponent for people going inward and trying to understand those aspects of life."

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