‘You’re onto something,’ ‘Scream’ actor says
A California pastor says he’s grateful to hear about actor and comedian Jamie Kennedy’s apology to Christian evangelists who frequent the streets of Hollywood.
Pastor Richard Ho leads the First Baptist Church of Hollywood, which runs its weekly “Boulevard Evangelism” outreach every Wednesday morning on Hollywood Boulevard, where members share the Gospel on the street, along with a 1 p.m. “porch evangelism” session featuring open-mic preaching, singing and Bible readings.
Pastor Ho’s church is among several groups that routinely canvas the popular tourist attraction to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
But in a clip from his “Hate To Break It To Ya” podcast, Kennedy, known for his roles in the “Scream” film franchise and “Malibu’s Most Wanted,” gave a heartfelt, humorous mea culpa while addressing those groups of street preachers he’s encountered over the years.
“I owe an apology to the Chinese on Hollywood Boulevard, the whole group of you, you walk around, you talk about Jesus is the light and the way,” he said. “There’s about 10 of ’em that walk up and down the boulevard. They’ve got placards and they wear this stuff, they’re always talking about Jesus,” Kennedy says in the clip, noting a “crazy lady on Melrose who’s always yelling about Jesus and Proverbs.”
He continued, “I walk by as I’m having my coffee. I owe you an apology. You’re on to something. … I owe an apology to the Mexican man down here on Western, who’s always screaming into the microphone, ‘Jesus is the way,’ I owe you an apology.”
While he admitted that their early morning tactics aren’t always convenient for his own personal schedule, Kennedy conceded he now believes such outreaches might not be in vain.
“I wish you would pick a time to shout when I can deal with it. I don’t need to be shouted at at 10 a.m.,” he added. “I owe you an apology. ‘Cause you’re on to something.”
While it’s not clear whether Kennedy’s video specifically referenced First Baptist Hollywood’s outreach team, Pastor Ho responded graciously to Kennedy’s shout-out.
“It’s definitely a busy street out there, but I’m grateful for all the efforts to bring the Gospel to the forefront,” he told The Christian Post on Thursday. “There are many different approaches, some more direct, others more gentle, but I’m thankful that God works through them all as long as the Gospel is being preached.”
Despite Kennedy’s apology, Ho says he doesn’t gauge the effectiveness of the outreach on a single interaction, but over time. “Since we’re there consistently, we’ve gained the trust of many who work on the boulevard, which opens doors for deeper spiritual conversations and prayer,” he said. “We also interact with tourists, many of whom are receptive. When we meet fellow believers, we often take a moment to pray for and encourage them in their journey.”
Kennedy, who grew up Catholic but has described himself as non-practicing, has been open about his evolving beliefs in recent years. In a 2023 interview with the Babylon Bee, Kennedy said, “I’m not a religious person. I grew up a Catholic. I’m not a practicing Catholic, but I am a believer in do unto others as you want done unto yourself. And I’m a believer [in] being a good person. You know what I mean?
“And I believe I’m not so much dogmatic as I am just like, be a good person. But there’s a lot of different belief systems out there that I can say, ‘Oh, I see truth in that.’
In the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting, Kennedy shared his emotional response to the murder and subsequent spiritual awakening, calling the assassination “the greatest advertisement for Jesus Christ that’s ever lived.”
“I’m not trying to be religious, I’m not trying to be a church man, I’m not trying to be any of that,“ he said. “I’m just saying, good, evil, what do you pick?”
‘You’re onto something,’ ‘Scream’ actor says
A California pastor says he’s grateful to hear about actor and comedian Jamie Kennedy’s apology to Christian evangelists who frequent the streets of Hollywood.
Pastor Richard Ho leads the First Baptist Church of Hollywood, which runs its weekly “Boulevard Evangelism” outreach every Wednesday morning on Hollywood Boulevard, where members share the Gospel on the street, along with a 1 p.m. “porch evangelism” session featuring open-mic preaching, singing and Bible readings.
Pastor Ho’s church is among several groups that routinely canvas the popular tourist attraction to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
But in a clip from his “Hate To Break It To Ya” podcast, Kennedy, known for his roles in the “Scream” film franchise and “Malibu’s Most Wanted,” gave a heartfelt, humorous mea culpa while addressing those groups of street preachers he’s encountered over the years.
“I owe an apology to the Chinese on Hollywood Boulevard, the whole group of you, you walk around, you talk about Jesus is the light and the way,” he said. “There’s about 10 of ’em that walk up and down the boulevard. They’ve got placards and they wear this stuff, they’re always talking about Jesus,” Kennedy says in the clip, noting a “crazy lady on Melrose who’s always yelling about Jesus and Proverbs.”
He continued, “I walk by as I’m having my coffee. I owe you an apology. You’re on to something. … I owe an apology to the Mexican man down here on Western, who’s always screaming into the microphone, ‘Jesus is the way,’ I owe you an apology.”
While he admitted that their early morning tactics aren’t always convenient for his own personal schedule, Kennedy conceded he now believes such outreaches might not be in vain.
“I wish you would pick a time to shout when I can deal with it. I don’t need to be shouted at at 10 a.m.,” he added. “I owe you an apology. ‘Cause you’re on to something.”
While it’s not clear whether Kennedy’s video specifically referenced First Baptist Hollywood’s outreach team, Pastor Ho responded graciously to Kennedy’s shout-out.
“It’s definitely a busy street out there, but I’m grateful for all the efforts to bring the Gospel to the forefront,” he told The Christian Post on Thursday. “There are many different approaches, some more direct, others more gentle, but I’m thankful that God works through them all as long as the Gospel is being preached.”
Despite Kennedy’s apology, Ho says he doesn’t gauge the effectiveness of the outreach on a single interaction, but over time. “Since we’re there consistently, we’ve gained the trust of many who work on the boulevard, which opens doors for deeper spiritual conversations and prayer,” he said. “We also interact with tourists, many of whom are receptive. When we meet fellow believers, we often take a moment to pray for and encourage them in their journey.”
Kennedy, who grew up Catholic but has described himself as non-practicing, has been open about his evolving beliefs in recent years. In a 2023 interview with the Babylon Bee, Kennedy said, “I’m not a religious person. I grew up a Catholic. I’m not a practicing Catholic, but I am a believer in do unto others as you want done unto yourself. And I’m a believer [in] being a good person. You know what I mean?
“And I believe I’m not so much dogmatic as I am just like, be a good person. But there’s a lot of different belief systems out there that I can say, ‘Oh, I see truth in that.’
In the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting, Kennedy shared his emotional response to the murder and subsequent spiritual awakening, calling the assassination “the greatest advertisement for Jesus Christ that’s ever lived.”
“I’m not trying to be religious, I’m not trying to be a church man, I’m not trying to be any of that,“ he said. “I’m just saying, good, evil, what do you pick?”
