Gavin Casalegno might be best known as Jeremiah Fisher, the polarizing character at the center of a love triangle on Prime Video’s hit series “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” but away from the screen, the actor is increasingly recognized for something else: his outspoken Christian faith.
The 25-year-old, who began acting as a child and landed his breakout role on Jenny Han’s adaptation of her bestselling coming-of-age novels, has consistently used his platform to speak openly about prayer, repentance and what it means to live for God in Hollywood.
On TikTok, where he has millions of followers, Casalegno regularly shares videos on faith, offers words of encouragement and reads Scripture aloud. In one clip, he warned viewers against complacency: “You can’t just be a lukewarm Christian,” he said. “God wants all of you, not just the Sunday version.”
In another post, Casalegno urged followers to find strength not in themselves but in God.
“You’re at your strongest when you realize your strength doesn’t come from you,” he said, explaining how reliance on faith reshaped his approach to both work and relationships.
He has also been candid about more vulnerable parts of his journey. In a 2024 video titled “A Personal Encounter with God’s Love,” Casalegno described repentance as a turning point in his life.
“I had to repent. I had to admit I couldn’t do it on my own,” he said. “That’s when I felt God’s love the clearest.”
Casalegno, who grew up in a Christian family in Texas, told Shondaland, according to People, that stepping away from social media periodically helps him keep perspective on what matters.
“Deleting Instagram and all these apps to kind of check out, to be with my family and be with myself, to spend some time with the Lord — that’s really where I thrive,” he said.
The actor announced his marriage to Cheyanne King, a registered nurse, last November. On social media, King referred to her husband as “a man of God” and often references her faith as well, celebrating her May graduation with a message of thankfulness to Jesus.
“What an honor it has been to endure this journey with the Lord and be the first in my family to graduate college!” she wrote. “I can’t wait to do ministry and love on people in the medical field and bring the light of Jesus into dark places! Thank you, Jesus, for such an opportunity as this.”
The duo also recently launched a clothing line, Kai Lo, inspired by their faith: “I wanted to do more than create clothes — I wanted to share personal revelations that have changed my outlook on life that I pray inspire and even challenge others to see life from a revived perspective,” Casalegno wrote.
He also told The Knockturnal he “wanted to make a clothing brand that had a good message and made people think.”
“In the past, I had worn shirts that had said, like, ‘Your anxiety is lying to you’ and things like that, and it actually sparked really good conversations and helped me get to know strangers and stuff like that. And so I wanted to make a clothing brand that had the same deep message and made people really self-reflective,” he said.
Casalegno is part of a growing group of major Hollywood stars unapologetically professing their faith in Jesus, particularly as Christianity and faith experiences gain increasing visibility in big-budget movies and TV series.
“It’s real. [Faith] is cool again,” said “American Idol” alum Trent Harmon in a recent interview with The Christian Post when asked about this shift.
In a separate interview with CP, “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Chris Pratt opened up about his faith, revealing Scripture is continually “transforming” his life.
“I care enough about Jesus to take a stand, even if it costs me. It could cost me everything, but I don’t care. It’s worth it to me because this is what I’m called to do, it’s where my heart is,” the 45-year-old actor said.
“I’m a father of four. I want to raise my children with an understanding that their dad was unashamed of his faith in Jesus, and with a profound understanding of the power of prayer, and the grace, love and joy that can come from a relationship with Jesus. … You don’t hear that a lot from people in entertainment, but it’s who I am. I’m not going to hide behind it. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
