Stephen Collins Plays a Pedophile Priest in His Latest Film
In an unsettling coincidence, Stephen Collins, the actor best known for his role as a father and minister on the long-running WB drama 7th Heaven and for confessing on tape to molesting at least three young girls, plays a pedophile priest in his most recent movie role.
In Penance, Collins is the priest that Jeff Lyons's character, a former parishioner, "visits to clear his conscience and discover exactly what it means to find forgiveness – or to give it."
Director Jeff Wolfe contacted People to make it clear that his 10-minute film was shot in 2013, before Collins' alleged abuse of underage victims had come to light.
"When I cast Stephen Collins, I had no idea there might be a connection between his real life and the part I asked him to play," said Wolfe. "I found the recent allegations particularly shocking, as my film is meant to speak to victims of abuse and the idea that the effects of abuse never really go away."
In one stroke, Wolfe just ensured that everyone had heard of his film—which is still scheduled to screen at film festivals around the U.S. through the rest of the year—and managed to head off any allegations of sick stunt-casting.
Meanwhile, Collins is in the 30th month of an expensive divorce from his wife, Faye Grant, in which the taped confession and the allegations of molestation are a central issue. The actor, who hasn't been seen since the recording came out, is due in court in November.
