Patricia Heaton and her husband, actor-director David Hunt, have started a production company to showcase inspiring and faith-based stories in films and TV programs.

The company, Four Boys Entertainment, is aptly named after the couple’s four sons. 

“We named our company ‘Four Boys Entertainment’ because we wanted to leave a legacy for our kids,” said Heaton in an interview. “We want to contribute something to culture that’s truthful but is grounded in hope, the hope that we have through our faith, that God is in control, and that all things work to the good of those who love the Lord.”

She added: “We know that’s true. That doesn’t mean you create content that’s sugar-coated, but we’re about bringing truth into the world and ultimately bringing hope into the world.”

Heaton is well-known for her roles in TV comedies Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle, in addition to more recent faith-based comedy films including Moms’ Night Out and animated feature The Star.

A film the couple’s company recently released, Unexpected, aligns with their vision. 

The movie starts off as a light-hearted story of a couple Bob and Amy, (starring Joseph Mazzello and Anna Camp) whose marriage is strained by career setbacks, emotional isolation and a home increasingly overrun by the animals Amy keeps adopting. The theme goes deeper about midway through. 

“We had a wonderful book that we optioned,” Heaton said. “The actual story of infertility wasn’t in the original book, but it was a perfect way to use this really funny, wonderful story about adopting animals and explore the issue of infertility, which gave the story a lot more meat.”

The film has been having a huge impact on audiences, showcasing both the woman’s as well as the man’s pain due to infertility. 

“At the end of the movie, for the Q&A, there was silence,” Hunt shared. “And we thought, ‘Oh no, they hated it.’ Instead, people started getting up, one by one, women and men weeping, saying, ‘Thank you so much for telling our story.’”

Heaton’s latest role as an actress was in the recently released film The Unbreakable Boy. The film also deals with the idea of struggling with parenting, yet in a different way. 

“It’s important that churches and communities support couples, whether they have children or not,” Heaton said. “Their value is as human beings themselves. Encouragement and compassion are what is needed, not so much solutions.”

Both Hunt and Heaton aim to raise their boys in a Christian environment and encourage others to do the same. 

“It’s important for parents to model that for their children, whether it’s saying grace before meals, reading Bible stories, making sure you are at church on Sunday,” Heaton said. “Imbuing the idea that your child was created for a purpose, for God’s purpose. I think so many people are lost today, feeling like they don’t know why they’re here, and they’re kind of floundering. If you understand that God created you for a purpose, then you can rest in that knowledge and stay open to seeking His will for yourself.”

This article was originally published at CHVN Radio. 

Sylvia St. Cyr is an on-air radio host at CHVN, a Christian outlet in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.