. There’s this filmmaker called Tom Shadyac. Apparently, he was Bob Hope’s youngest ever joke writer. But what he is probably best known for is directing movies like “Liar Liar,” “Patch Adams,” and “Bruce Almighty.”1 By 2006, he had a fortune of $50 million with, “a 17,000 square-foot mansion” in Los Angeles.2 As his success brought him so much money, he starting looking around. He said he was, “on set with people, [with] the crew, many of whom couldn’t afford the basic needs of their families. It didn’t seem fair to me.”3 Not too long after that he ended up having a severe bicycle accident that left him with post-concussion syndrome. Once he recovered, he sold almost everything he owned and donated huge amounts of money. He started a homeless shelter in Virginia. He moved into a trailer park in Malibu.4 Later he moved to Memphis to teach film and support a children’s research hospital.5
Shadyac said, “I’m raised in the church, with the Catholic faith, and it’s all about service and sharing your wealth and helping the underserved… I’ve been giving my wealth away and I don’t say that to be praised… when one is given, one must give”6
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Shadyac
[2] https://angelusnews.com/arts-culture/brian-banks-director-reflects-on-handling-hardships-with-faith/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Shadyac
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Shadyac
[5] https://angelusnews.com/arts-culture/brian-banks-director-reflects-on-handling-hardships-with-faith/
[6] https://angelusnews.com/arts-culture/brian-banks-director-reflects-on-handling-hardships-with-faith/