FROM OKLAHOMA TO SUNSET

BOULEVARD IS KIND OF ONE OF

THOSE YOU'RE NOT IN KANSAS

ANYMORE MOMENTS.

Reporter: ACTOR AND

PRODUCER BRIAN PRESLEY IS

BEST KNOWN FOR HIS ROLE ON

THE SOAP OPERA, "PORT

CHARLES."

AND "GUARDING EDDIE."

I ALWAYS DREMPT OF BEING

AN ACTOR.

Reporter: BRIAN

HARKINS, FROM A TULSA,

OKLAHOMA, WHERE HE WAS A

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL STAR

AND A HOME-TOWN HERO.

A CHRISTIAN FAMILY,

AMAZING FAMILY, AMAZING MOM

AND DAD.

I DON'T REMEMBER A TIME THAT

THE CHURCH WASN'T PART OF MY

LIFE.

OUR PARENTS TAUGHT US

ETHICS, MORALS, NEVER BE

AFRAID TO CHANGE YOUR

DREAMS.

Reporter: BUT THOSE

WIND-SWEPT PLAINS, FRIDAY

NIGHT LIGHTS AND HOME

COOKING COULDN'T COMPETE

WITH THE GLAMOUR OF SUNSET

BOULEVARD.

AT 19, BRIAN MOVED TO

LOS ANGELES TO FOLLOW A

DREAM.

I FELT GOD CALLING ME TO

START A COMPANY THAT WOULD

COMBINE SECULAR VALUES.

HE WAS THE NUMBER ONE THING

IN MY LIFE.

I WAS STILL WALKING VERY

CLOSE WITH GOD.

Reporter: AFTER SEVERAL

SUCCESSFUL COMMERCIALS,

BRIAN'S DARK, BROODING

LOOKS, LANDED HIM A PART IN

THE SOAP OPERA, "DARK

SHADOWS," AND HE MET HIS

WIFE.

SHE WAS A WOMAN WHO LOVES

GOD.

I THOUGHT, I'M NOT GOING TO

LET THIS ONE GET AWAY.

HE NEVER WOULD HIDE HIS

FAITH.

HE ALWAYS HAD A BIBLE OPEN.

AND THAT IS THE BIGGEST

REASON WHY I WAS ATTRACTED

TO BRIAN PRESLEYMENT.

Reporter: FOR BRIAN, A

ROLE IN THE SOAP OPERA WAS

JUST A MEANS TO FINANCE HIS

FILM COMPANY.

BUT IN HOLLYWOOD, BIG DREAMS

CAN DIE AN AGONIZING DEATH.

HOLLYWOOD IS A VERY

SELF-CENTERED INDUSTRY.

YOU'RE AS GOOD AS YOUR NEXT

JOB.

AS I STARTED GAINING SUCCESS

AND YOU GET INVITED TO THESE

PARTIES AND YOU'RE GOING TO

EMMY AWARDS, IT WAS A

ROLLERCOASTER.

Reporter: BRIAN BEGAN

TO DRINK TO HANDLE THE

STRESS.

SEVERAL YEARS LATER, HE

THOUGHT HE HAD SEALED THE

MOVIE DEAL THAT WOULD LAUNCH

HIS FILM COMPANY, BUT IT

TURNED INTO A MOVIE DEAL

GONE BAD.

THE BROKEN PROMISES, BITTER

RECRIMINATIONS, AND HUGE

FINANCIAL LOSSES SHOOK BRIAN

TO THE CORE.

MY HEART IMMEDIATELY JUST

FELL TO THE FLOOR.

I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THEY

CAN'T DO THAT.

THEY HAVE A CONTRACT.

Reporter: BRIAN DIDN'T

WANT ERIN TO WORRY AS SHE

PREPARED TO GIVE BIRTH TO

THEIR FIRST CHILD.

I STARTED TAKING LOANS

OUT.

HAD AGENTS DROP ME.

I HAD MANAGERS DROP ME.

WE GOT TO WHERE WE COULDN'T,

YOU KNOW, MAKE OUR MONTHLY

PAYMENTS.

IT STARTED JUST SPIRALLING

TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.

ALL OF THIS TIME, I BEGAN TO

DRINK MORE AND MORE AND

MORE.

THERE WERE DAYS WHERE, YOU

KNOW, IF I STARTED FALLING

INTO DEPRESSION, AND IT

SEEMED LIKE TAKING MY OWN

LIFE SEEMED LIKE THE

SOLUTION AT THAT POINT.

Reporter: FINALLY BRIAN

TOLD ERIN ABOUT THEIR

FINANCIAL LOSSES.

BUT ERIN KNEW THE BIGGER

ISSUE IT WAS BRIAN'S

SPIRITUAL CONDITION.

I WOULD DRAG HIM TO

CHURCH.

WHEN HE WAS REALLY HUNG

OVER, AND THAT'S WHEN HE

NEEDED HIM THE MOST.

I REMEMBER CERTAIN POINTS

AND THE SERVICE, I COULD

ALWAYS TELL WHEN GOD HAD

GOTTEN THROUGH TO HIM

BECAUSE HE WOULD REACH OVER

AND GRAB MY HAND.

AT THAT VERY MOMENT, I WOULD

ALWAYS THINK, THANK YOU.

Reporter: BY NOW THE

PRESLEYS HAD A SECOND CHILD,

A LITTLE GIRL, BUT BRIAN'S

DRINKING CONTINUED.

I WOULD TRY TO TELL

MYSELF, I WANT TO STOP, I'M

GOING TO STOP, BUT I

COULDN'T.

I COULDN'T.

I WAS MAD.

I WAS MAD AT GOD.

I WAS MAD AT THIS PATH I WAS

SUPPOSED TO GO DOWN

COMPLETELY TURNED.

I TURNED AWAY FROM CHURCH.

I TURNED AWAY FROM GOD.

MY WIFE WOULD TRY TO TELL ME

TO GO BACK TO CHURCH.

I WOULD TELL HER I DON'T

WANT PEOPLE IN MY BUSINESS.

I DON'T WANT TO BE JUDGED.

Reporter: BRIAN'S

PHYSICAL HEALTH WAS

DETERIORATING, TOO.

IN 2010, HE WAS HOSPITALIZED

WITH EARLY STAGES OF LIVER

AND KIDNEY FAILURE.

THAT'S WHEN THE ONCE

PROMISING ACTOR BEGAN TO

FACE REALITY.

HE SAID, I'M IN SERIOUS

TROUBLE.

AND I SAID WHY?

AND HE SAID, I MADE AN

ABSOLUTE MESS OF MY LIFE.

Reporter: YET EVEN

AFTER HIS RECOVERY, BRIAN

CONTINUED TO DRINK.

HE SAYS IT TOOK THE

HOSPITALLATION OF

HOSPITALIZATION OF HIS YOUNG

DAUGHTER FOR A SEIZURE

DISORDER, AND THE PRAYERS OF

HIS WIFE FOR A TURN AROUND.

SHE SAID, I KNOW YOUR

SICK, AND I'M GOING TO HELP

YOU THROUGH THIS.

BUT YOU'VE GOT TO WORK.

YOU'VE GOT TO FIGHT FOR ME

AND YOU'VE GOT TO FIGHT FOR

OUR TWO KIDS.

Reporter: AND FIGHT HE

DID.

BRIAN JOINED A 12-STEP

PROGRAM, RETURNED TO CHURCH,

AND BEGAN TO READ THE BIBLE

AGAIN.

WHAT IS COOL IS OUR GOD

IS A GOD OF SECOND CHANCES.

I GREW UP IN CHURCH, BUT I

DON'T THINK I REALLY

UNDERSTOOD THE MEANING OF

GRACE UNTIL I WAS IN MY

30s.

I KNOW GOD HAS HIS PLAN FOR

ME, AND ALL I CAN DO IS DO

MY BEST EVERY DAY TO, YOU

KNOW, LIVE FOR HIM.

HE IS A BETTER FATHER TO

OUR FAMILY, AND DEFINITELY

HANDS-DOWN BETTER HUSBAND.

BRIAN PRESLEY, CLEAN AND

SOBER IS REALLY SPECIAL.

Reporter: HIS LATEST

PRODUCTION, STARRING KURT

RUSSELL, WAS RELEASED IN

2012.

THE STORY PARL LI PARALLELS

BRIAN'S OWN LIFE.

GOD CAN RESURRECT

EVERYTHING.

NO MATTER WHERE YOUR

STRUGGLES ARE IN LIFE, GOD

CAN BRING YOU BACK FROM

THAT.

THE ONLY WAY I GOT BACK TO

THE SURFACE WAS WITH JESUS

PULLING THE ROPE.