Nancy Travis believes Americans are “more alone than ever,” fueling a stronger connection to stories of resilience.
The “Last Man Standing” alum stars in Lifetimes “Rescued by Faith: The Connie and Larry Van Oosten Story,” based on the 2017 case of a couple who were abducted from their home and locked in a hidden bunker while their captor tried to drain their life savings.
“I think people feel more alone than ever,” the actress told Fox News Digital while discussing Americas growing appetite for films with a message of hope.
“I think a lot of our lives are lacking in community,” she said. “Theyre certainly lacking . Theres a lack of in-person community. Some people spend a lot of time at home behind a computer, and thats their human interaction. I think people are looking for some kind of connection and some kind of feeling, especially now.”
“First of all, for many, its hard to get a job,” she said. “Its hard to make ends meet. Times are difficult. And I think that resonates in that people feel like theres no support system. This story is an extreme example of something catastrophic happening, but I think theres that fear that even on a smaller level, something catastrophic could happen.”
“I see myself as a very positive, glass-half-full kind of person, but I definitely feel around me just fear. A lot of fear,” the 64-year-old added.
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The star shared that while she spoke to Connie. It changed her perspective.
“They have a strong faith,” she said about the couple. “I personally feel that you need some kind of faith, whether its in yourself, your community or your God. Its anything that helps get us by. And I think what drew me to Connie and Larrys story is that theyre ordinary people, and this extraordinary thing happened to them. They managed to persevere through their faith, and they made it through.”
“The message they want to tell people is that regardless of your hardship, youre not alone,” Travis said. “Theyre Christians. They , and that gave them comfort. They would even say that it helped guide them to survival. It also gave them a certain type of peace â that if things didnt work out, if they didnt survive this ordeal, they were not alone in that trial.”
Travis said that in her life, family has been central to supporting her, even during challenging moments.
“Im thankful that I am not alone, that I do have family,” she said. “The theme of this film is that, with faith, everything will turn out OK at the end of the day, even if it doesnt mathematically add up to that OK. I think just knowing that takes an anxiety away. It doesnt mean that it takes away grief, because I think grief is very profound and manifests in people in different ways. But its knowing that in hard situations, you do everything that you can, and its enough to know that youve done that.”
Travis also leans on the family shes made in Hollywood. She described how the “Last Man Standing” cast has remained close over the years. The sitcom, starring Tim Allen, concluded its nine-season run in 2021. The show was previously canceled by ABC in 2017 despite high ratings but was revived by Fox.
” have certainly had a very long partnership,” she said about the actor, 72. “We did that show for nine years and had no idea that it would have that longevity. But hes such a wonderful comedian and actor. And hes very generous with what he does. He doesnt have to have all the punchlines. He doesnt have to be the center all the time. And I was very impressed that he was willing to share that and share his talent with us.”
“We were so blessed to be on that show,” she reflected. “We really did create a family. I am still close to all of the actors. Its just a nice thing in this business, especially when jobs really come and go. And its so wonderful that we all remained friends. Im still friends with Tim. I
