Pouring his talents into faith-based projects has been a driving force for Jeromy Darling since his conversion to Catholicism five years ago. “I made a decision that my charisms were not to be used for anything other than the kingdom, and I could no longer be a cog in the machine for some capitalist company looking to make someone else rich,” said Darling, 42, a father of four and member of Holy Cross in Minneapolis.

That means the acclaimed actor hustles: composing, consulting various Catholic organizations, filming in commercials, writing and performing in plays, representing Open Window Theatre in Inver Grove Heights and serving as director of mentorship for The Redemption Project, a nonprofit organization in Bloomington.

Q) What led to your conversion?

A) Beauty is what drew me to Catholicism. I used to listen to Gregorian chants as a kid to fall asleep. They transported me. I loved the Cathedral (of St. Paul) and Notre Dame. I heard a quote from St. Ignatius of Antioch talking about how, if the Catholic Church is so old, it must be protected by the Holy Spirit. It hit me: If that’s the case, it must be right.

I’ve probably read 100 books from 2018 (to) now. I do a lot of driving, so it’s audiobooks. I speed up the books on Audible to 1.3, where it still sounds like a normal rate but I can get through the books faster. I even found an app that can read articles to me in a very convincing British accent. I pull up prayers to learn and articles from First Things and The Catholic Thing. I probably consume 10 a week.

Q) You’re like a sponge.

A) It’s all to know Jesus more. I love Jesus, so I want to know everything about him, and I have missed so much. I was very late to getting here. It all flows from him. Beauty, philosophy, theology — everything points to Christ. I want to drink that; I want to swim in the Tiber.

Q) Your passion is inspiring to us cradle Catholics.

A) It’s extremely important to keep curiosity alive because without curiosity, you can’t see beauty.

Today we’re living in almost a vacuum of great art. We’re breeding 8-year-olds who are hooked on pornography and TikTok, so you’re getting a nation of little addicts who can’t think for themselves and who are perpetually stuck doing nothing, and their talents are being wasted.

Q) How do you guide your teenage son?

A) No smartphones for my kids. My oldest has a Light Phone, which is kind of like a flip phone except it has maps if he wants to go bike somewhere. My 11-year-old has a Gabb Phone. The kids are only allowed YouTube on Saturdays, and the computer sits in an open room, no door. That was my dad’s rule from the ’90s.

Q) How do you guard your own sense of wonder?

A) The rosary. It’s a perpetual walk with Mary reflecting on the life of her son. It sparks the imagination. That’s the point of meditation prayer: It gets you to think about his life.

Prayer is the greatest guard against any ill. I pray the St. Michael Chaplet and the Divine Mercy Chaplet — they’re short and easy, five to eight minutes throughout the day. Why wouldn’t I arm myself with these great promises from (Mary) and these great angels?

I sit with the saints before I go to bed. I’m in a season of suffering. But to be great, you have to suffer. Even our Lord learned obedience through suffering. I am reluctant to the cross, but every day I go to it.

Q) And you’re helping others who are suffering through The Redemption Project, pairing inmates with mentors who can check in on them.

A) We help them get a job and a mentor to get back to living. When you teach a man to fish, (he’s) better off than just giving him a fish. Our justice system is so screwed up, and it is the Catholic’s job to change that in America. The Catholic vision for human dignity and for the role of work has to be evangelized across prisons.

Q) Tell me about your creative process.

A) I’m writing a lot right now. Songs and stories. Usually, it begins with a random idea that just gets stuck in my head. Tolkien once heard the word Eärendil, this Gaelic word, and he was fascinated by it. All of “Lord of the Rings” began with that word. For me, it’s often a word or a phrase. With songs, it’s often a melody. I sing nonsense until something falls out of my mouth. There’s an openness to just write what he wants me to write.

My whole life is in Evernote (a note-taking app), but I’m trying to start writing with my hand again. Cursive forces you to take time and be careful. I’m not known for those things.

Q) You just returned from shooting a film called “His Name is Michael” in South Dakota.

A) It was the most incredible 10-day stretch. What God did out there with our meager loaves and fishes, which is our time and budget. God gave us everything we needed to make this film. Nobody will believe we made it for anything less than a million dollars and in 25 days. We’re hoping it will premiere in the Twin Cities in May. It’s part of a canon of three stories.

Q) December is such a busy season. How are you slowing down to embrace Advent?

A) This will be the first year when I’m really ready to try that. I have a few ideas to try to sit with my kids and talk about our journey. I’m trying to take time to read Scripture with my kids. We’re going through “The Princess and The Goblin” right now on Audible, G.K. Chesterton’s favorite children’s story ever.

Q) What do you know for sure?

A) I know he (God) loves me, and I know he wants me with him, and I know I can do it. I know I can do it.