Sunday, May 04, 2003
Willie Aames, who acted in 'Charles in Charge,' filled role of Bibleman after religious rebirth
Bibleman to the rescue, by power of God

When one actor cleaned up his life and found a relationship with God, Bibleman became the new role for him to play.

By LAURENCE HAMMACK
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   Backstage with Bibleman, 15 minutes to show time:

    Willie Aames has just squeezed into a silver, Spandex body suit trimmed in orange and studded with chrome-plated armor. Complete with helmet, cape and light saber, the outfit weighs 30 pounds.

    "As far as pre-show preparation goes, it's a lot of sucking in my gut," Aames said as about 8,000 people waited for him to take the stage at Salem Stadium on Saturday morning during the Southwest Virginia Festival 2003 with Franklin Graham.

    Aames, who once played Tommy Bradford in the 1970s TV series "Eight is Enough," now has a role he finds more meaningful: Bibleman, the superhero who fights the bad guys by quoting Scripture and wielding his sword of truth.

    "It's a live-action superhero character, but it's more like a cross between Star Wars, Batman and the Rocky Horror Picture Show meets positive message," Aames said of the show.

    The idea is to grab children's attention with a flashy light show, pyrotechnics and large-screen video, all with a Christian theme.

    In reality, Bibleman "doesn't have any special super powers," Aames said. "The only difference is when he runs into an obstacle in life, his guidance and encouragement comes from the Bible."

    Lest kids become too fixated on all the glitz, Aames said he makes it a point to take off his helmet at the end of every show - revealing the face of a man who fell into the "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" crowd before becoming a born-again Christian.

    "I think it's very clear in the show that without my relationship with God, I'm nothing. Just a man in a suit," he said.

    As a member of the Hollywood set in the 1970s, Aames made millions as an actor while hobnobbing with famous people on the party circuit. In the 1980s, he also starred in the show "Charles in Charge." But something was missing, he said.

    "There was one thing that I didn't have, and that was hope," he said.

    Aames, 43, eventually enrolled in a 12-step recovery program to get cocaine out of his life. But he was unsure how to let the Lord into his life until one day when he heard a preacher on the radio who made him laugh.

    He went to the preacher's service that Sunday and became a changed man. One part of his Hollywood habit remains, though: Aames still likes to make people laugh.

    "God has a sense of humor; just look at this," he said of his outfit before Saturday's performance.

    The show - which was well attended until rain began to fall halfway through it - consisted of a running dialogue among Bibleman, his sidekick Cypher, and an evil, God-questioning computer that was their nemesis.

    The dialogue included jokes aimed at both children and adults, Aames said. And while some music and dance were thrown in, the script never strayed far from the underlying message.

    Before Bibleman engaged in a light-saber battle with Cypher, the text of James 4:10 flashed up on the video screen: "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up."

    "Part of always being ready for combat is to remember Scriptures like this one," Bibleman said.

    Last year, the Bibleman show traveled to 80 cities and reached more than 300,000 children. The operation, which Aames runs from his home in Kansas City, also produces Bibleman videos that are sold in Christian bookstores.

    Although the superhero antics are a hit with children, Aames hopes that as his followers grow older, they will begin to think: "Maybe that guy in Spandex had something to say."

    On Saturday, an estimated crowd of 8,100 consisted almost entirely of parents with small children in tow or small children with parents in tow.

    As Steve Hardin of Roanoke sat in the stands with his four children, ages 2 to 10, he wore a Bibleman mask and cape. Hardin, who appreciates the positive influence Bibleman has on his children, said he was "psyched" several months ago to hear that their hero was coming to town.

    "I like it when he does the light-saber fights," Hardin's 10-year-old son, Glen, said. But at the same time, he added, "He knows his Bible."

    LAURENCE HAMMACK can be

   reached at 981-3239 or

   laurence.hammack@roanoke.com.

Let any elected or appointed official know what you think and how you feel by CLICKING HERE.