A 24-year-old actor with Down syndrome who stars in a new Pure Flix/Karen Kingsbury series says he wants to encourage people with disabilities and remind audiences that "God is there for you."
Cole Sibus portrays a character with Down syndrome in the new series A Thousand Tomorrows, which is based on a Kingsbury novel and is streaming on Pure Flix. Her son, Tyler Russell, wrote the screenplay. Sibus himself has Down syndrome.
The series follows the story of a cowboy who falls in love with a female barrel racer but then faces a major life trial. It stars Rose Reid (Finding You, Surprised by Oxford) and Colin Ford (We Bought a Zoo, Under the Dome). Sibus' character is the cowboy's brother, Carl Joseph.
Sibus told Christian Headlines he knew early in life that he wanted to be an actor.
"When I was little, my sister made home videos. And she asked me to be in her home videos," Sibus said.
It is his third role. A Christian, Sibus starred in the 2018 film Spare Room and then in the 2019-2020 ABC series Stumptown.
"I want to inspire people with disabilities to accomplish their dreams as well," he said of acting.
A Thousand Tomorrows, he said, is his favorite project to date.
"I get to work with Colin Ford," he said. "He was my favorite actor growing up. As a kid, I watched his film We Bought a Zoo. … And now we're together, working together."
The film's message, he said, is simple: "God is there for you and He will always support you to keep going in life."
"We are alike," he said of his character, Carl Joseph. "Because I'm a Christian, and he's a Christian as well."
Cassidy Lunnen, the film's director, said Sibus is one reason she wanted to be involved.
"It's a series about love, faith, strength, overcoming trials," she said. "I have a cousin who has Down syndrome and I love to see them represented. It's beautiful to see."
Meanwhile, James Martin, an actor with Down syndrome, won an Oscar this year for his role in the short film An Irish Goodbye. It was the first time an actor with Down syndrome won an Oscar.
Photo courtesy: ©Pure Flix, used with permission.
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
