The new film Ordinary Angels tells the extraordinary real-life story of a town that rallied to help a young girl who needed life-saving surgery. Their actions truly showcased their unwavering faith in a higher power. Tamala Jones, who stars as Rose in the film, had her own faith cemented after suffering from a brain aneurysm.
“When you almost die, you look at death in the face and survive—and you’re able to see and breathe and use all of your limbs and all of your senses—surviving a brain aneurysm gave me all the faith that I ever needed,” says the For Your Love alum. “I have learned never to question God; we may not like what we’re given, but it’s for a purpose. We have to learn our lessons to get our blessings. So my faith may have been tested.”
Seeing that path was challenging when Jones was diagnosed in 1998 at the age of 23.
“I wanted to know why this happened to me. I was so young,” she recalls. “But once I got past that and realized you have another chance? Never again the question, ‘Why God?’ I am grateful. I am happy. I enjoy life. I love taking a deep breath and feeling everything. I love watching other people thrive and be beautiful in life.”
Jones is now focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “I don’t like going to the gym. I hate it. But anything outdoorsy, swimming, hiking, just taking a walk, I’m into that,” she shares. “Every week, I get a vitamin D IV drip. I’m getting cryotherapy. I’ve cut down on drinking tremendously, to where it’s a weekend or a special occasion. I realized that we only get one body. We have to take care of it as best as we can.”
Ordinary Angels tells the real-life story of Sharon Stevens (played by Hilary Swank). After reading about a sick little girl in the paper, Sharon devoted her time and business acumen to helping the little girl’s father, Ed Schmitt, who had just lost his wife, raise funds to pay for his daughter’s medical bills. Jones plays Rose, Sharon’s best pal and fellow hairstylist.
“Rose is the friend that we all need. She’s your ride-or-die. She’s nonjudgmental, but she will not sail down the river of chaos with you trying to pull you up,” Jones reveals. “She’s more: of let’s get it done. Let’s get it fixed.”
Ordinary Angels is part of the Christian film genre, though its story can appeal to all viewers. “I think because we’ve all been through such a traumatic moment: the pandemic. It tested people’s faith and strength and how much they can handle,” Jones says. “What Kingdom Story Company (Ordinary Angels’ production company) has done is taken stories based on real life, faith-based occurrences. Our faith is tested every day that we wake up. I love how they inspire you to increase your faith without pushing it.”
Ordinary Angels isn’t a Black-driven film, but it’s a story for the entire world. “This movie is colorless. It’s about what people go through in their private lives and the things that they may keep to themselves; the trouble that they may be going through that they don’t want anyone to know. They suffer in silence. We’ve all done that,” Jones confesses. “I suffered in silence. I didn’t want anyone to know what happened to me. I was ashamed and afraid if I let the studios know that I had a brain aneurysm, I wouldn’t get hired. And I was wrong. If I had spoken on it sooner, I would have gotten embraced…This movie will inspire everyone to remember the good times and what it was like to be a part of a community.”
Jones asks everyone to see the movie and donate to the cause. “I want you to go to ordinaryangels.movie and if you can give $1. We’re trying to raise $10 million to pay the hospital bills for all people who had organ donor situations, like the Schmitt family, who can’t afford to pay their bills. You’re going to become an ordinary angel, and you will be uplifted,” she says.
“I want people, when they walk away from this movie, to know that we all hurt and some hurt and silence. But if we speak up and ask for help from our local church or our neighbor, somebody is going to be willing to help us. Don’t keep it to yourself.”
