The Voices of SOUL ON FIRE: James McCracken (ep. 808)

Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

John O'Leary

Self-improvement, Bestsellingauthor, Education, Dailyinspiration, Society & Culture, Liveinspired, Johnoleary, Inspiration, Joebuck, Inspiredliving, Onfire, Relationships

4.9 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, The Voices of SOUL ON FIRE shines a spotlight on one of the youngest members of the cast: James McCracken.

At just nine years old, James stepped into the unforgettable role of young John O’Leary in the upcoming film SOUL ON FIRE. Despite his age, this rising star brings remarkable heart and depth to the screen with talent nurtured with the encouragement of his family, including his mom Becca, who joins us for part of this conversation.

Today, James shares what it was like stepping onto set with legends like John Corbett and William H. Macy, how he navigated the challenge of prosthetics and long filming days, and what he’s learning about courage, resilience, and adventure. Alongside his mom, Becca, we hear the story of how a simple spark of curiosity during the pandemic has become a passion shaping James’s future.

My friends, you’ll leave this conversation reminded that age is never a barrier to living with purpose, that wonder and courage can be found at every stage of life, and that sometimes the boldest dreams come from the smallest voices.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You know that Keeley companies is all about fostering the world-class culture through their incredible cultural pillars.
0:07.5	Well, it was time to add a seventh cultural pillar, Kewley Green.
0:12.5	Guided by the mission to raise the sustainability standards by which they design, build, operate, and live.
0:18.8	Keeley Green is dedicated to using a holistic approach to leave a positive impact on our
0:24.6	environment, create a future that is sustainable for generations to come.
0:29.4	In the words of Rusty Keeley, we are just getting started.
0:34.3	You can learn more about that just getting started mentality and all the work they do
0:38.7	by visiting my friends at Keeley Companies online at keelie Companies.com.
0:46.2	Welcome to the Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary. John is the two-time national bestselling
0:51.8	author of On Fire and In Aw.
0:55.1	He's a world-class inspirational speaker, the host of the Live Inspired podcast.
1:00.5	And he's the real-life inspiration behind the major motion picture, Soul On Fire.
1:05.7	Each week, John interviews extraordinary individuals about their life stories so you can more fully live your life story.
1:13.3	Here's your host, John O'Leary.
1:15.8	Well, hello, my friends, and welcome to the Live Inspired podcast with John O'Leary.
1:21.2	This week, the Voices of Soul on Fire series brings forward our youngest cast member. Our youngest star, his name is James McCracken.
1:31.9	Little James was one of more than 800 child actors who tried out for the role of John O'Leary
1:41.0	in the forthcoming film, Soul on Fire.
1:45.0	And of those 800 young actors, the one who rose to the top was a little fella named James.
1:51.8	As we dance through this conversation together, James and I are going to have a candid conversation
1:57.3	about acting, about baseball, about life. We may even talk about the Cubs and the Cardinals,
2:05.4	yes. But more than that, we're going to talk about what it looks like to show fully to love the
	...

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