Patricia Heaton believes it’s a “privilege to be living” in America and has high hopes for the next four years with President Donald Trump’s administration.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the 66-year-old actress, who is starring in the upcoming faith-based movie “The Unbreakable Boy,” said she is optimistic about Trump’s second term.
“I want everybody to feel that America is on the right track, feel proud of America and grateful,” Heaton said.
PATRICIA HEATON SAYS LA FIRES PROVE ‘WE CAN’T JUST RELY ON THE GOVERNMENT’
The “Everyone Loves Raymond” star explained that traveling to other countries for charitable work has given her a strong appreciation for being an American citizen. In 2015, Heaton became the first celebrity ambassador for the Christian international humanitarian aid organization World Vision.
Her philanthropic work for the charity has included trips to Rwanda, Jordan and Uganda, where she has met with refugees and advocated on behalf of people living in poverty, according to her biography on World Vision’s website. Heaton has also sponsored children in Zambia and Guatemala.
“I’ve traveled a lot around the world with World Vision and with other organizations,” Heaton said. “And, you know, it’s a privilege to be living in this country.”
WATCH: PATRICIA HEATON OPTIMISTIC PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ‘AMERICA ON THE RIGHT TRACK’
“There’s so much opportunity here,” she continued. “My husband’s an immigrant from England, and that’s a very, like, class society. And when he came over here, it was sort of like people told him, ‘You can do anything you want. And by the way, we want to help you achieve your dreams.’”
“And I think that’s what’s beautiful about the American people. And we want everybody who is here to feel like they can achieve their dreams.”
Heaton and British actor and director David Hunt have been married since 1990 and share four sons.
“The Middle” actress expressed her hope that the Trump administration could make progress with easing tensions in the Middle East. Senior administration officials have said Trump has set his sights on an expansion of the Abraham Accords, which was brokered during the president’s first term.
The Abraham Accords was a historic peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates that normalized relations and created bilateral agreements regarding “investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy, health care, culture, the environment, the establishment of reciprocal embassies, and other areas of mutual benefit.”
Prior to Trump’s inauguration last month, his team and the Biden administration negotiated a ceasefire and hostage-exchange between Hamas and Israel. Discussions about a second phase of the deal began last week.
“I’m hopeful that the difficulties in the Middle East will be settled to some extent,” Heaton told Fox News Digital. “I don’t think it’ll ever completely go away. There’s thousands of years of history there that’s hard to undo.”
Heaton also weighed in on the future changes that she hopes to see in California after last month’s devastating fires, which killed 29 people and damaged or destroyed more than 16,000 structures.
The two-time Emmy Award winner, who teamed up with the nonprofit organization The LA Dream Center to aid with disaster relief efforts, previously criticized California leadership, claiming officials “dropped the ball” regarding the response to the fires.
WATCH: PATRICIA HEATON SHARES HOW LEANING ON HER FAITH HELPS HER OVERCOME CHALLENGING TIMES
Heaton told Fox News Digital in January that city leaders were not prepared for the fires and questioned where taxpayer money had been spent. The actress emphasized a need for forestry management and reservoirs actually filled with water.
“I know some of the officials were saying, ‘Well, the system was overwhelmed.’ Well, in case of a huge fire, of course it’s going to be overwhelmed,” Heaton said. “You should know that and have been prepared for that. So, I think there’s a lot of money spent in L.A. and we can’t figure out where it’s going.”
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“It’s people coming together in your community and insisting on getting stuff done. And sadly, this is a very, very, very harsh lesson.”
During her most recent interview with Fox News Digital, Heaton said she believed California leadership needed to focus on two basic priorities.
“I just think you want to do the foundational work of your government, which is to maintain the infrastructure, number one. And keep people safe. Number two, like just focus on those two things,” she said. “And when you get that done, then you can add on some bells and whistles.”
Heaton’s upcoming movie “The Unbreakable Boy,” is an adaptation of Scott Michael LeRette and Susy Flory’s 2014 book of the same name that was inspired by a true story. Written and directed by Jon Gunn, “The Unbreakable Boy” also stars Zachary Levi, Meghann Fahy, Jacob Laval, Peter Facinelli and Drew Powell.
A plot synopsis for the film reads, “When Scott and Teresa learn that their son, Austin, is autistic and has brittle bone disease, they initially worry about his future. However, with Scott’s growing faith and Austin’s incredible spirit, they become unbreakable as they find joy, gratitude and courage in the most trying times.”
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While speaking with Fox News Digital, Heaton shared that the movie emphasizes the importance of faith and community. Heaton, who is a devout Catholic, explained that she overcomes challenging times in her own life by leaning on her faith.
“I know that God is in control and in charge,” she said. “So even if he allows difficult circumstances into my life, I know he’s there with me and that we will get through these things and that he allows things in order to teach us something and to help us grow.”
“But he also gives us people in our life to surround us, to walk through these difficulties together,” Heaton added. “And so I think that’s part of what this movie is about. It’s about family coming together and coming together in their community and being able to overcome issues with hope, with heart and with humor.”
WATCH: PATRICIA HEATON SAYS NEW MOVIE ‘THE UNBREAKABLE BOY’ HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF FAITH AND COMMUNITY
Heaton told Fox News Digital that she was drawn to the project because she loved the story told in the original book.
“It’s a true story, and it’s very inspirational,” she said. “And there’s a lot of families that you might even know and you don’t realize they have struggles within their family.”
Heaton continued, “And so, I think it’s good for all of us to learn to be open about what we’re doing, what we’re struggling with, so that your community can come alongside you and walk with you through difficult times.”
“Faith and community are really important things, and I think community is the visible hands and feet of God,” she added. “So God says, ‘I’m here for you, and I’m here for you through your community.’ And this is how we love each other and this is how we are our best selves. And I think the movie also shows that.”
“We’re becoming a society in schools and our other institutions, who are now realizing that we need to accommodate people of all different kinds of ways of being, of people that have learning differences and personality differences, and that we can accommodate everybody and create a society that helps everyone flourish and achieve their potential. So I think that’s a lot of the message that this movie imparts, and I think we need that right now. “
