Former U.S. senator/Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson caught up with BreatheCast at the New York Premiere of the film 'Persecuted' and he discussed playing a priest in the new controversial film.

Thompson confessed that playing a priest for the film was "A little unusual."

"I went from playing bad guys to a really good guy in a hurry, but that was one of the things that made it interesting," he said. "I was Saul, before I was Paul."

The film has received rave reviews from Congress, CPAC, and the NRB, but the mainstream media has insisted on criticizing it. Nevertheless, Thompson affirmed that the movie has a powerful message. He maintained, "One of the purposes of the film is to remind us how important it is to protect our constitutional rights."

"This is about what happened to one man when he stood for what he believed in and how he handled it," the former senator stated, "and I think it can be an inspiration for other people regardless of what their challenge is or what kind of under dog they may be."

The political thriller was written by Daniel Lusko and stars well-known actor James Remar as a televangelist who is framed for murder after he refuses to support a popular wave of religious reform in the U.S. It also stars Thompson, Dean Stockwell, and Bruce Davison.

In an older interview Thompson told CPAC that the movie's theme of "the government trying to dictate what Christian ministers can say ... is not so far-fetched today."

"Washington and Hollywood are two interesting towns," Thompson also told The Hollywood Reporter in a previous interview, "This film brings these two worlds together. Throw in a bit of religion and you have a recipe for a great thriller. "

Watch Thompson's full interview on the red carpet with BreatheCast below:

'Persecuted' brought in $959,000 its first weekend at the box office and ranked at number 19.

View the trailer for 'Persecuted' Below: