Adam DeVine on Real-Life Inspiration for Kelvin Gemstone’s God Squad
The God Squad is no joke.
In an interview with E! News, Righteous Gemstones star Adam DeVine revealed the origins of the God Squad, a group formed by his character, Kelvin Gemstone, the son of megachurch pastor Dr. Eli Gemstone (John Goodman).
Adam explained that show creator Danny McBride found inspiration in real-life Texas evangelist John Jacobs, who founded the famous Christian group the Power Team in the late 1980s. According to Vice, the ministry was incredibly popular among youth group leaders, who hired the Power Team to talk to teen congregants “about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, premarital sex and gangs.”
After educating the kids on the risks of such activities, they’d invite them and their parents to evening shows, where they’d break fiery bricks with their arms and run through blocks of ice in the name of God.
Danny thought that the group fit the theme of the HBO series, which is centered around the Gemstone family, and decided to make it a part of Kelvin’s story line for season two. But the Workaholics star told E! News that his character is a “weirdo,” so naturally, “he’s made it a little different.”
