Dwight Yoakam was so believable in his role… you might have missed him. Hope you are having a happy holiday season so far, and you end up having a very merry Christmas. In my opinion, the best way to spend the days leading up to the big day is to watch an inordinate amount of Christmas movies. I’m talking around the clock, every second of the day… it can really get you in the Christmas spirit. And everyone has their favorite, right? Some people love The Grinch (some people hate it), others prefer a classic like It’s A Wonderful Life. But if you ask me, I really enjoy those tried-and-true Christmas comedies that are out there. One of the best ones has to be the 2008 film Four Christmases. Now I’m guessing I don’t need to include too many plot points for the movie. You’ve probably seen the film that stars Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, and has the pair accidentally fall into a situation where they have to spend Christmas going to four different houses (instead of going on a tropical vacation). The premise itself is funny, but the pacing of the movie is so fast that there’s probably some roles that don’t get as much shine as they deserve. One of those characters that could use some more recognition is “Pastor Phil,” who was actually played by country artist Dwight Yoakam. Obviously, the singer-songwriter is known for his unique sound that meshed together country, rockabilly, and bluegrass. Everyone knows that his catalogue features hits like “Fast as You,” “Guitars, Cadillacs,” and “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere,” but not everyone realizes that he’s had a pretty impressive acting career too. Besides Four Christmases, Yoakam’s other notable roles are in the Billy Bob Thornton directed film Sling Blade, and the classic comedy Wedding Crashers. His performance in Sling Blade as an abusive boyfriend named Doyle Hargraves even earned him a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. So long story short, Yoakam is just as talented as an actor (and filmmaker) as he is an artist and songwriter. And I’d argue that his role as Pastor Phil in Four Christmases is up there with some of his best work. Yoakam was in his early 50s when he played the over-the-top, eccentric pastor at the church that Vaughn and Witherspoon’s character got dragged to for Christmas. The country singer played quite the believable “maybe not in it for the right reason” preacher, and arguably stole a lot of scenes that he was in. It’s funny to think that some people – even country music fans – might watch the movie and not realize that a country music great was featured prominently in the story (he even returns later in the film when the couple stops at their fourth and final house for the day). And don’t even get me started on the hilarity of the “Nativity Scene” portion of the comedy. Looking back on this scene now… there’s a good chance The Righteous Gemstones got some inspiration from Dwight Yoakam’s Pastor Phil: The post People Are Just Now Realizing That Dwight Yoakam Starred In This Beloved Christmas Movie first appeared on Whiskey Riff.