Willie Robertson Says Faith Is Woven into Our Family’s DNA and in ‘Duck Dynasty: The Revival’
The bearded, headband-wearing star of A&E's Duck Dynasty: The Revival says faith is deeply rooted in the family and will continue to shape their projects. Willie Robertson is the CEO of the real-world business Duck Commander and the central figure -- alongside his wife Korie -- on Duck Dynasty: The Revival, which premiered in June and airs Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern on A&E. It's a reboot of Duck Dynasty and features old characters such as Si Robertson and Sadie Robertson Huff but also new ones, too.
Just as in the original Duck Dynasty, each episode of Duck Dynasty: The Revival ends with the family praying over a meal.
"The DNA of our family is centered around faith," Willie Robertson told Crosswalk Headlines. "Everything flows out of that."
That doesn't mean the series is preachy, though, he said.
"You can see just how that is flowing out of you through your family, through your love, through your kindness, through your forgiveness -- and also, just by having a different perspective in life, having joy and having fun and being together and sitting around the dinner table. Having a prayer -- these are small ways that can reflect that.
"And then if you want to know more [about the family's faith], we have podcasts and books and other things where we can kind of go deeper into that."
The family prayer that closed each episode of Duck Dynasty became a hallmark of the show—yet it started somewhat by accident, Korie said.
"We really just had planned to have a family dinner in the pilot episode, and we were going to do a family dinner, and we prayed before the family dinner, because it is what we do," Korie told Crosswalk Headlines. "And we honestly didn't even think that much about it until it came out."
The episode-ending prayer became a meaningful tradition for fans. The Robertsons received countless letters and messages from viewers who said their own families began praying before meals after watching the show.
"God took that little kind of offering and He used it in really powerful ways," she added.
Faith was at the heart of the lives of Phil and Kay Robertson, Willie's parents. Phil passed away in May, while Kay still lives near Willie and Korie in their small Louisiana town. The hit film The Blind told their story. Without faith -- Willie said -- there likely would have been no Duck Commander or Duck Dynasty.
"Korie and I probably would have never met each other," he said.
Therefore, "the faith part was just going to have to be a part of it," he added.
"It was going to be impossible to show any version of our lives, whether it's the original Duck Dynasty or The Revival, without seeing where that faith component fits in."
Meanwhile, the family is gearing up for the series' season finale, which will air Aug. 3 and include the gender reveal of Sadie's new baby.
"I am very proud of Sadie," Korie said, laughing, "because Sadie cannot keep a secret, but she has kept this secret this whole entire time."
Photo Credit: ©A&E
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published July 25, 2025.
