Portraying Jesus in film: Believing actors talk about the personal impact
August 5, 2024
Since the first film about Jesus was released in 1898, at least 34 films about Christ have been produced with another 80 in which the Savior is featured in some way.
The Deseret News reports that, in recent decades, higher quality productions have created deeper personal impact for viewers as well as for those actors who are cast to play Jesus on film.
Specifically, six individuals who have portrayed the Savior over the past two decades were asked to describe how the role impacted their lives and faith.
Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the hit series “The Chosen” explained how he started seeking roles that he felt God was calling him to, rather than roles that would simply advance his acting career. A few months later, he was cast to play Christ in The Chosen.
Jim Caviezel who was cast to play Jesus in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” described how he reread the Gospels and studied Christian writings about Jesus’ final years to be better prepared. Even so, Caviezel said, “I was half exhilarated and half terrified, honestly. I felt that the whole way through.”
Other actors who were asked to describe how the role had impacted them, spoke of the need they felt to be a conduit of pure love to all around them.
Roumie spoke of how this began with how he related to his fellow cast members, saying, “My main goal is to portray Christ’s heart and love for all of humanity and everyone around me with a much more open heart, a sense of compassion and kindness.”
According to the Deseret News, several actors related having had special moments that they were not fully comfortable in sharing publicly.
Jim Caviezel said, “There are things that I went through that I can’t even talk about. I felt like a great presence came within me at times when we were filming.”
Many of the actors and the directors associated with their films spoke of how their portrayal of Jesus had given them a powerful desire to share what they learned through their experiences.
Photo: top, Credit: Eliza Anderson/Deseret News