Exclusive Jonathan Roumie interview: Playing Jesus, God's guidance in acting and 'impostor syndrome'

Описание: As 'The Chosen' starts its 5th Season, lead actor Jonathan Roumie shares his thoughts in an interview in Madrid (Spain) with Evangelical Focus the day of the European 'premiere': 25 March 2025.

Read full transcript here: https://evangelicalfocus.com/culture/...

Question. Jim Caviezel also experienced the kind of success you are having with The Passion of the Christ, and he said that he suffered rejection from the Hollywood industry for being so closely associated with a role identified with Christianity. Other actors have shared similar experiences. Do you think that, in the future, being so strongly identified with the role of Jesus in The Chosen will affect your acting career?

Answer. No, I am not worried. I mean, whatever happens, happens. I made a commitment several years ago to go wherever God wanted to lead me.

It would not be my favorite choice not working for several years afterward—like I know was the case for Jim. But every situation is different. I think I have been given a lot of grace and opportunity.

I have a movie coming out in the fall, a romantic comedy with a famous American comedian, Kevin James, called Solo Mio. It takes place in Rome and has nothing to do with the gospel stories. But it is a fun, wholesome film that still aligns with my values and my personal brand, something I can be really proud of. So, I hope I get more opportunities afterwards.

I am going to work in faith that those opportunities will continue. But ultimately, I am not in charge of my destiny, the Lord is.



Q. For many years, both films and TV shows with Christian values were often stereotypically religious or relied too much on emotional appeal. Now, we see a completely new way of creating faith-based fiction with The Chosen, House of David, and others. There has been a significant increase in quality, in terms of production, storytelling, and scripts. How do you view this change, and why do you think it is happening now?

A. I think that commitment to production value, storytelling, and script quality is absolutely necessary. You can have the greatest message in the world, but if you do not present it well, people won’t receive it.

Imagine you have a message that contains the secret to life, but you wrap it in toilet paper, drag it through the streets, and then hand it to someone. No one is going to touch it, no matter how valuable the message inside might be. That is what Christian filmmaking was like for 20 years.

The message was great, but the overall quality—script, acting, dialogue—was so low that it worked against the very people trying to share it.

The challenge is reaching people who would not step into a church or open a Bible. How do you share the message with them? You have to tell stories in the way Hollywood tells stories, at the highest possible level.

That is the approach I take when choosing projects. It all starts with a great script. Then, I ask: Do I trust the filmmakers? Do they know how to tell a great story? If the answer to both is yes, then I get involved. And then, of course, it is about the editing, directing, and all the other elements that make a great film or TV show.

That is the only way any genre will ever move forward, by committing to the highest level of quality possible.



Q. You have played Jesus multiple times now, both on the big and small screen. Has this led you to experience “imposter syndrome” at any point?

A. Yes, I think that happened early on in my journey playing Jesus, specifically during the first season of The Chosen. I had a moment on set, in the middle of the season, where I felt overwhelmed. It was difficult, but Dallas Jenkins, the show’s creator, and I talked through it.

I was reminded that, even though I did not always feel worthy to say Jesus’ words, to preach his teachings, or to be seen as him, God put me in this role for a reason. That was not an accident.

That realization was a relief. It reminded me that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I try to hold onto that whenever I feel overwhelmed, it is about trusting God and the people I work with.