Jonathan Roumie on Playing Jesus in The Chosen

The Chosen is a groundbreaking television series that has captured millions of viewers worldwide with its fresh and very humanized portrayal of the life of Jesus Christ and His disciples. The series, created by Dallas Jenkins, breathes a new life into the already familiar Gospel narratives, thus offering a point of view that is both emotionally sound and also spiritually uplifting.

It is not like most traditional biblical dramas. In fact, The Chosen focuses on the personal problems, struggles, and triumphs of all those who followed Jesus of Nazareth, making their own stories highly relatable.

At the center of this remarkable series is the up-and-coming American actor Jonathan Roumie, whose depiction of Jesus has garnered widespread acclaim for its authenticity, warmth, and depth of character.

In this media panel interview, Roumie delves into the challenges and blessings of embodying such an iconic role, his spiritual journey through the entire process, and how The Chosen has  impacted audiences and his own life.

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When you started out as an actor, did you ever want to be like perhaps the next Brad Pitt or George Clooney?

No. I knew that was never going to be possible. I just wanted to have access to being able to participate in telling stories that were meaningful and that had hopefully some sort of impact on me. I just wanted to be a part of good stories well told. The Chosen eventually came along, but before that, there was a small production, I think, with the church, where I finally portrayed the role of Jesus.

When did you realize that your acting had transcended mere entertainment and become a true calling for you?

I think it wasn't until the first season of The Chosen where I had been concurrently in between seasons, and then I was performing a passion play. I started looking back on the amount of times in about four years that I had played Jesus. It was like five times in four years. There was a multimedia project about St. Faustina, which was the first time I actually played Jesus in 2013. A few years later, I was cast in The Chosen. After we completed the first season and saw how it was received by people around the world, I thought, God truly has a specific plan for me and my life as a performer in portraying this character.

Jesus at the temple where he made the blind see.

The Chosen explores the disciples' decision to follow Jesus. You have your own surrender story. Can you share your experience before landing the lead role in this film? 

I was struggling for many years in Los Angeles. I'd moved there from New York and spent eight years trying to make acting my full-time living. And it wasn't going so well. I had engagements on different TV shows and successes in voiceover work, but I never quite hit anything that led to, you know, either multiple episodes on a television show or a film that led to something else.

So I was working, doing different side jobs, but none of them were really enough to kind of pay the bills. It felt like something was off; it just didn't seem normal. I reached a point where I literally woke up one morning to find my checking account balance negative, and I was deeply in debt.

I had enough food to last the day, but my credit cards were frozen, and I didn't know what I was going to do. I did the only thing I could do, which was to leave it all in God's hands because I had no other choice. God gave me no choice but to surrender, and so I did.

That very day, I received a windfall in the form of four different paychecks from disparate sources—jobs I had done over the years that were paying residuals. I recorded opening the checks for posterity. For me, it was both a financial and spiritual miracle, proving that the minute I gave my life and career to God, He opened the floodgates for me.

Three months later, I got booked for The Chosen. I didn't have the same anxiety I used to have, because I knew God would take care of me. And He has.

Season 4 can be summed up as one big "why" in your own personal experience. How do you still grapple with the "whys" in your life, even after growing so much in faith?

Faith is a journey. Belief is a journey. A relationship with God is one that all people need. I may never be able to answer, or receive an answer to, any of my "whys."

But I don't need the answer. The "why" doesn't matter. What matters is knowing that I may not understand the plan God has for my life, but He does. I have to trust in the "what." If I trust in the "what," the "why" doesn't matter. As long as I continue to trust in the "what" or the "who"—even more specifically, the "who"—I'm covered.

The pivotal moment leading up to the miraculous resurrection.

How do you personally find the courage to stand up for all the things that everyone looks up to you for? Do you spiritually prepare in any way for the roles you take on?

I think that if I exhibit any kind of courage, it is by the grace of the Holy Spirit. There have been things that I haven't initially felt comfortable doing or wanted to do, but I just kept getting promptings from the Holy Spirit that it's going to be okay. It's going to be fine. I have to continue to rely on God for my faith—because faith is a gift—for an increase in faith, for grace, for strength, and for courage.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of playing Jesus Christ? Aren't you scared of being typecast?

Being stereotyped as Jesus Christ could be a career killer. But for me, it was a career giver. When you accept the fact that you're putting God in charge of any aspect of your life—whether it's your career, personal life, love life, marriage, children, financial problems, debts, burdens, family members, or any trial or struggle—you're only increasing your chances of getting through these perceived obstacles. That's because, in reality, they are just perceptions of trouble or obstacles.

When you're devoted to God and completely trusting in Him, He will get you through anything. I have no qualms or belief that there is any kind of stereotype or prevention of a wider-ranging career because I'm playing Jesus. In fact, it's the opposite. Because I'm playing Jesus, and because I've committed to it, God has given me a career that is now starting to reach beyond it. It's all on His time.

This has been the greatest gift to me, not just for professional reasons, but also for personal reasons. And He continues to open doors through relationships. I'm getting more opportunities to do things than ever before.

How do you balance the responsibility of portraying such a revered figure with adding a personal and human dimension to the role?

Well, I just leave it to God to do the heavy lifting. I can only bring my humanity to the role because I'm not divine in any aspect whatsoever. So, I offer everything I do up to God, especially this role, and I ask Him to guide me through every scene. I pray before every scene and ask for wisdom, discernment, and guidance on every scene, every episode, and every line. And He does the rest. That's how I handle that.

The Chosen Season 5: Last Supper is expected to premiere in 2025, most likely aligned with the observance of Holy Week. The series is planned to run for seven seasons, covering the life of Jesus Christ and key events in the New Testament.