Actor Jonathan Roumie has become the face of Jesus for millions of people around the world, thanks to his role as Christ in the TV series, “The Chosen.”
After meeting Pope Francis at a General Audience, he can certainly count on the Pope's prayers.
-“I have the honor of playing the role of Jesus in the TV series, 'The Chosen.'”
-“Well, may you imitate Him, may you find Him, and may He make you happy.”
-“Thank you.”
JONATHAN ROUMIE
Actor, “The Chosen”
“It was a childhood dream-come-true. It's something that I've always wanted to do: meet the Pope, and I never had a chance to do it as a kid. We exchanged a few words, he was wonderfully funny and just full of joy, and it was a real blessing for me.”
Wonderfully funny because of this exchange between the Pope and Dallas Jenkins, the director of “The Chosen.”
-“This is Jesus. You are Judas?”
-“Yes- No! No no no.”
(laugh)
DALLAS JENKINS
Director, “The Chosen”
“Apparently 'The Chosen' has become popular in the Catholic Church and at the Vatican. I'm a Protestant myself. I don't have a personal connection to the Pope or to the Catholic Church. But it was a great honor to meet him. And when he met me, he decided to make a joke about the fact. He said, 'Is this Jesus?' pointing to Jonathan. And I said, 'Yes.' He goes, 'Are you Judas?' And I thought, 'Alright, I like this guy. This is fun.' You know, he has a good sense of humor.”
Dallas Jenkins' widely successful series, distributed by Angel Studios, is the largest crowdfunded work of its kind.
Nearly 19,000 people invested a total of over $11 million to make the first season. The second, and latest, season was also fully funded, with over $10 million raised.
NEAL HARMON
Co-founder and CEO of Angel Studios
“The people that are paying it forward are from all over the world. They're from countries from every continent, and they're people who have watched the show, felt like it's moved them, and they want other people to be able to watch the show.”
It's the first multi-season series about Jesus' life, and it's told from the perspective of the people closest to him, namely, his disciples. With seven seasons planned, Jenkins says he has a lot more room to develop the characters than he would in a feature film. He even has room to add to the material he gets from the bible.
DALLAS JENKINS
Director, “The Chosen”
“Our number one question every time we do anything that isn't from the Bible is, 'Is this plausible? Could this have happened historically, culturally, or just knowing what we know about human beings?' Because so many of the portrayals of these characters in previous 'Jesus' shows, they don't feel like human beings. They feel like paintings, or they feel very formal.”
It's that human aspect that Jenkins says most appeals to fans, and it's what Jonathan Roumie tries to portray in his role as Jesus.
JONATHAN ROUMIE
Jesus Christ, “The Chosen”
“The three things that I really strive to communicate are God's love, mercy and compassion. I think those are, that's the essence of who God is. And I think if we can adopt more of those qualities as humans, the world would be in a much better place.”
“The Chosen” has made its way around the globe with its unique perspective of Jesus' life. The first two seasons are available for free in 50 different languages. Season 3 is over 50 percent funded and is expected to premiere in early 2022.
Claudia Torres
The Chosen
