THE CHOSEN’s Jonathan Roumie: Surrendering to God Led Me to This Role
By Allyson Vannatta, Senior Writer
Jonathan Roumie, star of THE CHOSEN and winner of the Grace Prize® for Television at the 28th Annual Movieguide® Awards, detailed how giving everything to God led him to success.
In a recent interview, Roumie shared a story about a moment in his life when he was in a very low valley.
The star detailed how he was in L.A. with no work, out of food and only had $20 in his pocket with debt to pay off. He was “stressed” and “questioning his purpose in life.”
“I was on my knees, and I said to God, ‘I don’t know why you brought me to this place. I don’t know why I’m here. I think I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I think you put this into my heart, to be an artist, to somehow serve you — but I can’t make ends meet. I’m going to need you to step in,” Roumie said.
It was in this moment he was willing to walk away from everything he worked for to completely surrender to God.
He said, “I had been asking for a long time, ‘If this is not what I am supposed to be doing, let me know,’ and I didn’t get anything else that hit me that I should be doing instead — but here I was, literally brought to my knees. I was done. I gave it all to him and said, ‘You take care of it.’”
Later that same day, Roumie was, “Surprised to receive money in the mail that covered all his upcoming bills.”
“I said to God, ‘So this is how it’s going to be? Full and complete surrender, huh? Okay. You got it.’ From that moment on, my life turned on a dime — and has never been the same since. I’ve had obstacles like all of us do, stresses — but how I handled them was completely different from that moment on. I resolved to trust that even in the eleventh hour, God will handle it. I just need to remain true to him and trust him, and he will never let me down — and he hasn’t. Three months from that day, I was confirmed for the role of Jesus in The Chosen.”
With all the success of the show, also comes new responsibility for Roumie.
“I’m also very cognizant of the responsibility I have, now, playing this role of Jesus,” he explained.
Roumie said, “He feels blessed by the opportunity” to work on the TV project THE CHOSEN and hopes he can help other people find Jesus.
“If I can lead them to Christ in some way, I feel that that’s what I’m here to do.”
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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