CHOSEN Star Jonathan Roumie Says Role Has ‘Deepened [His] Faith Exponentially’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Jonathan Roumie’s role on THE CHOSEN made him a star, but the actor is quick to assure fans that the show is “not about me.”
Roumie portrays Jesus on the hit show and has said that his work on THE CHOSEN has deepened his faith.
“It’s deepened my faith walk exponentially,” he explained. “The more time you spend meditating on Jesus’ life, His ministry, His words, if you’re truly invested in who He is … You can’t help but be affected by His life. So there’s no way to not be affected.”
He continued, “It’s only allowed me to go deeper in my portrayal. It’s not about me, it’s not about how good a job I can do. It’s like: ‘Am I serving [Jesus]? Am I trying to be the mirror to reflect what God wants me to see about Him through this?’ That’s my goal.”
THE CHOSEN draws millions of viewers, so it’s not surprising Roumie often gets recognized when he’s out and about. Even with baseball caps and sunglasses, fans still recognize him.
“When everybody was masked up for COVID, I thought that I’d be safe,” he shared, but fans still figured out who he was.
“I try not to draw attention to myself,” Roumie explained. “I think actors can be either introverts or extroverts. I’m more of an introvert.”
On November 18, the first three episodes of THE CHOSEN’s third season will premiere in theaters around the country. Movieguide® previously reported:
HE CHOSEN creator Dallas Jenkins recently announced that the first two episodes of Season 3 would premiere in theaters on Nov. 18.
The crowd-funded series about the life of Jesus took audiences by storm in 2017, and now two full seasons and a theatrical Christmas special later boasts over 400M views, according to The Chosen App.
Despite their historic success, Jenkins said that he and the team behind THE CHOSEN have no intention of slowing down.
“I think every step of this has been following one of our theme verses, which is in Isaiah 43:19. It says, ‘Behold, I’m doing a new thing,’” he told Movieguide®’s Evy Baehr Carroll. “Everything about THE CHOSEN has been a new thing. The way that it’s been distributed, the way that has been financed, the content itself, this isn’t going to be traditional. What can we do that maybe hasn’t been done before? The concept of putting our couple episodes in theaters, no TV show does that. But we’re like, why not?”
THE CHOSEN experimented with a theatrical release last year with their Christmas special, CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHOSEN, which became a box office success.
Jenkins said they discovered an appetite for theatrical content that they hope carries on with the upcoming Season 3 premiere.
“There’s an appetite here, so we’re going to debut Season 3, the first two episodes, in theaters and try something new and figure out something that we haven’t done before at this level,” he said. “If it works, we keep going. We’re going wherever God parts the seas towards.”
Although THE CHOSEN is approachable by all audiences—families, Christians, and non-Christians alike—Jenkins said that their goal is to present an authentic look into the life of Jesus and his disciples.
“That’s a key decision that we’ve made from the beginning is we’re pursuing authenticity,” he said. “Every human being has experienced that whether you’re following Jesus or not, life doesn’t necessarily become easier. You have to learn the difference between joy and happiness. Happiness comes sometimes when your favorite team wins a game. But when your child is very sick, or your marriage is in crisis, or you’re having a personal sin struggle and vice that you can’t seem to overcome no matter how much you pray, what then?”
“In Season 3, we dive into that more than we do even in the first two seasons,” Jenkins continued. “I think that those hard questions have to be asked, and when they’re not asked, and when they’re not pursued, I think the audience, particularly those who are outside the faith go, ‘Okay, I might be willing to accept this faith if I thought that it had something for me. But my struggles don’t seem to be answered by platitudes and by political protests, and by a nice, sweet movie that answers maybe a small question, but doesn’t answer my real heart’s cry. And that’s what we try to come after in season three, especially.”
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.
