Jonathan Roumie Celebrates 1 Million Instagram Followers: ‘Grateful To Serve God’
By Movieguide® Contributor
THE CHOSEN star Jonathan Roumie is celebrating a major Instagram milestone — he just hit one million followers.
“Wow friends. I’m in a bit of a state of shock. In a little under three years, my fan base here on Instagram has increased 1000%,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “To me that means a million of you have put your trust in me as a performer, an influencer and a voice in the public space…particularly one that’s unabashedly getting the name of Jesus out to the world. After all, if it wasn’t for Him, I would not be here.”
Roumie said he was “grateful for the opportunity to serve God doing what I love,” adding, “While I constantly struggle to surrender my will, to the will of God, I give thanks for having the gift of living out a dream, doing what I love and yes, finally making a living at it! As you offer everything to Him, He will abundantly give more to you.”
The actor closed out his post by thanking his fans again, writing, “I wouldn’t be where I am without any of you.”
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Roumie rose to prominence after playing the role of Jesus in the massively popular THE CHOSEN series, but before that, he was seriously considering quitting acting.
“I got on my knees, and I prayed,” Roumie told Fox News. “I said, ‘Look, God, I give everything to you. If you want this to work, you’re going to have to help me figure out a way to survive, to find food for tomorrow. And I’m not going to worry about it anymore.’ …The point was that I committed to not having control over it anymore. And when I did that, I think that’s the thing that changed for me. My life, from that moment, has never been the same.”
Three months later, he was hired to star in THE CHOSEN.
Roumie is sharing his story in a new docuseries, JONATHAN & JESUS.
The actor told the Catholic News Agency that he’s still “trying to navigate the comfort level of being recognized,” but “it’s been extraordinary, and any kind of discomfort that I derive from the process my instinct is to just turn it over and just give it up and offer it up for God.”
Roumie continued, “At the end of the day, whether it’s the docuseries or THE CHOSEN or anything else that I do, if people are affected by it in some way or moved by it or inspired by it, that‘s the goal — to bring light to people‘s lives. And to bring Jesus into the culture in a meaningful way to affect change, to affect interior change, to affect outward change, cultural change, and this is just a part of the equation.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Roumie’s portrayal of Jesus:
While at a recent conference, THE CHOSEN actor Jonathan Roumie discussed how he approaches playing the role of Jesus, and the power that TV and movies have to connect viewers to God…
“Grace is the first word that comes to mind,” he said. “Before approaching the role, before approaching each season, there’s always a substantial amount of prayer that goes into trying to take on, as best as I can in my own sort of feeble humanity, the mind or personage of God; which is impossible. So all I can do is bring the fullness of my humanity… to the role and then ask God to utilize me sort of like a mirror to reflect his grace, his mercy, his love, his compassion, in all of the scenes.”
Roumie has felt the power his own portrayal has had through the testament of a young woman who chose not to take her life watching the first episode of THE CHOSEN. She had gone as far as writing a suicide note before a friend convinced her to come over to watch TV. The friend had THE CHOSEN on, and at the end of the first episode, the young lady started weeping and decided she wasn’t going to go through with her plan to take her own life. Two years later, she now works in a ministry to help teenagers who are struggling with their mental health.
“As a society, we need this right now,” Roumie said. “We need more of God in culture. We need people to know that they are loved, as different as we all are, God still loves [us] and everybody has a place in God’s family. And how can we reach out to those who are hurting and those who are desperate, those who are in pain. And if a TV show is able to help encourage people and make them feel closer to Jesus and closer to God, that’s my ministry right there.”
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.
