Neal McDonough Speaks Out About His Role in Controversial Jesus Podcast

Published: December 5, 2025

By Kayla DeKraker

Actor Neal McDonough doesn’t take his role as Jesus in the now-controversial “Life of Jesus Podcast” lightly.

“I’m not really a political person. I call myself a God-fearing American,” he told TV Insider. “I think there are tons and tons of people like that out there. So to be able to have a project that really talks about God. And 52 segments, a half-hour podcast — it’s a great tool for people to immerse themselves in the word of God. And I think that is something that is kind of lost nowadays.”

The podcast found itself in hot water at the end of November. The A-lister cast recorded the podcast nearly 15 years ago for a planned audiobook project called “The Truth & Life Dramatized Audio Bible: New Testament,” Movieguide® reported.

Alongside McDonough, the project features Kristen Bell as Mary Magdalene, Brian Cox as God the Father, Sean Astin as Matthew and Malcolm McDowell as Caiaphas. John Rhys-Davies narrates.

When Fox Faith acquired the project for a 52-episode podcast series that brings “stories from the New Testament to life through immersive storytelling,” the actors were blindsided.

A representative for Bell told Rolling Stone she had no idea she was part of this project and “only learned that FOX Faith had acquired the long-forgotten project and was spinning it into a brand-new podcast when her team received a request for her to appear on FOX & FRIENDS a day before the announcement was blasted out.”

Despite the controversy, Fox didn’t back down, saying, “Gulfstream Studios produced the ‘Life of Jesus Podcast’ from ‘The Truth and Life Dramatized Audio Bible,’ which was licensed by Fox News Audio, with full cooperation and participation by all the actors involved.”

McDonough believes it will prove a useful resource.

“It’s daunting to open up the Bible and say, ‘Where do I start? What do I do?’ We make it easy,” he said. “From Christmas all the way to Easter, you can listen to these amazing segments with fantastic voices: Malcolm McDowell, Julia Ormond, Sean Astin, Brian Cox…It’s really an all-star cast.”

The podcast is currently available on all major podcast platforms. A description reads, “A 52-episode immersive audio experience that will guide listeners through the New Testament of the Bible. Chronicling the life of Jesus Christ and His influence on the world, through captivating retellings of scripture.”

The podcast starts in the Gospels and goes through important moments in the Bible. Its first 13 episodes released on Nov. 30.

McDonough is known for his commitment to his faith and morals despite being in Hollywood. Recently he starred in Angel Studios THE LAST RODEO, which Movieguide® described as “a powerful, exciting movie with wonderful acting and powerful reconciliations as well as many wonderful, heartfelt scenes of reconciliation and miraculous overcoming.”

Movieguide® added, “Best of all, THE LAST RODEO has a strong Christian, biblical worldview. It has multiple references to God the Father, with characters talking about Him openly.”