By Kayla DeKraker
THE CHOSEN’s Jonathan Roumie opened up about experiencing a small taste of the suffering Jesus felt during His passion.
“I remember we were shooting in Italy just before Jesus starts the Via Dolorosa, The Way of the Cross, carrying the crossbeam, he’s getting beat up by the guards, and then they crown him with thorns,” Roumie said in a video from ChosenCon. “One of the Italian guys playing Roman soldiers, who I think in the last several years has had a resurgence in his own faith, he has to slug me in the stomach.”
Roumie got choked up thinking of the scene, recalling, “He came over to me, and he was in tears. He’s like, ‘I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.’”
He told his fellow actor, “‘No, no, you’re doing what you’re supposed to do.’ But it felt like he was apologizing to me as Jesus, for him as a person having to do this to Jesus. He had a very hard time with it, and so many people were affected in ways that none of us anticipated.”
Related: Jonathan Roumie Credits ‘God’s Grace’ for Role on THE CHOSEN
Roumie explained that acting out the passion of Jesus took the knowledge of His sacrifice “to a whole new level.”
“You read the script, you know what’s coming. You read your Bible, you know what’s on the page. But then to live it out, even as a portrayal, it takes His passion to a whole other level,” he said.
Roumie added that “the commitment as an actor, as an artist, as a performer, to doing this authentically brings you to a point spiritually where you are no longer pretending; you are participating in His passion.”
He said that all actors involved in such a scene “have to reconcile what’s happening, if you are living truthfully, and are authentically in these moments.”
People in the comment section of the video were moved by Roumie’s words.
“I didn’t want to watch the crucifixion, but your words about not leaving Jesus alone touched me deeply. That’s why I’ll watch it. Thank you for your testimony,” one said. Another added, “The truth is that we would all need to experience the kind of moments you just described. ✝️🥺 Thank you for sharing something so powerful… 🙏🏼❤️🔥”
The ChosenCon took place Feb. 19-21, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina. THE CHOSEN creator Dallas Jenkins called the event “an opportunity for us to have a mutual thank you,” per Deseret News.
“When you have thousands of people telling you how much the show has impacted them, and we have a chance to thank them for their role in it — it’s really a beautiful thing,” he added.
THE CHOSEN Season 6 will premiere on Prime Video this fall, though the season finale will arrive in theaters Spring 2027.
Read Next: How God Prepared Jonathan Roumie for His Role on THE CHOSEN
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