By Michaela Gordoni
THE CHOSEN’s Dallas Jenkins doesn’t just impact viewers but also changes the lives of those who work on the show.
Half of THE CHOSEN’s cast and crew are not believers.
“We’re always just looking for the best people to do the job,” Jenkins said.
And he and his wife, Amanda, always knew their “first target of ministry” wasn’t the viewers but everyone who contributes to the show.
Elijah Alexander, who plays Roman investigator Atticus, “through the process of making this show, he has come to understand Jesus more,” Jenkins said. “And last year he texted me and he said, ‘Dallas, for the first time in my life, I fully believe and I am His now.’ And he said: ‘And I have you to thank for making the introduction.’”
“Is there anything better to hear in the world than ‘thank you’ for making the introduction to Jesus? I want that on my tombstone,” he added.
Related: Dallas Jenkins Talks The Chosen Season 5 & More!
Alexander eventually got baptized on the set.
“We actually have a lake that we use as the Sea of Galilee. And during a day of filming, Elijah got baptized in the Sea of Galilee set in Texas,” Jenkins said.
Other moments have been when cast and crew were brought to tears by scripture or certain scenes.
“There’s moments where Scripture is actually being quoted – and I can’t tell you how often this happens – it’s dozens of times where an actor is saying the words of Scripture, and something overwhelming happens, and they’ll start being emotional even when the scene isn’t calling for it,” Jenkins said. “And I’ll have to do multiple takes until they stop crying.”
“And then afterwards, they’ll say to me: ‘I don’t know what’s going on, Dallas. I just couldn’t get through that line.’ And I’m like, I know exactly what’s going on. You’re speaking the words of Scripture…God does something very important in those moments,” the director said.
Nick Shakoour, who plays Zebedee, also came to know Christ through working on the show. He felt that God brought him out of darkness into the light.
Playing his specific role helped Him understand God better. People have often told him he represents “the Father’s heart.”
“I used to not even know what that meant, until I realized, as I was playing the role, I started to really feel like a dad,” he said.
He continued, “And once I encountered God and the Holy Spirit, I could sense that fatherly presence…It made me put two and two together, and made me realize, ‘Wow, this is what everybody means when they keep coming up to me and saying, You represent the heart of the Father.‘”
Giavani Cairo, who plays Jude Thaddeus, grew up a Catholic. The show helped him to realize faith in a deeper way.
“Growing up, the faith just seemed like it was something you just did,” Cairo said. “You go through first Communion and confirmation, and then you go to church on the weekends. But I never felt like I had a relationship with Christ.”
The show “has made me want to be a better person,” he said. “My character that I portray, Thaddeus, is a peacemaker, and he really tries to see people for who they are and really wants people to feel seen. That is the kind of friend I always wanted and always wanted to be growing up. So, what I’ve really learned is to really love people for who they are.”
THE CHOSEN Season 5 is currently available on Prime Video and THE CHOSEN app.
Read Next: How THE CHOSEN Transformed Christian Entertainment
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