THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST Almost Killed Jim Caviezel
By Movieguide® Contributor
Actor Jim Caviezel is sharing the moments he felt God while working on THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST.
“I was struck by lightning on the last shot of the movie,” he said in an interview with TBN. “It’s well known…prior to that, it was shoulder dislocation. It happened in the weirdest areas of the movie. There’s a piece where Mary runs to Jesus and she says, ‘I’m here,’ and in this take, I went down and when you put it in slo-mo, you’ll see the stream of blood coming out of my mouth. I almost bit my tongue off.”
The actor has previously spoken about some of the injuries he sustained on the set of PASSION.
“I was lit up like a Christmas tree!” he said of being struck by lightning. “I was doing the Sermon on the Mount. I knew it was going to hit me about four seconds before it happened. What they saw was fire coming out the right and left side of my head. Illumination around the whole body.”
In another interview, Caviezel said his work on the movie “nearly killed” him.
“Not many people get struck by lightning; I did,” he said. “Five and a half months of cold. I had to have two heart surgeries, including open-heart surgery, because of that film.”
Speaking about all those injuries, Caviezel explained, “Most people don’t realize that these little mistakes were miracles, and what I’ve noticed is Jesus — if you’re close to Him, He doesn’t prevent you from suffering. His closest friends are going to suffer with Him.”
The actor described a dream he had while working on the movie where he “felt God’s love so powerful.” Caviezel carried that love into his work in the crucifixion scene in PASSION, saying he felt God’s presence.
“The pain I felt was all the people in the world that do not love Him,” Caviezel explained of the scene.
The actor also encouraged viewers to share their love of God, saying, “Our Lord loves you, but if you ever have it within you, just…tell Him you love Him.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Caviezel’s role in PASSION:
When Mel Gibson approached him about playing Jesus, Caviezel recalled the initial hesitancy both parties felt about taking on such a monumental role.
“‘If you do this movie, you may never work in this town again. I don’t want to be responsible for that,’ and I felt the fear because I thought of all the nice things that I have,” the 55-year-old confessed.
“And I realized that God had gotten me into this business, that my talent came from God, not from men,” he continued. “And so I said, ‘Look, man, we’re all called to carry our own cross. If you don’t pick up and carry your cross, you will be crushed by the weight of it.’”
Caviezel shared his desire to be an example of what it looks like to put his faith first.
“Your name may not appear down here in this world’s Hall of Fame. In fact, you may be so unknown that no one knows your name. The Oscars and the praise of men may never come your way,” Caviezel said. “This crowd on earth they will soon forget when you’re not at the top. They will cheer like mad until you fall, then their praise will stop—not God; He never does forget.”
He continued, “I tell you, friend, I wouldn’t trade my name, however small. It’s written there and beyond the stars in that celestial hall. For all the famous names on Earth or the glory that they share, I’d rather be an unknown here and have my name up there.”
