Zachary Levi Explains ‘Biblical’ Themes of Breakout Role
By Movieguide® Contributor
Zachary Levi is looking back on his breakout role in the TV show CHUCK, calling it “quite biblical.”
“CHUCK was such an incredible adventure,” he said during an appearance on THE GEORGE JANKO SHOW. “Like, an incredible blessing that God put into my life…that was the show that kind of put me into being the lead of a television show. Prior to that, I was a lead, but I wasn’t the lead, and, you know, people gave me more recognition and gave me a platform to really build the rest of my career on.”
The actor acknowledged that he “went through a lot of trauma” while working on CHUCK “just because of where I was in my life,” but said, “Despite all of that, what we made, what God made through us — me, and every one of my incredible cast members, and all of our crew and our writers and producers and everybody — what all that created was a show that…was this guy who cared about doing the right thing, no matter what.”
“There’s something that’s actually quite biblical in that, and it’s something I’ve always tried to carry in myself,” Levi explained. “It’s very difficult because a lot of Christians or religious people, it’s very easy for us to like and love the people that like and love us, and that are doing life the way that we approve of, but we don’t like to extend grace or mercy or forgiveness or empathy toward anyone who we would deem to be a monster or evil or whatever that is.”
He continued, “And yet, Christ said, ‘What is it, to love those who love you? That’s easy…I’m asking you to love your enemies and pray for your persecutors. That’s love.’ And I think the way Chuck never wanted to actually kill any of the bad guys because he [was] always just like, ‘Well, they’re human’…that is cooked into the whole show.”
READ MORE: SHAZAM! STAR SHARES HOW HE STAYS CLOSE TO GOD
“I’ve joked that even if I’m a geriatric Chuck, we’re gonna do it one day,” he said. “But I think we’re close to making something happen.”
In 2021, he shared that he had had some “promising conversations” with series creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak about the project.
In the meantime, Levi has plenty of projects to keep him busy. The actor has two movies in post-production — SARAH’S OIL and NOT WITHOUT HOPE — and is currently filming HOTEL TEHRAN.
He is also about to become a father. Levi and girlfriend Maggie Keating announced her pregnancy earlier this month.
“I’ve wanted to be a dad since I was literally a kid. I’ve always felt that call on my life,” he posted on Instagram. “This desire in my heart. A strange feeling of incompleteness by not having that level of love and responsibility in my journey. That the best years of my life would be on the other side of finally being a father. But deep down I knew that there were things in my life that needed to shift before I was ready for the blessing of something so special and the responsibilities that come with it.”
He continued, “Last November I started to make some shifts in my life. Shifts that ultimately came down to loving and valuing myself more. Prioritizing my own health physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And lo and behold, immediately things started to manifest for the better. And very quickly God brought a brilliant, honest, grounded, and deep love into my life thru the angelic form of @maggiekeating. A wonderful woman on the same journey of self discovery and love, ready to step into a new and amazing chapter of life with me. So, we did.”