The Catholic Culture Podcast

Ep. 76 - Playing Jesus on The Chosen - Jonathan Roumie

Jun 2, 2020

01:06:31

Catholic actor Jonathan Roumie plays Jesus in The Chosen, the first multi-season TV series about the life of our Lord. He joins the podcast to discuss his approach to playing the God-Man, the spiritual impact of the series, its groundbreaking approach to funding and distribution—and his devotion to the Divine Mercy.

Contents

[1:10] The unique production, financing and distribution of The Chosen

[10:01] Filming locations and research for the first season of the show

[13:48] How Jonathan was cast, his preparation process

[23:00] Story behind Jonathan's connection to the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy

[32:23] Portraying the mundane physical actions of Jesus

[38:27] Humor in The Chosen and depicting Jesus' sense of fun

[41:40] Portraying Jesus’ relationship with His Father

[49:20] The show’s use of flashbacks and Scriptural typology

[56:52] The cast’s religious diversity; the spiritual impact on the show on its makers and viewers

[1:00:40] The forthcoming second season and growth of VidAngel Studios

[1:03:55] Jonathan's work as an illustrator and his ideas for future pursuits