The Chosen: Portraying Jesus' Humanity and Emotional Journey

Jonathan's portrayal of Jesus invites viewers to connect with his humanity, fostering genuine affection for him.

### The Emotional Journey of Portraying Jesus in "The Chosen"
* 🎬 The actor reflects on the **emotional weight** of filming significant scenes, like the Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane, expressing a **deep connection** to the character of Jesus.
* 📖 He acknowledges the importance of **bridging gaps for those unfamiliar with biblical texts**, suggesting that his portrayal might **inspire viewers to explore the New Testament**.
* ❤ Many perceive Jesus as a stern figure, but the actor emphasizes that he **surrounded himself with marginalized individuals**, showcasing his **compassion rather than judgment**.
* 😢 The actor shares the anxiety and spiritual challenges faced during filming, particularly as the story approaches the crucifixion, noting that it feels **personally and spiritually taxing**.
* 🎭 He recognizes the difficulty of embodying Jesus, stating that "**he's unplayable**," and emphasizes the need for **humility and surrender to the Holy Spirit** in his performance.
* 🕊 The actor also discusses the balance between seriousness in his role and the understanding that he can only **do his best**, relying on **divine support** for the portrayal.
* 📅 With the completion of filming season 5, he reflects on the journey of the past six years, acknowledging the **emotional toll of concluding such a significant project**.
* 🌟 Ultimately, he expresses a desire to be **present and intentional** in his experiences, recognizing the **fleeting nature of time** and the importance of **cherishing each moment**.

you know when I last left my house before I started filming in Utah in April. I took a look around and I thought, The next time I see this place, I will have completed the Last Supper in the Garden of Gethsemane. And I was overwhelmed with emotion. I was like, Sorry, yeah. Sometimes when I've heard people offer criticisms or say, I don't find it theologically enriching, I think, Okay, fine. You need to read Thomas Aquinas's commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. But there are a lot of people who aren't there yet and need to bridge too far from. It's a bridge too far. And what it seems like what you're doing is like a gentle way to introduce people to this person of Jesus. I wonder, I mean, how many people hadn't read the New Testament until they saw your show and went, I'm going to give that another crack. I'm going to go buy a Bible from Bar & Noble. And so many people have been. They grew up with this image of Jesus as

this Stern Taskmaster that you know if you're not perfect, you may as well go to hell. It's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, no, no, that is the opposite. It's the opposite. Look who he hung out with. Who'd he hang out with? Prostitutes, Tax Collectors, cheat thieves, like people that, and people don't hang out with people who make them feel ashamed all the time, yeah. So it's not like, well, yeah, he did hang out with them, but he was always like, you're not good enough, you suck, try harder. No one hangs out with people like that. There was an affection for Christ. Yeah, I am shocked she is from the red quarter. Much of what is done there cannot even be spoken by my tongue or across my lips. It is so Unholy. The mere mention of it would defile me. Go and learn what this means. I desire Mercy more than sacrifice. I think being able to shatter those myths for people through the way we're introducing him in the story and

introducing his Humanity at a pace that has never been explored before because nobody's ever done a long-form telling of Jesus's story, of just even his ministry time. Nobody's done that. And so in doing so, we're recognizing that people are appreciating his Humanity and developing such an affinity for him that when we get to the crucifixion, they don't know. People are going to be beside themselves. They don't even have to see the crucifixion. I mean, I'm assuming we'll see the crucifixion, but you almost don't even have to see the crucifixion. Like, I'm friends with Russell Brand. He said to me, he's like, he met this guy who is like this hard, hard man, you know, been through a lot. And he had said to him, he's like, he was watching, he's been watching The Chosen, and he's like, uh, he's like, I don't want to see

him go to the cross. I like this guy. I like him. I like him a lot. I'm afraid to see him go to the cross, you know, and so when you get these big tough guys that are all of a sudden now affected because they've been developing this Affinity, this genuine affection for Jesus, it's like wow, that's what it is. That's what we all need to feel. That's what we should all feel about Jesus going to the cross. And you know what happens when he first gets slapped. I mean, I think people are going to be like, I know that guy. Yeah, don't slap him. I like him. Yeah, yeah. So it's that's interesting. It'd be really, I'm really curious how people are going to perceive it and receive it. Even what we filmed the season for season 5, it was basically was Holy Week. So you know, Jesus comes into Jerusalem, everything that happens in Holy Week. Have you filmed this yet? We

filmed it all. I just finished it days ago. Okay, forgive me. Is this the final season or no? No, no, no, no, no, no. We have seven seasons. Seven seasons. And what season are we on right now? We just finished filming season 5. Okay, season 4 was just released on Amazon. Okay, wow, wow. And we had it in theaters for a short time as well. Season 5, we go through the Last Supper. I just filmed the Garden of Gethsemane like a week ago. And uh, it's going to be tough for people. I mean, it's the beginning of the end. Yeah. Do you sometimes, yeah, 'cause I can't. What's your schedule like? I bet it's grueling. And do you sometimes think, I hope I have enough in me to, enough in the tank to get through this, especially as you go towards the cross. That's going to be personally exhausting, but I imagine spiritual attack and spiritually exhausting will. Yeah, um, I'm just kind of coming out of this experience, so

I'm um I don't want to complain too much but I I'm honestly exhausted. Bless you um well you look good. Well thank you that's that's what Ashley Parker my hair and makeup artist does for me. That's their miracles in those fingers um but uh I'm I'm really excited to get to talk to here and be here um but but it is uh it was um the most difficult two weeks of my career and spiritually like I think there was a lot of anxiety like I I you know Robert Powell played Jesus and Jesus of Nazareth uh in an interview somebody you know asked him the same similar kinds of questions like what's it like to play Jesus basically and he's like it's unplay he's unplayable. You can't play Jesus. He's he's unplayable meaning like how do you wrap your mind around Jesus Christ Divinity Humanity you know uh hypostatic Union is that right and um so I I can't I can't even begin to to to think about well

well I know what it's like to play Divinity I. I don't. I only know what it's like to be human and woefully so and failing so and so. All I can do is bring the utmost of my humanity and my intention to and desire to serve Christ and to honor him and to um uh get out of the way of the Holy Spirit and and uh try to understand through the help of the Holy Spirit uh and to ask Jesus what did you experience here what did you experience sitting at this table and there's John and perhaps here's Judas like what was that like what's going on in the pit of his stomach knowing what's coming as a person as a human like did he have butterflies did he was he every time he looked at him did he want to cry did he want like but so so those kinds of things and then in the garden it's like well what does it mean to sweat blood or sweat like drops of blood like what what causes that

physical reaction. What is happening on the inside? What's going on with his heart and his mind as he's wrestling with it to cause such consternation and such physical stress for this to be recorded in the gospel? And whatever that is, Lord, you have to help me because I can't do this on my own. I can't just manifest this, so I surrender it to you. And whatever happens, I have to accept, but I will try everything I can that I think with my human logical mind, with my cognitive brain, to summon whatever those circumstances might have been to affect me emotionally, to be able to give what I can for this scene, and then everything else that happens, that's up to you, and I surrender it. And so I had to, I mean, it's the prayer life experience, it's the Christic experience of just saying, I'm nothing without you, and so give me what I need so people can see who you

are you know and wanting to get that right and do that right. It's, you know, the first day. I think we started filming those two weeks was for the Last Supper. And I had my spiritual director. He came out to be with me. And, you know, I was sitting in the hair and makeup chair. And next thing I know, like, I'm getting these massive pains, like, just shooting up into my ear. And I'm like, say, anxiety is like, you know, at one point, I had heart palpitations. I'm like, okay, I don't know what's happening, but I'm just, you know. And I texted my SP director. He was in the other room. And he's like, I'm saying a rosary for you right now. And 15 minutes, it all went away, and everything was fine. But I think T kind of speaking to what the sort of attacks and things like that. I think the spiritual attacks kind of manifest themselves in so many different kinds of ways. Maybe that's some of it, maybe.

that's just physical anxiety. Maybe that's just me trying to do the best I can and not, you know, ruin it for Jesus. So, um, that's been my state of mind for several months, especially as we get closer and closer. And I'm sure even though I'll have a lot less dialogue once we go into the arrest and the crucifixion and, you know, the scourging, I have a lot less dialogue, but I don't think it'll be any less emotionally and spiritually taxing. Yeah, you have to simultaneously take what you're doing extraordinarily seriously. Yes, and at the same time not take yourself seriously. Yeah, like how do you do that? I mean, Pope Benedict, when he was elected to the chair, said he takes great comfort in knowing the Lord knows how to use blunt instruments, you know. And I also had another priest say, Lord, use even my... He used a different word to the one I'm about to use. Use even my bull crap as manure for their growth. And I, you know,

like it's like if you if you felt just how serious you got to be, it would kill you. Yeah, like the kind of impact you're going to have, whether you want to or not, is so great that must be crippling in a way. And yet, at the same time, like you can only do it badly. I'm not saying you do it badly, but you know what I mean. I do terribly. I don't think so, but your point earlier about the other actor is like no one can play Jesus. So it's like, okay, so I need what's the best level of playing it badly I can do, honestly, you know. And then, and then yeah, that surrender. I mean, not only do you as an actor have to do it, every single Christian has to do that in their own life. I got to be the best dad I can be. I fail all the time. I get impatient with my wife. I get, you know, irritable. And every day it's like, well, thank God I'm not you. Thank God you're in charge and

you're. That's the other thing that's got to be so beautiful. Like, you can't convert anybody, Jonathan, roomy, and neither can Matt Fred. Like, that's the work of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, thank goodness. Thank goodness indeed. So, does your... What is your... I mean, do you have significant chunks of time of rest, and then do you come in to film a season, and it's just what? How many hours a day is it? About 11 to 12, 13, 15, depending on how intense it is. And then we do that for about 3 or 4 months, and then we have on either end promotion of the series, marketing. Yep, it's been kind of a full-time thing. Yeah, sounds it. Yeah, uh, but what, you know, when I last left my house before I started filming in Utah in April, I took a look around, and I thought, The next time I see this place, I will have completed the Last Supper in the Garden of Gethsemane. And I was overwhelmed with emotion. I was

like sorry because that means the journey's almost over, and I've spent the better part of six years with my best mate. You know, talking to him and asking him for advice, and how do I play the scene, and how do I, what did he go through, and allow me even a modum of the experience that you had, even like a percent of a % of a percent, to be able to understand authentically and portray authentically what you went through. And when I don't necessarily have that anymore, I don't know, I don't know what it'll be like. I mean, I probably, I probably be pretty down for a while. I think everybody, when you're on a show for so long, and then you don't have it, there's a little bit of a depression, I would imagine. You know, like, you know, I'm not trying to project that or whatever, or say woe is me or anything like that, but it's like, Oh man, this thing, this ride that I've been on.

is is it's going to be over soon so so despite everything I'm trying to be as present as I can every step of the way in a way that I hadn't been even the first four seasons because I wasn't thinking about the cross I wasn't thinking about the end I was trying to be present just to what's happening now yeah but especially as I consider the the end I'm like doubly present I'm like it's like my kids as my I had kids they they little toddlers all you think is the chaos of and now I got a kid who's about to leave home and I'm like oh no no and now it's like that I want to be so intentional cuz I haven't being as intentional as I wish I was but cuz we take things for granted as humans it's just part of our nature I think you remember Andy Bernard's line in the last episode of The Office everyone who watched the office remembers this I wish there was a way to know you're in the

good old days before you've actually left them. Hey, thank you so much for watching. Before you go, do us a favor, leave a comment, let us know what you thought of the video, like, and subscribe.

Jonathan Roumie Gets Emotional Talking About The Chosen Season 5!

Pints With Aquinas

The speaker reflects on their emotional departure from home before filming a project on the Last Supper.

They discuss the show's role in gently introducing people to Jesus, challenging the traditional image of him as a stern taskmaster.

The long-form storytelling of Jesus's ministry is unique, aiming to shatter myths and develop a deep affinity for his humanity, ultimately leading to a powerful impact during the crucifixion.

The actor expresses a deep affection for Jesus and feels conflicted about portraying his suffering.

Filming for season 5, which covers Holy Week and the Last Supper, has been emotionally and spiritually exhausting.

The actor acknowledges the challenge of capturing Jesus' complex nature and the spiritual weight of the role.

The Human Experience of Portraying Christ

The speaker reflects on their struggle to connect with the human experience of Jesus, seeking to understand his emotions and physical reactions during pivotal moments.

They emphasize the importance of surrendering to the Holy Spirit for guidance and support.

The speaker shares their own anxiety and physical pain while preparing for the role, attributing it to spiritual attacks, and finding relief through prayer.

The Emotional Challenge of Portraying Jesus

The actor feels a physical anxiety and emotional burden while preparing for the role of Jesus, especially as the arrest and crucifixion approach.

They struggle with the balance of taking the role seriously while also not taking themselves too seriously.

The actor acknowledges the overwhelming impact of the role and the need for surrender, relating it to the challenges faced by every Christian in their own life.

The Emotional Journey of Filming a Series

The filming schedule involves 11 to 15-hour days for 3 to 4 months, with additional time for promotion and marketing.

The actor reflects on the emotional impact of completing the journey, having spent six years with his best friend and seeking guidance for the role.

He anticipates feeling down after the show's end, acknowledging the common struggle of transitioning away from a long-term project.

The speaker reflects on the importance of being present as they approach a significant life transition.

They draw a parallel between their children's growth and their own journey, expressing a desire to be more intentional.

The speaker references a memorable quote from The Office about recognizing the "good old days" while still in them.