JONATHAN ROUMIE, "THE CHOICE": "I AM NOT JESUS."

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Jonathan Roumie struggled to make ends meet before becoming famous for the role of Jesus Christ in the biblical drama "The Chosen." There were times when he didn't know where the next meal was coming from.

However, in his new documentary series, "Jonathan and Jesus," which is currently airing on Amazon Prime, the 49-year-old actor frankly talks about this journey, which contributed to his spiritual elevation and his appreciation for his success.

Roumie, who is Catholic, told The Christian Post, "I think if I had experienced success much earlier in my career, I wouldn't have appreciated it this way, and I certainly wouldn't have developed the faith I have now in the same way."

I'll probably find another way, but I think for me, the whole process of getting to a state where I don't have food for tomorrow is all part of God's design to make me realize that I need to depend on him. I was used to being dependent on myself and not really activating my faith in such a way that I thought he knew that once activated, he could go and test me. I would not have become so adult before. I am not going to describe Jesus' suffering in my own way.

"The Chosen," created, directed, and co-written by Dallas Jenkins, is the first multi-season television series dedicated to the life of Jesus Christ. At the beginning of its launch in 2017, the project raised more than $10 million from more than 19,000 investors through the VidAngel platform.

The series quickly gained a large and dedicated fan base, and many of them praised the way the series presented Jesus and Biblical characters as human and authentic. Today, "The Chosen" is a global phenomenon preparing for Season 4, which will be released in theaters on February 1.

Roumie said that she was more interested in learning more about the Son of God the longer she played Jesus.

Viewers follow Roumie as she learns how Jesus Christ influenced the world through the ages in "Jonathan and Jesus." He visited many historical locations, including Paris, Rome, and others. To find out how Jesus changed their lives, he talked to Christians like Alice Cooper, Francis Chan, Bob Goff, and others. In the four-part series, The Killers' lead singer Brandon Flowers and Roumie's sister Olivia also appear. Ministry leaders and experts, such as Rabbi Jason Sobel, talk about the nature of Christianity.

Roumie says that while interacting with people from different Christian backgrounds, she learned that "there are more things that unite us than separate us denominationally."

Roumie said, "It just made me realize that we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord." I believe the world would be a little better off if we could find a way to get closer, figure out how to sit at the same table and share the bread, and know that we all serve the same God. We can achieve this through this discussion.

It was not easy for Roumie to achieve overnight success. He spoke about the unique problems he faced as an actor who was strongly associated with a very important religious figure in the series.

In one scene, he recounts that people told him that he saw his eyes when he prayed to Jesus, which he found somewhat disturbing. Since its inception, "The Chosen" has sparked debate among Christians about the theology behind the media-given image of Jesus. Some people, including writer Voddie Baucham, refused to watch the series.

Roumie said, "I'm just a guy. I play this role, and I have a deep, deep, deep devotion to Christ; the only thing I can do is remind them that I am not Jesus. I'm Jonathan. I'm human." I think letting people see behind the curtain helps clarify the differences and distinctions and, hopefully, will give people a better understanding of the difficulties I've faced.

The actor hopes the documentary series gives viewers the opportunity to look deeper into his life and understand the relationship between him and the roles he plays. She hopes that by sharing her experience, her fans can better understand the difficulties she faces and make better decisions about how they interact with her.

"I have had quite pleasant encounters, but there are some people who are not kind, and they accept certain things," he said. "If they happen to meet me in person somewhere, because it's always possible, maybe they will approach it differently." When you're enjoying your food at the table, they might just come and take a selfie with you. This happens very rarely, but it makes you think, "Wow, okay, there's a difference that needs to be made."

Roumie says that practices such as spiritual guidance, prayer, and daily mass help her stay grounded and focused on God. Surrender to God continues to be a central theme in his life, and he continues to apply this principle to every success of "the Chosen.".

"I tend to pray a lot, like when Jesus is overwhelmed and, at the end of a long day, he will go alone and take a boat or go up the mountain and talk to the father. She thought, "I find myself doing it a lot."

Roumie added, "If I believe all the hype that anyone might write or believe or let any praise get into my head, then I'm in dangerous territory." So as long as I stay in prayer and connected to my faith, it allows me to be a vehicle to remain surrendered to God."

"Jonathan and Jesus" is currently available for playback on Amazon Prime.

A reporter for the Christian Post, Leah M. Klett, can be contacted at leah.klett@christianpost.com.

News Sources: https://www.christianpost.com/news/jonathan-roumie-talks-joys-struggles-of-playing-jesus-in-the-chosen.html