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Jonathan Roumie tells what it is like to play Jesus himself The Chosen One – and the interesting ways this affects the way fans talk to him in his real life.
“I think people approach me a bit cautiously at first. But once they see that I am quite approachable, they start talking about the series and what they like about it,” Roumie, 50, told exclusively in the latest issue of We weekly. “And I am always humbled when I hear their expressions and love for the show. It just makes me feel like, ‘Okay, I’m doing something that’s contributing to the world in a positive way and impacting the culture in a way that I never thought I would have.’
Roumie added that he is “grateful” to be able to play such an important and remarkable character. “I mean, it’s a life-changing role,” he said. “Not just in the material sense, or in the sense of success, but only in the personal and spiritual sense. And it was humiliating. They are grateful for what we do and we are grateful that we get to do what we love for a living and portray these characters. It has been the honor of my life.”
Created, directed and co-written by Dallas Jenkins, The Chosen follows the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth (Roumie). The series – which is mainly crowdfunded – is streaming on a free app and was picked up by The CW in June 2023. Although season 4 has already aired on the app and in select theaters, it will premiere on the network on Sunday, September 1. Filming for Season 5 is currently underway in Utah.)
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In February, Jenkins said USA today that the fourth season of the biblical drama will cover “major biblical events” such as “the death of John the Baptist and the raising of Lazarus from the dead.” For his part, Roumie said there will be “a lot of emotional greatness” for viewers once the show returns.
“There are a lot of bigger, complicated, relational scenes happening that just punch you in the stomach,” he explained. “That’s something that resonates with people on a completely different level. And we sent shockwaves through our audience, because people left the theater after that one episode. They are stunned into silence. And that was the feedback we kept getting. Like, “I just left the theater in shock.” At the end of the credits they said that the entire theater audience was just silent and excited because they didn’t know what they had just seen. So that’s what season 4 is more about.”
Season 5, meanwhile, will focus more on “visual grandeur,” with Roumie warning that things are going to be “crazy” for Jesus and his journey.
“I loved season 4. I thought season 4 was our best season. Season 5 is now my favorite season,” he admitted. “I can’t wait for people to see it because there are so many crazy things happening. You see the entire emotional spectrum of Jesus, something we have not yet seen. I think it will excite people and [they’ll] saying, ‘We’re on a different level now.’”
For Roumie, the events of season 5 – such as the Last Supper – are particularly meaningful because of his own faith as a Christian. “As a believer and as an actor, it was a very difficult scene for me to play,” he explained. “And so complex and complicated and nuanced. There’s so much going on between the lines, between the characters, that for me it was one of my favorite scenes, and one of the hardest scenes to do.”
He added: “I think it will resonate with people in a way that other scenes haven’t. I’m very curious what people think about it.”
While season 5 will undoubtedly be gripping for fans, season 4 is underpinning its own power as it finds Jesus in a “sad” chapter of his life.
“He’s said a lot of things, but people just don’t get it. He tried [warn] people for what is to come,” Roumie explained. “He tries to warn his disciples by saying, ‘Hey guys, it’s going to be a little rough, just FYI.’ And they say, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.’
Roumie said Jesus is “disappointed” that his words “don’t quite land the way he hoped,” but he called the obstacles “part of the process.”
“It’s, you know, the father talking to the kids and telling them what not to do. And they’re busy playing video games, like, ‘Yeah, I’ll clean my room. Yes, I get it. Yeah, don’t worry.’ And he says, ‘But if you don’t do that, you don’t get the thing,'” Roumie said. “So it’s like there’s all these distractions and they have thoughts in their heads, and they need the things they want because they’re impulsive and they’re human. They are emotional and want their needs met above all else. And half the time he’s just busy with his face.’
Although the story of Jesus is one that Christians are often very familiar with, Roumie believes it The Chosen One has found success because of the “humanity” it brings to the character in a way that hasn’t been seen before.
“He is holier than they, but he tries to take them with him and gently teach them, while also being completely and utterly human. He is a complete human being,” he said Us. “And that’s what I think people have really become attached to is that there’s a humanity depicted over the course of the last four seasons that we’ve never really seen in a Jesus show.”
Roumie added that the show’s unique storytelling approach might also appeal to those who don’t have a Christian faith but simply like the grounded — and sometimes funny — version of Jesus.
“They say, ‘I like this guy. “I want to know more about this man,” he said. “And we try to show that he was just as human [anymore]and then some. And then he had a whole other aspect, this divinity, but he was not exempt from pain and suffering, sorrow and temptation. He just didn’t give in to the temptation. But he felt everything we feel.”
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“That’s what people are so fascinated by,” he continued. “‘Wow. He laughed. He went to parties, he danced, he winked. He told the joke. He laughed at a joke. I had never thought of that before.’ I think seeing that really got people excited.”
The Chosen One Season 4 premieres on The CW Sunday, September 1 at 8pm ET.
For more information about Roumie and The Chosen Onecheck out the latest issue of We weekly on newsstands now.
With reporting by Travis Cronin