JONATHAN ROUMIE PLAYS JESUS. BUT FAITH ISN’T A SCRIPT!
The Chosen actor told Vatican News how the role affected his faith. A public testimony to hear while distinguishing the person from the character.
You recognise his face before reading his name. For many people, Jonathan Roumie is Jesus in The Chosen. But what happens when a scene ends and the actor returns to his own life and a believer’s questions?
Jonathan Roumie has spoken publicly about the connection between his work and his faith. His story takes us behind the scenes of The Chosen, where playing Jesus brings deeply personal questions.
The role and personal faith
On 25 June 2025, Roumie attended Leo XIV’s general audience with family, cast and crew. On that occasion, he said playing Christ had strengthened his faith.
Roumie also speaks about his Catholic upbringing and the responsibility he feels when filming certain scenes. Bringing the Gospel to the screen touches something beyond his working day.
An actor does not become the character
A powerful portrayal can draw us closer to a story, make us notice a gesture or encourage us to open the Gospel. But it remains a portrayal. Catholic faith does not give a performer Jesus’s identity or authority.
Even a series that takes the Gospel texts seriously includes artistic decisions and elements reconstructed for storytelling. We can appreciate them while also asking which details come directly from the Gospels and which belong to the screenplay.
What does this testimony leave us?
A famous face can attract attention. But what interests this column is what a person chooses to share about their relationship with God. We do not need to construct an impeccable believer to admire from a distance.
The reflection we offer is our own: what space does faith occupy when we stop playing a role? You do not have to be an actor to know the distance between other people’s image of you and the questions you face alone.
From the screen to a page
If The Chosen has intrigued you, choose a Gospel episode you know from the series and read the text slowly. Notice what is on the page, what you remembered from the scene and what questions arise from comparing them.
Roumie can be a public voice in the telling of faith. But a reader’s journey need not stop at his face. A meaningful encounter, even through a screen, may leave you wanting to keep searching.
