The Chosen’s Jonathan Roumie Shares The Lessons He Learned From Playing Jesus (EXCLUSIVE)

When the idea sparked for The Chosen, creator Dallas Jenkins never expected it to become what the massive success it is today. “Seven years ago, I did a short film about the birth of Christ on my friend’s farm in Illinois, 20 minutes from my house. That became four episodes in Season 1,” Jenkins told FIRST. “And then that became eight episodes, and then it started to grow even more.”

Since then, the beloved show has garnered nearly $100 million, been translated into more than 60 languages and is free and accessible to watch for around the world via Prime Video, Peacock, The CW, Disney+, Hulu, YouTube TV, BYU TV and on The Chosen app or by going to TheChosen.TV and clicking “Watch.”

Many of the actors were struggling professionally prior to the success of the series and never anticipated the accolades it would gain. “I think once we released the first season and we started getting feedback and messages, it became clear that we were onto something,” says Jonathan Roumie, whose deeply relatable portrayal of Jesus has resonated with millions of The Chosen fans, “and that God was using this show in a really powerful way.”

“The emotional range that we see from Jesus in Season 5 has never been captured in this way before” —Jonathan Roumie

Now, all eight episodes of Season 5 have hit theaters across the US and viewers have the privilege of watching the iconic story of Holy Week unfold on the big screen. This season picks up on Palm Sunday as Jesus arrives in Jerusalem and will capture powerful biblical moments as described in the Gospels: Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey to fulfill a prophecy in the book of Zechariah, the Last Supper, which is the final meal that Jesus shares with his disciples and the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested to be crucified the next day. Here, Jonathan Roumie opens up about how he relates to his character and what he’s learned from this legend of the faith.

FIRST: What is the greatest lesson you have learned in taking on the role of Jesus?

Jonathan Rumie: That we, as people, have so much further to go when it comes to loving each other, kindness and empathy. I think you can never have too much humility when dealing with others. Walking two miles in a person’s shoes really informs you about what somebody might be suffering.

FIRST: What have you learned this season that has surprised you?

Jonathan: I recently read the book Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Dr. Brant Pitre. I didn’t realize that the Jewish traditional precedent for the Last Supper was Passover Seder. Being a non-Jewish person, I didn’t know the details of the tradition. But everything happening in Judaism during the first century was completely transferred over and fulfilled with Jesus at the Last Supper, making it also the last Seder, which informs the Christian faith. It’s profound. I think every Christian ought to read that book and learn something they may have never known existed. There is so much relevance in Jewish tradition.

FIRST: Are there any characteristics of Jesus that you’ve tried to implement more into your own life?

Jonathan: Humility. For me, that is the foundation of everything else. I believe a life modeled after Christ is one of humility and setting aside ego. The antithesis of humility is pride, which is considered the root of all other sins. I think if you can put yourself second, you’ll see your life change in ways you never thought imaginable.

FIRST: What has been the most difficult scene for you to film so far?

Jonathan: The Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane. The Garden was especially difficult because of the betrayal involved—how do you wrap your head around it? I mean, how do you wrap your head around anything Jesus does? He’s more of a mystery to me now than he was when I started. I must let it go and surrender it to God, saying, “God, guide me here because I don’t know what I’m doing.” The Garden was a deeply difficult moment in Jesus’ life. Portraying that meant trying to connect with the sorrow he experienced. I think [Season 5] prepares viewers’ hearts for the magnitude of the sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary. It’s an appropriate and sobering precursor to Season 6.

FIRST: Jesus has a wonderful sense of humor in the show that makes him even more engaging. What’s your inspiration?

Jonathan: Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson have written wonderful moments, and there have been some improvised scenes. It’s been great to incorporate the reality and humanity of a person’s humor. We can’t get through life without some kind of sense of humor. Some people have it a little stronger than others, obviously, but I think that to deal with the 12 guys he dragged along for three years, Jesus must have had an intensely charismatic sense of humor—simply to handle them all!

FIRST: What’s something fans might not expect about Season 5?

Jonathan: I think the way we shot the scene of Jesus clearing the temple is something people won’t be expecting. [Referring to when Jesus angrily drove out salespeople and money changers by overturning tables and declaring the temple a “den of robbers” instead of a “house of prayer.”] It gets pretty intense, and we haven’t seen those sides or shades of Jesus yet. So, it will be very unexpected, but it’s all really exciting.

FIRST: What scene in The Chosen are you the most proud of?

Jonathan: It’s so hard to choose just one scene! I’m really proud of Season 5—it’s on a whole other level. We’ve elevated the show in a way even we didn’t expect. You show up on set and think, “Oh my gosh, we have this giant set, and there are now 50 of them.” The work and intensity of the people behind the scenes, as well as what’s happening in the story, have increased exponentially. Also, the emotional range we see from Jesus in Season 5 has never been captured this way before. Nobody has really seen depictions of what we’re doing because nobody has attempted it before. People have no idea what’s in store, and I’m really excited for everyone to see it.