Since its pilot episode aired on April 19th, 2019, the filmed story of Jesus of Nazareth and his first disciples has touched a myriad of lives. The television show portrays the early ministry of the historical figure Jesus, who Christians today regard as the Son of God and the savior of humanity. With one season consisting of eight episodes streaming now on the platform VidAngel, as well as on the popular Christian Bible app simply named ‘The Bible App’, the show’s creators hope to maintain production as a nonprofit endeavor. The Chosen is the largest crowdfunded media project to date.
Aside from the miracle that was raising funds for The Chosen, the show also shines its unique light through its diverse cast, a multi-ethnic group of people, each with their own unique acting and spiritual experiences. With cast members from India, the Meditteranean, the Middle East, and South America, each actor/actress brings something never-before-seen to The Chosen’s audience members.
The biblical accuracy also provides something unique to The Chosen, as the events in each episode hold true to biblical texts, while also adding what many viewers believe to be the right amount of life and realism to its characters and scenarios. Hannah Justice, a Junior here at Watauga and a viewer of The Chosen, expounds on its impact on her own life.
“The Chosen really breathes dimension into a text that is often seen as boring, full of rules, or endless,” Justice describes. “The characters displayed on-screen were real-life people and to see them interact as humans, not just names in a book, brought me to reconsider how I viewed the Bible as a whole.”
A fan favorite of the show is the disciple Matthew, portrayed by actor Paras Patel. Matthew is introduced in The Chosen as a tax collector, despised by his fellow Jews due to this position. As the audience watches Matthew’s character grow, many notice the autistic nature of the character, which was a purposeful choice, according to the show’s director, Dallas Jenkins, who has a daughter also on the autism spectrum.
“It’s never been done before, certainly not in a Bible show, and I thought it would be a really interesting way to connect the audience to him, make him really human,” Jenkins once stated in an interview. “It’s a great opportunity for people who are on the spectrum to see someone like that called by Jesus and to see someone like that as part of this team.”
Telling this sort of story lays a unique responsibility on its actors and actresses, who have to constantly remain aware of their roles as once-living real people. However, the cast members remain humble, and without fear, as they perform. Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus of Nazareth, speaks about his experience.
“Through playing Christ…and getting to don his sandals…it’s given me a deeper desire to get to know him,” Roumie explains. “I don’t think any of us had any fears when we got on set…This isn’t about me, it’s about telling God’s story.”
Written by: Hannah Lutz
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