FINDING HOPE WITH THE CHOSEN

In an exclusive Q&A, Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus of Nazareth in the hit series, prepares hearts for Easter as he shares what he's learned from his greatest role

- MAGGIE DILLARD

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 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.”

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.