Faith is at the core of ‘The Chosen’ actor Jonathan Roumie’s life, new docuseries reveals
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It’s 5:45 a.m. in Los Angeles, California. Jonathan Roumie is seen drinking coffee and the screen flashes to Roumie giving a speech. He describes himself as “the new kid on the block” in the world of Christian media. This is the start of the new docuseries “Jonathan & Jesus.”
What Roumie may lack in decades of experience with Christian media, he earns back in the explosive reach he’s had since starring in “The Chosen.”
Directed by Dallas Jenkins, the hit series is like if the New Testament met “West Wing.” It’s a drama with Jesus as the central figure, but many hours of the show are also spent developing the characters around him. The audience gets to know the disciples, Mary, Eden and other characters.
“Jonathan & Jesus” hones in on Roumie, interrogating how he’s handled his unique experience of playing Jesus, who is sacred to billions of people around the world, and how it’s changed him.
It all started in a rock quarry in Illinois, Jenkins said. It’s a story that he’s told before. After “The Resurrection of Gavin Stone” did not perform well at the box office, Jenkins entered into a contemplative period where he thought he might never make another movie again. When making a production for his church, Jenkins sees Roumie portray Jesus and thinks it’s the best portrayal he’s ever seen. Not long after, “The Chosen” is born.
The docuseries begins with Roumie taking a pilgrimage to Rome, joined by Jenkins for part of the trip. If you’d like to dive more into the details of the series, you’ll have to go to Amazon Prime to stream it. It’s available to watch now. But, after watching the series, here are some of the most compelling things the audience learns about Roumie.
The Jonathan & Jesus docuseries in a nutshell
“Jonathan & Jesus” is four episodes, and each one has a different theme of sorts. The main themes are how Roumie got to where he is, unity across the political spectrum, how important Roumie’s personal faith is to him and the surprising aspects of playing the role.
Quick facts you might not have known revealed in the docuseries:
Roumie was an intern on “Saturday Night Live” in high school.
Roumie knows the language Aramaic.
Meeting Brandon Flowers was particularly exciting for Roumie.
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Roumie opens up about his faith
Roumie is a practicing Roman Catholic who hasn’t been shy about his faith. Gideon Jacobs once described him in a short profile in The New Yorker as something of “a Christian influencer.” Throughout his Instagram posts, Roumie teams up with Mark Wahlberg in partnerships for the app Hallow and prays using a Ghirelli rosary.
As historians and religious figures chronicle how Christianity spread from a small group of followers Jesus to billions across the world, Roumie’s personal faith is also explored.
“He’s always been seeking Jesus,” Roumie’s sister Olivia says about her brother.
Since taking on the role of Jesus, the people around Roumie have indicated that he’s taken his faith more seriously than before. Quiet moments of the docuseries show Roumie experiencing deeply personal and emotional moments in the ancient churches he’s visiting.
One of those emotional experiences was when Roumie met Pope Francis alongside Jenkins. It was something he characterized as a lifelong dream since he was a child.
“I pray for you all the time,” Roumie told Pope Francis and asked him to watch over him. That tender experience had a visible profound impact on Roumie.
Roumie on unity
In the second episode of the docuseries, there’s a significant emphasis on unity. Christian leaders across different faith traditions discuss the divisions that exist among Christians. Activists later talk about the political divide.
As Roumie is shown jetting off to Washington D.C. to attend a bipartisan screening of “Christmas with The Chosen,” he talks about how when he has talked face-to-face with politicians, he’s been able to see beyond disagreements and see the hearts and passion of politicians.
The screening starts with Roumie praying in Aramaic.
“We have very rarely seen people coming together across the aisle,” Nathan Kistler said. He explained that it had been a few years since he’s seen people in politics have moments of unity like what happened at the screening.
In addition to meeting with politicians, he also meets with pastor and activist Jonathan Tremaine Thomas. The two discuss the importance of unity and how God can unify people.
Thomas traveled to Ferguson, Missouri, when Michael Brown was shot and killed by police. When he gathered there with other religious leaders, he became energized to spark his activism, which responds to economic and racial injustices.
What follows are conversations about how to find unity across political divides and confront injustice with compassion.
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What life was like for Roumie before ‘The Chosen’
The glitz and glamour of Hollywood is relatively new to Roumie. He’s spent more than two decades in the business, but hasn’t felt like a “working actor.” It’s something he’s mentioned before — he went long stretches of time without consistent work and struggled to make ends meet. In addition to acting, Roumie works managing an apartment building to offset his rent.
He would do voiceovers and other kinds of work to make ends meet. Roumie said “The Chosen” not only fulfilled his dreams, but it also helped him get insurance for the first time in around a decade.
The personal impact of “The Chosen” on Roumie is wide-reaching. He’s seen at a small breakfast table reading mail from fans that described how the show led to changes in their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
A tension emerges in the docuseries: on the one hand, Roumie expressed appreciation for his fans, but also, he grapples with the amount of attention on him.
In a conversation with Jenkins, the two talked about how to maintain humility while on the show. They were talking about how so many people are watching the show now that it can be overwhelming.
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When is Season Four of ‘The Chosen’ coming out?
Tickets for Season Four are on sale now. Here’s a closer look at the release schedule:
Feb. 1: Episodes 1 to 3.
Feb. 15: Episodes 4 to 6.
Feb. 29: Episodes 7 to 8.
Check with a theater near you to purchase tickets.
