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He can be my personal Jesus
I just met Jesus. Not that I fear I’ll expire during this broadcast and come to terms with the forever — but handsome actor Jonathan Roumie is right now playing Jesus of Nazareth in “The Chosen: Last Supper.”
Historical drama, a phenomenon seen through the eyes of those who knew him, it has grown to 250 million viewers and nearly 20 million social media followers. The project is now into theatrical release.
So, cocktails, screening, dinner — it beats Beersheba — I just sat with Jesus at downtown’s Crosby Street Hotel. Private showing courtesy of Cinema Society’s Andrew Saffir who handles special film invites.
In it Israel welcomes Jesus as king. His disciples anticipate his crowning. Instead, the region’s religious and political leaders work to ensure this Passover is Jesus’ last.
So: In to sit with me comes Jonathan. The movie Jesus. Trimmed beard. Very today. Like today’s bicycle delivery kid schlepping a corned beef on rye. Black leather motorcycle jacket. Fitted. Metal trimmings.
We are not talking a schlumpy Jesus!
“I was nobody,” he said. “Poor, destitute, way down on my luck. Barely enough to pay my rent. I had six or seven different side jobs. I was an actor. I’d see a casting agent for maybe 20 minutes and nothing happened.”
Full trust in Him
“I was scared. Out of money. Out of food.
“I’m a believer. I looked up — to God — and said to myself, ‘I must surrender.’ Four hours later — and you can hardly believe this — in my mailbox came four checks. Reimbursements totaling $1,100.
“It was a Saturday morning in Maine. Eyes straight up I told Him, ‘I surrender.’ I said to Him: ‘God, show me the right path.’ I didn’t even have any career at this point. I suddenly believed I was no longer alone. It was as though he’d said, ‘I got you covered.’ I totally, absolutely at that moment surrendered.
“I was very scared. I knew I’d find joy doing this role — and I asked Him, ‘You want me to continue? I have no power. I’m yours.’
“Look, I was born in New York. I’m Catholic. In the Bible, John 11:25 says: ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ My own personal prayer had been: ‘I am the way, the truth, the life. Whoever believes in me shall never die.’
“I just needed to rely on my faith. I had to trust Him. I was so far down in life. No hope. No future. No way. No job. No money. I had to know to trust Him. Look, I’ve prayed. I even went to Israel.”
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Keeping the faith has paid off
“I’d been waiting for a job. People told me they were sending my checks. Said they’d owed me for months. Yes, but I’d gotten nothing. Where were those checks?
“So maybe it’s why I got cast and nobody else did. I recognized that maybe I’d gotten to play Him because when I was 14 in Dallas I played Him.”
And then our maybe make-believe Jesus of Nazareth — a movie temp complete with black leather motorcycle jacket — stepped into the party of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and many who remembered their jewelry but missed church that week — to tell them this is how you do it.
I LOVED Jonathan Jesus Roumie. When next I see him he’ll probably be wearing stained glass contacts.
Only in the movies, kids, only in the movies.