Jonathan Roumie Reflects On Playing Jesus In ‘The Chosen: The Last Supper'
Jonathan Roumie in "The Chosen."
Courtesy of The Chosen
Jonathan Roumie reprises his role as Jesus in The Chosen: The Last Supper, the highly anticipated fifth season of the popular faith-based series. With the first two episodes now on the big screen, Season 5 marks the beginning of the end as the show moves into Holy Week.
Filmed in Dallas, Texas, the new season brings Roumie into some of the most iconic and spiritually weighty moments of Jesus' life—from the cleansing of the temple to the Last Supper. I sat down with Roumie on set last July, where he reflected on the challenges of portraying such sacred events, the emotional toll of the role, and what this means to him as both an actor and a man of faith.
Playing Jesus has been the 'greatest honor and challenge' of his life and career, he told me just after celebrating his 50th birthday. After receiving creator Dallas Jenkins' script for Season 5, now officially titled The Chosen: The Last Supper, he said he was both blown away by what was proposed and daunted by the emotional weight of it all.
At the time of our conversation, he had two major weeks of filming left, including the Last Supper and another pivotal moment that fans will discover later.
'I'm preparing rigorously for those scenes. But it's really hard to describe the variety of feelings—I'm overwhelmed approaching them, because they're just so loaded with meaning and substance, and an emotional connection, familiarity, and tradition for so many people,' he explained. 'So I'm trying to do my best to surrender it all to God and let Him guide me where He's always guided me for this series, and know that it'll all work out.'
One powerful scene viewers will witness in The Chosen: The Last Supper—prior to the crucifixion—shows Jesus entering the temple and flipping over the tables of the buyers, sellers, and money changers.
'Jesus says a lot of things, and a lot of it is the culmination of this relationship—this climax between himself and the Pharisees," he explained. "The rebukes that he gives, the sorrow he feels, not just for the disciples, who still fail to recognize what he's telling them is going to happen at the end of Holy Week, but also the sorrow in seeing these Pharisees and authorities misleading in many ways.'
Roumie continued, 'The people that they are meant to govern and spiritually shepherd, in service to their own needs, in service to their selfishness and their greed in many cases, and that becomes the tipping point, especially when it comes to the temple court marketplace, which catalyzes this, the beginning of this monstrous scene that we cover, where the temple is basically all but destroyed. The marketplaces are just completely upended. It will be a wonderfully chaotic scene, and I can't wait for people to see it.'
Cast members have described the fifth season of the Christian series to me as chaotic (in the best way), but Roumie said that he would categorize The Chosen: The Last Supper as simply 'intense.' All eight episodes, which will roll out in theaters before arriving on Prime Video in June, cover the entirety of Holy Week, including the Last Supper.
For Roumie, filming the Last Supper was one of the toughest scenes, given how personally meaningful it is to his faith. 'The Last Supper means so much, very specifically to me and my faith,' he said. Another challenging event he filmed was a key moment leading up to Jesus' crucifixion (which I'll keep under wraps for now to avoid spoilers).
When it came time to film those spiritually significant moments, he admitted he didn't 'quite know how either of those was going to go,' but said he was 'trusting it to God.'
The success of The Chosen has undoubtedly changed Roumie's life. His Prime Video series, Jonathan and Jesus, follows the actor on a journey through Rome and Paris, where he meets fans, fellow celebrities—including Pope Francis—and opens up about how he's navigating his rising worldwide fame.
The docuseries also details how, after decades of pursuing acting, he finally got his big break with The Chosen. When the New York native first joined the project eight years ago, he had no idea the faith-based series would grow into the worldwide phenomenon it is today.
'I think you never really have a concept of what it's gonna look like. I mean, you hope for an idea of success and know that, 'Okay, we're just telling a really great story.' And if we can get some success out of this, and I can pay my bills consistently, that would be amazing. To have achieved that has been beyond my wildest imagination."
Now, with only two seasons left before The Chosen wraps up with Season 7, Roumie is focused on staying present and soaking it all in.
'I'm trying to stay as present as I can throughout all of it, knowing it'll soon be over. I've lived with the character for now six years," he said. 'I don't know what it's going to be like when I'm not doing it. Life will be probably quite different.'
The first two episodes of The Chosen: The Last Supper are now in theaters. Check out the Season 5 theatrical release schedule here.
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Category: Word Origins (2019) Clue:"From the Latin for 'to roll', it's the type of chair seen here." Answer: ' What is a rotary chair?' Background: This $1600 clue stumped all three contestants, despite the fact that the answer seemed straightforward. The clue's challenge stemmed from the unfamiliarity of the term "rotary chair," which was a specific type of office furniture. Contestants were confused by the term's Latin roots and were unfamiliar with this more obscure category in furniture design. The connection between the Latin word for "to roll" and the type of chair seen in the visual was lost on them due to the obscure nature of the terminology. The specific term "rotary chair" was not part of everyday knowledge for most contestants. The visual aid created confusion rather than clarity, as contestants were unsure of the reference. Latin etymology required contestants to recall specialized language knowledge. Rotary chairs are often associated with office settings but are not universally recognized. The word's origin added complexity, as contestants were distracted by the unfamiliar term. Office furniture terminology is less likely to be top-of-mind in general trivia. 8. Category: Ancient History (2017) Clue:"Built circa 1350 B.C.E., the Temple of Luxor honored this Egyptian god and was a site of an annual festival." Answer: ' Who is Amun?' Background: The Temple of Luxor is one of the most impressive structures from ancient Egypt, but the reference to Amun, the god it honored, was challenging for contestants. The clue required contestants to recall Egyptian mythology and the deities associated with monumental temples, which not all players could do under pressure. The specificity of the festival and the god's role was difficult for many to recall, resulting in another stumper. Egyptian gods like Ra and Osiris are more famous, making Amun harder to remember quickly. Amun's lesser fame compared to other Egyptian gods made it tough to recall. The festival at Luxor added to the complexity, as it wasn't a widely recognized historical event. Ancient Egyptian history requires knowledge of a vast pantheon of deities, complicating quick recall. Egyptian mythology is rich but often difficult to connect with specific monuments. Luxor's prominence didn't necessarily extend to widespread knowledge of its religious significance. 9. Category: Food & Drink (2021) Clue:"Worcestershire sauce is made with molasses, anchovies and this vinegar whose name is French for 'sour wine.'" Answer: ' What is vin aigre?' Background: This etymology question proved too difficult for all three contestants, despite the clues being relatively straightforward. The vinegar in question, vin aigre (French for 'sour wine'), is a key component of Worcestershire sauce but was a tricky detail for contestants to recall under pressure. The need for knowledge of both the French language and obscure details of food production, combined with the complexity of the question, stumped the players. Contestants likely recognized Worcestershire sauce's key ingredients but struggled to connect them to this specific type of vinegar. The French terminology was difficult to recall quickly under the time pressure. The obscure nature of vin aigre made it hard to connect with everyday food knowledge. Worcestershire sauce itself is widely known, but not the specific details of its ingredients. Food etymology is a niche area of knowledge that doesn't come up often in general trivia. The challenge of language knowledge combined with food trivia made this question particularly tough. Vinegar types are many, and remembering the French term under pressure was difficult. 10. Category: Sports History (2019) Clue:"The first official international cricket match was played between the USA and this country in 1844." Answer: ' What is Canada?' Background: This surprising fact about sports history stumped all contestants during Final Jeopardy. While cricket is known as a global sport, the clue's connection between the USA and Canada as participants in the first official international match was a difficult one to recall. Cricket's early history in North America is often overshadowed by more popular sports like baseball and football. The specificity of the year 1844, combined with a lack of familiarity with cricket, made this clue a true challenge for contestants. Cricket's early history in North America isn't widely discussed in modern sports trivia. The year 1844 was an obscure reference, adding an additional layer of difficulty. The USA and Canada's cricket rivalry was surprising to many contestants who were unfamiliar with this sports history. The obscure nature of early international sports matches often causes confusion in trivia settings. Cricket's global dominance outside North America made it harder for contestants to connect to the U.S. The sports history of cricket in North America is less prominent in contemporary discussions. Conclusion on Challenging Jeopardy Questions These 10 challenging questions highlight the intricate balance between knowledge, timing, and the specific context of 'Jeopardy!' trivia. What may seem like a straightforward question can quickly become an insurmountable challenge due to the speed and pressure of the game. These clues demonstrate that while knowledge is essential, 'Jeopardy!' contestants also need to be quick thinkers and adept at recalling even the most obscure details. Ultimately, these difficult questions remind us that trivia is not just about having facts in our head—it's about the ability to connect those facts under pressure. Whether it's obscure historical knowledge, scientific details, or literary references, these 'Jeopardy!' clues show that even the brightest minds can be stumped by the complexity and timing of the game. Related Articles: About the Authors: Richard D. Harroch is a Senior Advisor to CEOs, management teams, and Boards of Directors. He is an expert on M&A, venture capital, startups, and business contracts. He was the Managing Director and Global Head of M&A at VantagePoint Capital Partners, a venture capital fund in the San Francisco area. His focus is on internet, digital media, AI and technology companies. He was the founder of several Internet companies. His articles have appeared online in Forbes, Fortune, MSN, Yahoo, Fox Business and Richard is the author of several books on startups and entrepreneurship as well as the co-author of Poker for Dummies and a Wall Street Journal-bestselling book on small business. 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