Latest news with #Roumie
Herald Malaysia
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Herald Malaysia
Star of "The Chosen": 'Life is only better with Jesus in it'
Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in 'The Chosen', shares his experience portraying such a prominent character and his hopes for what it can share about the works of Jesus to viewers. Jun 28, 2025 Earlier this week, "The Chosen" cast and crew held a press conference in Rome By Grace LathropJonathan Roumie, along with other members of the team of 'The Chosen' presented Pope Leo XIV with a wooden box on Wednesday morning. Having just attended his weekly General Audience, the cast and production team of the hit show depicting the life of Jesus were given time to meet with the Pope and present him with the box and other gifts. In an interview with Vatican News following the meeting, Jonathan Roumie, cast as Jesus, explained that the show's team made the box 'out of the wood from one of our crosses on set.' The box held items used during the filming of season seven, including nails from the crucifixion, the Crown of Thorns, and a piece of a bloodied garment. 'That's why we're in Italy,' explained Roumie, who, along with the rest of the team, recently travelled to Rome from Matera, in southern Italy—a location whose renowned rock-cut architecture has made it a faithful backdrop for film crews filming scenes on Jesus for decades. Recent success and the portrayal of Jesus Roumie expressed his gratitude for the opportunities that The Chosen has given him. He pointed out that when the crew first started shooting, there was no guarantee that the show would go beyond four episodes. Now, as they film their sixth season, Roumie's gratitude circles back to God, whom, he noted, 'thankfully had other plans. It's been an extraordinary adventure for me.' Now, all five of The Chosen's released seasons are in the top ten ranking for viewership on Amazon Prime Video. Roumie described his work in seeking to portray Jesus in ways that viewers can easily connect to him. One of his techniques, he said, is to try to bring the humanity of Christ to life that viewers may have never seen before. He explained that 'seeing His humanity on full display has been revelatory for so many people, and it's always about finding the balance between Christ's divinity and His humanity.' Roumie's impact on set In May, the cast filmed scenes depicting the crucifixion of Jesus, which Roumie described as 'heavily emotional.' According to him, having a good relationship with castmates during these scenes generated good on-screen chemistry. Roumie said he tries 'to love them in a way that I think Jesus loves all of us' and with this approach, gives them 'as much as I have to give.' 'Life is only better with Jesus in it' At the end of the interview, Roumie also shared what he wants viewers of The Chosen to take away from the show. To him, understanding the works of Jesus is just part of the experience. Growing closer to Jesus, however, is something he hopes everyone gets to experience. Finally, Roumie shared his hope that the show helps people understand that 'Jesus loves them unconditionally' and that 'everyone's life has the potential to change irrevocably for the better." "Life is only better with Jesus in it," he said.--Vatican News
USA Today
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Chosen' Jesus actor Jonathan Roumie meets Pope Leo XIV in biblical crossover
In a meeting of biblical proportions, the pope and Jesus took a selfie – well, sort of. Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus Christ on "The Chosen," snapped a selfie with the newly elected pope recently, who shared it with fans on social media. Roumie, who has portrayed the holy figure on the Christian historical drama for five seasons, can be seen posing next to Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from America. The photo, shared to Instagram by the pope's official account, was part of a carousel of images showing the pontiff alongside worshipers in Vatican City. "Every time we perform an act of faith addressed to Jesus, we grow in our connection with Him, and His grace is bestowed immediately," the caption reads. "At times we are unaware of it, but in a secret and real way, His grace reaches us and gradually transforms our life from within." 'The Chosen: Last Supper': 'Iconic' scenes, Jonathan Roumie's 'extraordinary' whip skills Followers quickly recognized Roumie's face and began sharing GIFs of him as Jesus in "The Chosen" in the comment section. The show, which first premiered in 2017, dramatizes the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, retelling a well-worn ancient biblical tale with the help of modern Hollywood magic. Roumie, in Vatican City Monday, June 23, after wrapping filming for parts of the series' sixth season in Italy last week, told reporters the visit was a "humbling honor," according to the Catholic News Agency. When 'The Chosen' Jesus met giant serpent Satan: Jonathan Roumie dishes on 16-foot python co-star "The fact we're here now, sitting at the Vatican … is a testament to, I think, how God wants to continue to further this mission to bring more people to Jesus and to bring Jesus to them," he said of the show during a press conference. "When (Pope Leo XIV) was elected, I wept, because I never thought I'd see an American pope in my lifetime," he continued, "to communicate to him in our native language this week is just something I never thought I would see in my life." Pope Leo, who was elected in May to the surprise of close conclave watchers, is the first to hail from the United States in the history of the church. A Chicago native, he attended Villanova University, Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. How accurate is 'Conclave' the movie? Film vs. real process compared, plus how to watch This is not Roumie's first meeting with a pontiff – in 2021, the actor met Pope Francis at another general audience with crowds in the Italian city.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TVLine's Performer of the Week: Jonathan Roumie
THE PERFORMER | Jonathan Roumie THE SHOW | Prime Video's The Chosen More from TVLine The Chosen's Jonathan Roumie Meets Pope Leo XIV After Wrapping Season 6 Crucifixion Shoot in Italy Were Arachnophobes Bugged by Criminal Minds? Is Resident Alien's Joseph Gone for Good? Did Steamy Adults Kiss Launch 'Ship? More Qs! The Buccaneers Season 2 Premiere: Leighton Meester Makes Dramatic Entrance as [Spoiler]'s Mother THE EPISODE | 'Entry' (June 15, 2025) THE PERFORMANCE | 'Listen carefully, because I'm going to tell you what is about to happen….' With its Season 5 premiere, The Chosen began dipping into the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion, and series lead Roumie — with the words above, and all that followed — infused each and every moment with an earnestness befitting the pivotal occasion. Now, we and Jesus know where this story is heading, but Simon Peter, Matthew et al do not. As such, Jesus' every syllable landed with a great, and at times haunting, weight. 'In a little while, you will not see me. And then after a little while, you will see me,' he told them. 'Truly, truly I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.' The way Roumie served up this part of the Last Supper, you could feel Jesus' intent to not only prepare his followers for what is to come, but a certain excitement to speak plainly and not 'in figures of speech.' Pivoting away from this opening, eight-minute segment, we picked up where Season 4 left off, with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Roumie's expression whilst seated upon a donkey could only be described as beatific. As the crowds sang 'Hosanna to the Son of David!,' you had to feel chills. A beat later, though, when Jesus was overcome with a rare bout of anxiety — 'seeing' blood seeping through the walls of Jerusalem, clutching his chest — the chills were of a different kind. 'Father, save me from this hour,' he said, triggering a thunderclap that barely masked the words, 'I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.' Capping Roumie's moving performance, we witnessed a low-key Jesus, 'out for a walk,' happen upon and join in the revelry of a betrothal ceremony. Upon being identified, he deflected the attention, but graced the couple with his blessing. In a subsequent scene, Jesus wept (as they say) as he looked out over the plaza and 'saw' the fiery fate that would eventually befall Jerusalem. '[Your enemies] will not leave one stone upon another in you,' he lamented, 'because you did not know the time of your visitation.' Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week… Aras Aydin's Matteo wasn't the only Nine Perfect Strangers character to have an emotional breakthrough during Episode 6, but his was easily the most affecting, thanks to Aydin's soul-baring performance. When Matteo's therapy session with Masha took an unexpected turn, and he revealed he didn't want to stop grieving his late family members, Aydin communicated a palpable mix of heartache and hope while hardly raising his voice above a whisper. 'I'm a boy who was loved and lost this love. The thing that everyone fears most in their life, and it's happened to me. So yes, there is pain,' Matteo admitted, Aydin's eyes wide and tearful. 'But there is no fear of loss, because I've already lost. So I can have nothing to fear.' Aydin colored his character's words with such profound sincerity that we were as moved as Masha was by the time his monologue was over — and when she later called Matteo's therapy session 'perfect,' we couldn't have agreed more. — Rebecca Luther Leighton Meester had us wrapped around her finger from the moment she uttered 'Nice hat' with the perfect blend of swagger and wit in The Buccaneers Season 2 premiere. As Nelle, Meester went on to masterfully deliver plenty of other piercing lines, particularly during her character's confrontation with Patti. As Nelle read her sister for filth — 'Oh… you're fed up. Is that it? You're bored?' — Meester made sure the words were charged with plenty of subtext. She feigned compassion with a nod of the head during her sister's admission, before swatting away Patti's claims of newfound independence with a brush of the hand and a sneering accusation of boredom that hung between them with all the weight that Meester had so purposefully given it. All in all, in only a few scenes, the former Gossip Girl reminded us that she's still Queen Bee. — Claire Franken Poker Face has a grand tradition of bringing in familiar faces for juicy guest roles, and Alia Shawkat sunk her teeth into a good one this week as murderous grifter Kate. Setting her sights on that ultimate New York City prize — a cheap rent-controlled apartment — Kate wooed retired professor Anne to get her hands on the lease, with a smiling Shawkat laying down a barrage of phony love-bombing. But Kate needed to get Anne's granddaughter out of the way first, and Shawkat was downright frightening as Kate plotted to knock her off in secret. When Charlie got on the case, Kate even tried to woo her, too, and Shawkat nimbly toggled between seductress and killer before finally getting caught. Kate will go down as one of Charlie Cale's most formidable adversaries yet, though, thanks to Shawkat's deliciously sinister turn. — Dave Nemetz Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments! Best of TVLine 20+ Age-Defying Parent-Child Castings From Blue Bloods, ER, Ginny & Georgia, Golden Girls, Supernatural and More Young Sheldon Easter Eggs: Every Nod to The Big Bang Theory (and Every Future Reveal) Across 7 Seasons Weirdest TV Crossovers: Always Sunny Meets Abbott, Family Guy vs. Simpsons, Nine-Nine Recruits New Girl and More
Express Tribune
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Jesus actor visits Vatican
A US actor known for playing Jesus on a popular television show visited the Vatican on Monday. Jonathan Roumie, star of the streaming series The Chosen about the life of Jesus Christ, spoke at an event ahead of a special Vatican screening of an episode from the fifth season of the show, which will release internationally in July. Roumie was joined by fellow cast members Elizabeth Tabish, George Xanthis, and Vanessa Benavente, who respectively play Mary Magdalene, St John the Apostle, and Mary, the Mother of God. "Coming to the Vatican is always an honour," Roumie, a practicing Christian, told Reuters. "The possibility of getting to meet the newest pontiff is extraordinary." The Chosen is a historical drama that follows the life of Jesus Christ – from gathering disciples to his ultimate persecution at the hands of the Roman empire. Season 5 includes Jesus's last supper with his disciples and many of the renowned biblical events just before his death. The cast came to the Vatican a day after wrapping up three weeks of shooting for the sixth season of the show which will portray the crucifixion, an episode filmed in the southern Italian town of Matera. One of the world's oldest continuous human settlements, with stone houses cut from surrounding cliffs, some of which have been occupied for millennia, Matera stood in for Jerusalem. US filmmaker Mel Gibson also used the Italian town for his 2004 film about the crucifixion, The Passion of the Christ. Roumie and the other cast members are set to meet Leo, the first US pontiff, during the pope's general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday. The show's creator, Dallas Jenkins, originally financed the pilot of The Chosen through crowdfunding in 2017. The series will come to an end with its seventh season, focused on Jesus' resurrection. Reuters
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Chosen' actor Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus, to meet Pope Leo
(NewsNation) — The actor who portrays Jesus Christ in the TV series 'The Chosen' is set to meet with Pope Leo XIV during the pontiff's general audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Jonathan Roumie spoke at an event on Monday, ahead of a special Vatican screening of an episode from the show's upcoming season, which is set to be released internationally next month. 'Coming to the Vatican is always an honour,' Roumie told Reuters. 'The possibility of getting to meet the newest pontiff is extraordinary.' Diddy's defense to rest case without witnesses Roumie was joined by his co-stars, including Elizabeth Tabish, who portrays Mary Magdalene; George Xanthis, who plays St. John the Apostle; and Vanessa Benavente, who plays Mary. 'The Chosen' is a historical drama chronicling the life of Jesus Christ. The show's fifth season includes key moments leading up to his crucifixion, including the Last Supper. Behind the scenes: click here to watch 'The Chosen Phenomenon,' a NewsNation special The Vatican screening comes days after wrapping three weeks of filming for Season 6, which will depict the crucifixion. That episode was filmed in the southern Italian town of Matera. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
