Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Interview by The New York Times

Episode: Jonathan Roumie Plays Jesus to Millions. It Can Get Intense. [Re-Run]
Date: December 27, 2025
Host: David Marchese
Guest: Jonathan Roumie (star of "The Chosen")

Episode Overview

This episode features a conversation with Jonathan Roumie, the actor best known for playing Jesus Christ in the global hit series "The Chosen." The discussion delves into how Roumie navigates the challenges and responsibilities that come with portraying such a revered figure, the personal and spiritual impacts of his role, and how his own faith informs both his performance and his interactions with audiences. The episode also probes the complexities of faith in the entertainment industry, the cultural place of religion today, and the intense public expectations placed on Roumie as both an actor and, increasingly, a de facto faith leader.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shaping “The Chosen’s” Jesus (02:45–05:42)

• David Marchese introduces the unique challenge Jonathan Roumie faces: audiences often conflate actors with their famous roles, but few roles are as culturally and spiritually weighty as that of Jesus.
• Roumie discusses how "The Chosen" allows for deeper character development:
  • Jonathan Roumie (03:42):
    “What makes it feel like that, that we have, that all those other portrayals didn’t have access to, was the format of time to build characters and build relationships… if you believe they existed, and I do, they were human beings… Nobody’s ever wondered, well, what would it be like to crack a joke with Jesus, to have a glass of wine with Jesus, to see him dancing at a wedding?”
  • The show emphasizes Jesus’s humanity—his quirks, humor, and emotions—distinguishing Roumie's portrayal from more solemn, distant interpretations.
• Roumie had no apprehension about portraying a more accessible, contemporary-feeling Jesus:
  • (04:52): “If he doesn’t feel human, most people won’t relate to him.”
• Creative tensions sometimes occur between Roumie and showrunner Dallas Jenkins about tone and delivery, but both aim to authentically serve the character.

2. Roumie’s Personal Journey & Faith (05:42–09:33)

• Prior to "The Chosen," Roumie experienced years of career struggle, which he describes as "struggle busing" (05:53):
  • (06:02): “I struggled for eight years in Los Angeles only to realize that I was trying so hard to control my life, to control my destiny… I woke up completely broke one morning… I literally said, God, you take this from me… I was relieved… Three months later, the chosen comes along. I just needed to submit.”
• As a practicing Catholic, Roumie believes his faith gives him authentic insight for the role:
  • (07:40): “I feel that it lends an authenticity to the role that allows me to understand more of why Jesus did the things he did and said the things he did… I actually believe that… that seems to have lent me a kind of credibility and… authenticity in approaching the character that maybe people haven’t seen.”
• Roumie considers that a nonbeliever could play Jesus credibly but would require intense research and immersion beyond viewing Jesus as “a great teacher or a cool guy.” (08:46–09:33)

3. Fame, Fan Expectations & Emotional Encounters (09:38–17:34)

• Roumie addresses the psychological and spiritual intensity of being greeted by vast, devout crowds:
  • (10:18): “None of this is about me. I don’t matter in the grand scheme of things… when I come out to those speeches and people react the way they do… they’re seeing me as the face of the guy that they’ve had this response to… and I’m the closest thing to the real Jesus that they probably will ever see in person.”
• On balancing humility and a sense of mission:
  • (11:57) “If I said there wasn’t anything at all, I’d be lying. Do I allow it to become my reason for doing what I do? No. So the paradox… for me a sense of mission, but the mission is about Jesus…”
• He recounts a moving and difficult fan encounter where a mother hoped, like a scene in the series, that her disabled son might be healed:
  • (14:36): “…I said, yeah, that would be amazing. But I gotta be honest with you. As far as I know, I don’t have that gift, but I would love to pray with you… And then I just burst into tears because I thought to myself, man, on some level, I must have let them down.”

4. Authority, Leadership, and Public Witness (17:34–22:25)

• Roumie considers the “category error” of being asked to speak as a faith leader or authority simply because he plays Jesus:
  • (17:34): “All of us are not the sum total of what we do... we have a conversation and some sort of fruit comes out of that. For somebody else hearing this interview… they learned something or they had misconceptions about Christians… now they have a better dialogue.”
• He is cautious about public political stances, distinguishing between spiritual belief and politics:
  • On the March for Life rally:
    (19:14): “I recognize that for so many people it is only political. For me, it is only spiritual.”
  • He explains his anti-abortion stance is rooted in Catholic belief in “the sanctity of life from the moment of conception,” but laments how such issues are politicized and divisive in America (20:59–21:11).
• Roumie notes he supports other aspects of Jesus’s teachings, such as aid for the poor, referencing his charity work in Africa. (21:11)

5. Media, Culture, and Spiritual Concerns (22:25–29:31)

• Roumie laments the prevalence of occult and demonic imagery in contemporary entertainment:
  • (23:14): “We’ve reached the point now in culture where… images and symbolism of Satan and Satanism and demons and witchcraft… are so frequent and regular… it’s so easy to become desensitized.”
  • He places particular concern on how these images affect children (23:14, 24:49).
• The conversation exposes a generational divide—while Roumie and Marchese joke about classic heavy metal bands, Roumie emphasizes that modern depictions are more sexualized and graphically dark (25:17).
• Roumie describes how faith has become stigmatized in Hollywood, with colleagues warning him not to discuss it openly:
  • (26:52): “There was such a deep fear of being found out… that they had a sense of faith… it was just not okay to possess that. And for me, that’s not okay.”
• Despite the risks, Roumie follows his convictions, praying publicly and accepting speaking invitations as an act of trust and surrender “to God” (29:03).

6. Art vs. Evangelism: The Mission of “The Chosen” (29:28–32:19)

• Marchese asks how much of “The Chosen” is intended to evangelize versus simply entertain:
  • Roumie insists the priority is storytelling and production quality:
    • (29:44): “First and foremost this is a TV show… if the vehicle of this story is anything less than top quality… none of that’s gonna matter… next, move on. So, yeah, it still has to be a great TV show first, and then everything else from that can flow.”
• On the risk of being typecast as Jesus:
  • (31:31): “If I did nothing else… but Jesus and the chosen and that’s all people remembered me for… the fact that they remember me at all, that’s amazing. Like, I’m good.”

7. Faith, Surrender, and Cultural Resistance (34:15–41:03)

• Christmas’s secularization troubles Roumie, who sees almost no mention of Jesus in modern media:
  • (34:55): “It’s hard to sort of see it being hijacked… Especially now, any movie that comes out during the season that’s about Christmas, there’s no trace of Jesus in it at all.”
• In addressing Hollywood’s wariness, Roumie attributes industry resistance to a legacy of ham-fisted faith media and missed opportunities for quality storytelling:
  • (36:16): “Maybe because for so long… films made under the guise of being related to faith… have just missed the mark in terms of excellence.”
• On “surrender to God” in practical terms:
  • (38:29): “Knowing… that my ability to control my destiny… ultimately is beyond me. Yet I have to participate in the process of moving forward... I want whatever you want from me because you know better than I do what’s good for me. Whatever that is, show me what it is.”

8. Living with Faith, Doubt, and Public Vulnerability (41:03–43:44)

• Roumie acknowledges he is constantly tested in his faith, referencing the Apostle Paul’s “thorn in the side”:
  • (41:26): “We’re all suffering and struggling with something. I’m a woefully flawed human being, but I’m trying to do the best that I can with the gifts that I’ve been given.”
• Going public with his Catholic faith—especially during the pandemic—was intimidating, but he felt compelled to help others (42:59):
  • “I started praying live on my social media accounts, and I thought, what am I doing? This is career killer… But then I got to this moment… just speak from the heart.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jonathan Roumie (03:42):
  “Nobody’s ever wondered, well, what would it be like to crack a joke with Jesus, to have a glass of wine with Jesus, to see him dancing at a wedding?”
• (06:02):
  “I was literally. It was just. I didn’t see any way out that I could figure out how to make work. And so I literally said, God, you take this from me. It’s in your hands now. It’s not up to me, and I’m not going to worry about it. And I was relieved… And then three months later, the chosen comes along...”
• (10:18):
  “I recognize that none of this is about me. I don’t matter in the grand scheme of things… they’re seeing me as the face of the guy… I’m the closest thing to the real Jesus that they probably will ever see in person.”
• (14:36):
  (On the mother and the child in the wheelchair): “I just burst into tears because I thought to myself, man, on some level, I must have let them down. But they know what I do. They know I’m not a healer. I’m not a preacher. So once I got through that line of thought, I recognized… I can only be who I’ve been made to be.”
• (29:44):
  “If the vehicle of this story is anything less than top quality, if it’s not a great TV show first, then anything else that any of us might want… none of that’s gonna matter.”
• (38:29-41:03):
  (On surrendering): “Recognizing that my ability to control my destiny… is beyond me… Yet I have to participate in the process… I want whatever you want from me because you know better than I do what’s good for me.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:45 – Portrayal philosophy and distinguishing "The Chosen"
• 06:02 – Roumie’s surrender and “miraculous” casting
• 10:18 – Navigating fame, audience projection, and humility
• 14:36 – The emotional weight of meeting fans in crisis
• 17:34 – “Category error” of being asked to speak as a religious authority
• 19:14–21:11 – On March for Life: spiritual vs. political witness
• 23:14–24:49 – Concerns about occult/dark imagery in culture, especially for youth
• 29:44 – Artistry before evangelism: priorities for “The Chosen”
• 34:55 – Secularization of Christmas in media/culture
• 38:29–41:03 – Surrendering to God, practical faith, relinquishing control
• 41:03–42:59 – Ongoing faith struggles and public vulnerability

Final Reflections

Jonathan Roumie presents a nuanced portrait of the intersection between personal faith and public persona, showing humility, humor, and a clear understanding of the boundaries and responsibilities of his role. His candor about both emotional burdens and spiritual surrender offers rare insight into what it means to "play Jesus" for millions—and to remain, at heart, a fellow seeker sharing the journey.

For further reading or to listen to other episodes, visit nytimes.com/theinterview.