Jonathan Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus Christ in the popular faith-based series “The Chosen,” has opened up about the powerful and painful experience of filming the crucifixion scenes for Season 6. The actor revealed that recreating one of the most emotional moments in Christian history was not only difficult physically, but also deeply emotional and spiritual.
Roumie shared his thoughts during ChosenCon, a fan event held in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the cast and creators of “The Chosen” gathered with thousands of fans. Speaking in an interview with Fox News Digital, the actor described the experience as something that changed him forever.
“It was a one-of-a-kind experience,” Roumie said during the conversation with Fox News. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life — both professionally and personally.”
“The Chosen”, created by Dallas Jenkins, is a widely watched drama series about the life of Jesus and his followers. Season 5, which was released last year, focused on important moments such as Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. The upcoming Season 6, expected to arrive in Fall 2026, will show the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus, events described in the Gospels.
Roumie explained that preparing for these scenes required more than just acting. As a devout Catholic, he said he spent a lot of time praying and asking God for guidance so he could portray the role honestly.
He shared that he asked God to allow him to experience even a small part of what Jesus endured during the crucifixion so he could bring the story to life for viewers.
However, the filming process quickly became physically demanding. On the first day of filming, Roumie fell and injured his shoulder, which happened to be the same shoulder he would later use to carry the cross in the scene.
Later during production, another moment on set caused a head injury, which led to cervical problems that lasted for months. Despite the pain, Roumie said he offered the suffering as part of his dedication to the role.
During a conversation with Rev. Mike Schmitz at ChosenCon, Roumie explained that he tried to use the difficult moments as part of the performance.
Instead of focusing only on acting, he said he chose to embrace the physical pain and offer it spiritually, hoping the scenes would touch people watching the series.
The emotional intensity also affected the entire cast. Roumie said that many actors felt deeply connected after filming the crucifixion scenes because of how heavy the experience was.
He even described the group as becoming “trauma-bonded,” saying the emotional weight of the scenes felt almost like post-traumatic stress.
Even months after filming ended, Roumie admitted the experience still stays with him. With Easter approaching, he believes the upcoming Holy Week will feel very different after portraying the Passion of Christ on screen.
Despite the difficult moments, Roumie says his goal is simple — to help audiences understand the message of Jesus’ love, mercy, and compassion through his performance in The Chosen.
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