'I Can't Tell My Acting Journey Without Jesus': 'Chosen' Star Says Show Is 'Life-Changing' for Her

Lara thank you so much for doing this and for for taking a few minutes to talk with us how did you get connected with the chosen where did that opportunity first come up right my story is a little bit different than most of the actors I think because when a project comes out usually um you know your agents like see it and they send it to the actors and then you audition for it but for me I was with such a small agent they didn't know about it and this was being cast out of LA and I live in Atlanta however about three years prior to the chosen even being a thought I am I met a girl who she was an actress and she was filming a faith-based film in Atlanta we became really good friends right away I wasn't filming with her but we had we had mutual friends and um she was awesome and I looked up to like her career and just like what she had going for her and how bold she was about her faith too and so when she finished filming she went back to LA and then she started working at a casting office um and three years later that ends up being the casting office that the chosen decides to use and so she was an associate and she saw you know the project come out and she thought of me you know we we had like such a good close relationship and um and she uh saw the role of Mary Magdalene and she sent that to me um and I read for for Mary Magdalene I think I loved the script loved how just amazing it was and um but Dallas you know he saw my audition tape and I think he I think he liked it he just might have had a different role in mind for me so I then auditioned for Eden and um I I booked it as an actor it's you know crazy story honestly yeah you know season three is elevating a lot of women and the the roles of women throughout Jesus's Earthly Ministry and playing Eden Simon Peter's wife what how is that factored in what do you make of of wanting to elevate those female stories particularly as a focus in season three yeah yeah we're elevated we're highlighted in such a way that I didn't I think that's resonating with so many people because most faith-based stuff like a lot of you know sometimes I I don't know I feel like it's not portrayed um as as you know as well as it could and also this is the first time that we get to see who Jesus really is and how he viewed and saw women and how he lifted them up and how they're you know in his eyes they're just as important and their jobs are important too and um you know our responsibilities and and and everything and I think I think that's so impactful and so important for you know for people to see that just because the times were different back then like he's always been the same he's always seen us this way yeah and as somebody who's come into this project as a Believer how have you been maybe surprised or challenged by Jesus and the disciples and and and seeing scripture that you may have read but never seen it come alive like it is now how has that impacted you definitely it's um it's been completely life-changing for me personally because I didn't grow up um with a strong like faith I didn't have a relationship with Jesus like my mom was raised Catholic but we didn't go to church I didn't own a Bible I didn't have you know that root under me um so I'm in my mid-20s was when I I personally found my calling and my relationship with Christ and was when I realized that I needed him if I was going to go after this crazy industry of acting which I also didn't find until I found God so it was like it's a it was a connection for me like I can't tell one without the other like I can't tell my acting Journey without Jesus and vice versa I can't tell my testimony without like realizing that my passion and love and gift that he gave me and he almost like he spoke to me and was like I'm gonna help you get you know open the open doors and opportunities and put people into my life like my friend who you know started working on the Chosen and you know she's a strong woman of Faith too and so yeah it's just those God connections I think that got me to where I am and it hasn't always like been easy you know and my because I came into my faith a little later in life too like it's like I'm learning as I go um he's meeting me where I am constantly yeah um you know I'm not always strong in my faith sometimes it shakes sometimes it waivers sometimes you're in uh disbeliefs you know at times or there's but um but I think that's I think that's why I'm here yeah you know maybe I'm I get this gift of sharing and telling my story and maybe that's why God has placed me here to be able to I don't know help help someone out there too yeah well I noticed on your social media that you have Proverbs 16 9 as a verse that's maybe a life verse for you and if it's it fits so perfectly into this story amazing yeah talk a little bit about why that verse is so important well the verse says in our hearts we plan the course you know but the Lord establishes our steps so that can have so much meaning to it because in our hearts we're like or in our minds whatever it is we're like oh I want to do this this and this and I have hopes and dreams of doing this and I wanna you know or I I want to accomplish this but it's like for me I didn't realize that without Supernatural help power and that the spirit of Jesus like he's the one that is going to open or sometimes close those doors for me or put people into my life or um you know ex like allow experiences to happen to me so that I can fulfill a greater purpose for instance like you know being on this on the show it's like I wanted to be an actor but he's the one that has gotten me here and paved the way for me to be able to tell and share what he's done for me yeah yeah and how have you seen you've mentioned that a couple times about how the Lord has kind of led to you and has provided for you in this role yes how have you seen maybe instances of Jesus and Christ and your relationship with him helping you in this process as you're playing and developing the character of Eden yes um it's like as I sit here right now like in season three Eden is going through a an immense amount of of like just emotional pain and loneliness and and um there's weight that I'm carrying and so I am also I feel like carrying that um in my walk now you know where things aren't always great you know you don't always feel um as strong in your faith and so um I'm taking it as well God is really allowing me to be in that space to be able to tell the story in an authentic way because if I'm relating to it on a personal level then I'm doing the role Justice and then therefore I think the audience will then be able to see yeah you know how have you seen maybe that developing that character balancing the complexity of like in your personal life I've got questions and I I'm seeking answers but then you're also the storyline is moving forward in a show so you're still having to shoot scenes yeah how have you balanced that in your head I'm still trying to figure that out Trey it's crazy it's um it's I'm being so challenged and it's I'm trying to keep in mind that I'm I'm telling the story right it's it's but like what I'm going through is like my body doesn't know the difference or like my mind doesn't know the difference like if I'm if I'm sad because I need to be for this for this particular scene um I I get there I find a way to get there but it's so it's not always easy to like pull myself back out um because you know it's it's um it's not a natural thing that you know that that we're able to do so I'm still working on it and finding that balance of like I can't quite let go of what we're going through currently because we're not finished filming season three so I can't quite Let It Go you know right now um even as I sit here it's like I live with it and I kind of carry it with me and maybe that's just my process of like the method that I you know that I'm um going through but I'm also honoring where I really am like I'm not forcing myself to be in this space I just am and I think God is using that um to be able to to tell you know to tell that to tell the story and and have truth behind it because it's that's what's more important too I think yeah honoring that oh thank you so much for taking a few minutes I appreciate it I could talk to you for a while a long while but thank you

Channel: CBN News

Views: 194,383

Keywords: cbn, cbn news, christian news, christian tv, christian stories, faith, faith news, faith stories, inspirational stories, Tré Goins-Phillips, Faithwire, Faithwire.com, Faithwire news, news today, today's headlines, quick news, quickstart podcast, us news, international news, lara silva, the chosen, bible show, peter's wife the chosen, eden the chosen, the chosen season 3, jesus tv show, chosen actress, Simon-Peter, proverbs 16:9, christianity, the chosen theaters

Id: VNxOe0V3QiA

Length: 9min 31sec (571 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 26 2022