Jonathan Roumie and Elizabeth Tabish on starring as Jesus and Mary Magdalene on "The Chosen"

I remember you wishing there could be another way and looking back I do too I still don't know why it has to be this way the bitter often mingled with the sweet that is a hit series The Chosen and millions I mean almost maybe a billion people have fallen in love with these two characters Jesus of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene Jonathan roomy and Elizabeth tabish uh Jonathan this has got to be a transformational moment for you in your life not only are you sending an amazing message but for you personally yeah uh Carlos it's been it's been surreal on so many levels um we started this journey almost six years ago now and it's been um from the very first four episodes it it's been quite transformative it's been um obviously career-wise it's it's changed everything uh but also personally and for me uh spiritually it's deepened my my own faith so uh it's it's just really given back to me on so many levels more than I had ever anticipated possible the richest of your character Liz is is really profound and I think you you play off uh off Jonathan so well in in all of the scenes there seems to be a real Bond tell me about that Bond and why that's important to you I mean the the entire cast has bonded over you know through these scenes we show up we're strangers in this first episode and uh we jump right into such an intimate moment which is this um exorcism and uh it's not the Hollywood exorcism it's not a scary moment it's this really beautiful um and heartfelt vulnerable moment between them and so from there I think there was this sort of like trust that that develops and each season it gets deeper and deeper with the entire cast we're doing these very emotional scenes together and um and that requires a lot of trust that requires a lot of faith in each other and in the storytelling and in the writers and directors so um because of I think the material of the show it's it's bonded at all of us and because of that Bond I think it influences our performances on you know sort of Life imitating art imitating life and I find it interesting that the the dialogue that you speak is not stilted or even trying to be something that it is not to you Pharisees for you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplac take it back right now it count your insulting words oh I am just getting started when you look at uh the movies of Charlton hon and the Ten Commandments and you go there let my people go I I don't see Jesus of Nazareth doing that was that a challenge for you Jonathan well what what we've been trying to do and what our writers and Dallas our director does so beautifully is is to make this material accessible to people and to do that you you have to uh sound like people what people expect and so I I think for us a lot of the the the Divinity comes in through the the miraculous events that happen but I think often times it's not as theatrical you know as it would have been in another era um also I mean that's that's not bringing into into the conversation um the style of of Cinema you know 50 years ago versus now and what modern audiences need and require and expect from shows that they want to continue to watch and to binge like they have with the chosen so I think there's a lot of factor that factors that come into place but more often or more than any of them the most important thing is this um this level of authenticity when telling the story that's that's what we've aimed to do from the very beginning and I think we've been pretty successful at doing that and I think it's been the secret sauce to to spreading the success of the show all over the globe how does it feel to be uh pretty much the I I would say not not the only woman but the the the lead character in in this this series surrounded by men who are practicing machoism in its earliest forms right like they're the mening they're carrying the torch of Jesus of Nazareth but here is what I can tell you I was one way and now I am completely different tell me about how that feels and and how you've developed your character to accept that I mean it it doesn't feel like I'm the the principal female I I feel like they they've written so many wonderful female characters and um just as there's this group of male disciples there's also this group of female followers and um they're all richly developed as well the actresses bring so much to the characters and the writing for it is is wonderful so I feel like there's this like band of women that Mary's a part of I think because she's the first female introduced into the story there's um there's a lot there and um you know there's she's named quite a bit in the Bible so so we're familiar with her in in in that sense but um yeah I mean I think the the story is also like in the Bible there were lots of female followers for Jesus were um and that was pretty revolutionary for that time too so we're just kind of following that what's already been written really and I think also I mean historically Mary is known as the Apostle to the apostles you know so she I think she is Chief among the the the female protagonists of the story so um she I mean and she just does Elizabeth does a a wonderful job beautiful job of just kind of being that that central point of the female narratives that uh that as she had said they're so so beautifully and richly developed right forgive me but I see God's hand in this whole in this entire production and I have to say that I am sure as sure as I'm sitting here that people mistake you for Jesus of Nazareth and want you to perform miracles for them tell me what that must be like what does that feel like you know on a subconscious level I think you know maybe the line gets blurred from time to time I don't know I hope people don't actually expect that when they meet me um there was one instance where it felt like it was implied and that to me was a moment where I felt completely like overwhelmed cuz I knew that I I didn't didn't I don't have that gift there are some people that that do have a gift of healing and and I don't have that of of physical healing so um the best I can do in a moment like that when I meet a fan is to just pray with them and and to be present with them and to to listen to them and and hear their appreciation and gratitude for the story and and what we've all endeavored to to accomplish here as as actors in this series so um I I try not to try not to think too much about what people think I mean there's there's a saying that goes out what people think of you is none of your business you know and so my job is to just use the gifts that God has given me to to tell the best possible story as an actor that I can in this TV series and what happens as a result of that is not up to me there is healing in that though you know like healing is not always a a big to-do like sometimes it's just internal shift of heart that I think being present with people and being compassionate with people does make very healing change yeah amen well if if you're not moved by your performances then you're not you're not a feeling human being because I I've been moved many times watching the series and I have to say that I'm a I'm a big fan now we all know how this story ends tragically and so uh that has to play I it's part of the end the tragedy is just part of the end it's not the fin fin yeah what do you think about that Liz I mean this is this is one of those things where all right season 4 if you were go through the Bible and you'd say oh well that's the end of the book I I've read the whole book and what what did I get from it what do we get from the chosen as as as you have this completed uh work of art I so far with season 4 there have been so many um so much growth in all of these characters we meet them before they meet Jesus and we see how Jesus changes them and um transforms them and what that growth looks like so there are already Midway through the the story already so many character Arts that are really beautiful and um and inspiring I think for for viewers but yeah we're only halfway there so up and you know we're we've got three more seasons to go um and then of course there's there's lives and experiences Beyond um the end of of you know when Jesus ascends like there's there these characters continue on so I'm not sure if we get to tell those stories or not but um well I'll be out have flashbacks or something I don't know but I mean the the story itself is is one of Hope and of of redemption and light overcoming darkness and that theme is very present in season 4 but that's the theme of the entire show Jonathan roomy Elizabeth tavish thank you so much for your great work appreciate visiting with you and a continued success to both of you chosen season 4 watch [Music] it

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Id: HDS0zpULLxE

Length: 9min 25sec (565 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 08 2024