Jonathan Roumie Says Atheists Are Turning to Christ Through ‘The Chosen’

'The Chosen' star Jonathan Roumie tells us about his 25-day challenge this holiday season and explains why filming the upcoming season is one of the hardest things he's ever done. pic.twitter.com/2XjZ8saSyy

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He said he recently read testimonies on his Instagram account from two fans of The Chosen who revealed they didn’t believe there was a God before they watched the series.

“Both of these people that wrote to me happen to have been lifelong atheists and never had any interest in God,” he said. “And then somehow, somebody sent them the show, and all of a sudden, it's like that first episode just kind of grabs hold of you.

“And if God wants to, He will just, He'll find you. He'll follow you. … He'll go after you. And through the process of the show, they became interested in the Bible, and then they started going to the church, and they had both converted to Christianity,” Roumie said to applause. “That’s remarkable.”

The Chosen is a faith-based drama that explores the ministry of Jesus through the eyes of those who knew Him. The first episodes of Season 6 – which spotlights the crucifixion – are expected to launch in late 2026, with the finale scheduled to land in theaters in time for Easter the following year on March 12, 2027.

Roumie opened up about why shooting the crucifixion scenes was especially challenging.

“It's not just the physicality of recreating that; it's the emotional impact that that has. It's the mental, the psychological impact of entering into Christ's crucifixion and His torture … and I asked God to allow me some sense of what that would be like, and He didn't disappoint, and it's something that I'm still actively processing right now,” Roumie said.

Asked whether someone without faith could play Christ, Roumie said he believes the performance would lose authenticity.

“I think what I bring to the role is my relationship to Christ, is my relationship with Jesus, and my love for Him – and so by taking on His love for humanity and trying to recreate that, it's made me a better person. It's made me want to love people,” Roumie said.

Meanwhile, Roumie previewed the 25-day Advent prayer challenge on the Hallow app, which is available on all major platforms.

“There's so much noise [in the world], there's so much chaos, there's so much unrest that – how do we prepare for Jesus coming into the world for the next 25 days, in a way that is calming, in a way that allows us to get some peace, some inner peace, some stillness?” he asked. “The theme of this challenge is called ‘be still’ from Psalm 46 – ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ And so for a few minutes a day, this is a guided meditation. Anybody can do it, anybody looking for peace, for stillness, for hope, can literally key into this challenge by listening a few minutes a day.”

Roumie also shared a humorous detail about his summer visit with Pope Leo XIV.

“He said, ‘You know, my brother watches your show all the time. I have to confess. I haven't seen it yet, but I'll get there.’ I said, ‘Don't worry. We brought some DVDs.”

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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.