‘The Chosen’ star Jonathan Roumie on the pressure of playing Jesus and how the ‘little show that could’ became a global phenomenon

One of the most popular TV shows in the world is The Chosen, the first-ever multi-season series about the life of Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples.

Based on the Bible, the series is set primarily in first century Judaea and Galilee. Its creators say more than 200 million people have seen at least one episode of the show on streaming services, in theaters or on TV.

The show was originally crowdfunded, and now streams on its own app that uses a pay-it-forward model so viewers can contribute funding to make it free for others. The show’s fourth season premieres Sept. 1 on the CW.

Jonathan Roumie, who stars as Jesus, told Yahoo Entertainment about how the show has changed his life, how it’s different from other biblical adaptations and how it’s been received by its audience.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you decide to take this role?

I needed a job! That’s what it comes down to. I was at the brokest I’ve been in my entire life. I was out of food and everything. I got to praying and surrendered everything to God. Three months later, I got the show and it’s changed my life. I already had a relationship with Dallas Jenkins, the creator of The Chosen, from four years earlier when he cast me as Jesus in these short films for his church. That started our relationship. We took a stab at a little TV show that was crowdfunded at the time for four episodes, and here we are four seasons later about to premiere on the CW. The entire world is now aware of our little show that could.

People have been donating on crowdfunding sites so others can watch the show for free. Does knowing that fans are so passionate about helping 'The Chosen' reach a wider audience affect how you feel about your work?

We have a foundation called Come and See that ensures that we’ll get through seven seasons, God willing, and will make it possible for us to have more generous and larger donations that are tax deductible. It hasn’t been the motivation, but it has allowed us to maintain the integrity of the story because we’re bringing people what they want. They want to make sure the story reaches its end and that the mission continues even beyond that. It has allowed us to be completely independent of Hollywood and things that might get in the way of telling the story the way we know it needs to be told.

What do you think Hollywood would change about the story?

It’s hard to predict, and luckily, we don’t have to. I think the things I’ve missed in Hollywood adaptations of biblical stories in recent years are spiritual substance and authenticity. When you make this kind of program, what allows it to be successful is the level of authenticity that people making the show bring to work. If you don’t have that, it can’t attract people and resonate with people in the same way. I think because we’re always striving for authenticity and the genuine spiritual truths of Jesus’s message. … That’s the secret sauce.

I’m sure you get this question all the time, but how does one even prepare to play Jesus?

Prayer. It’s the first thing I do. Lots and lots of prayer before every season, before every scene and before every take. I’m always doing a silent prayer to myself and praying for guidance, that God will allow his voice to be heard through mine and his words to be felt through the ones I’ve been given to say in the script, and for everything else that happens as a result of the show. People have these deep conversations, or they go from believing to not believing in something, or just wanting to know more about Jesus. All that stuff — this supernatural stuff — is not up to us. Our responsibility is to show up, be open and tell the story with authenticity and truth. God does the rest.

Knowing how the story of Jesus ends, does that affect how you portray him each season?

There’s an urgency. As we get closer to the end of the story, it starts to creep into my consciousness. I haven’t, for the first four seasons, spent a lot of time thinking about it. My goal is to be present and focused on what we’re talking about now, being with the disciples in these situations. If I let my mind wander, I’m not present with them. We just [finished filming] Season 5, and the story is shifting. Season 4 takes place over several months, then Season 5 takes place over the course of a week. Season 6 will take place over the course of a single day — just 24 hours. So in Season 5, I had to really acknowledge and bring into the speeches what is inevitable for Jesus.

Why do you think this is one of the most-watched shows in the world?

Jesus’s message is timeless, and his truth is for all of humanity. At times it’s a difficult truth to hear, but it’s true. Whether or not you recognize it or accept that truth, it doesn’t change. I think presenting the message in this way is accessible. The characters and Jesus are relatable — they feel like people that you would see in your neighborhood or community. They laugh, cry and get confused just like we do. Nobody’s ever portrayed these characters with such humanity before. Nobody’s had the luxury of time that it takes to build these characters over the course of several seasons. We’re doing something nobody has ever done before. They’ve never shown Jesus and the disciples at a party, dancing at a wedding, having some wine, enjoying each other’s company, getting mad at each other, being annoyed with each other — all these things that humans go through.

Have there been any reactions to the show that really stuck with you?

I was at an event recently where a young girl who has a disease was in the audience. She was about 12 or 13, and that morning she had just come from burying her younger sister who had the same disease. All the girl wanted to do that day was come hear me speak because she loves the show so much, so I made it a point to have her come backstage so I could visit with her. I couldn’t imagine the level of grief that she and her family were going through. If the show can be some kind of salve to someone’s wounds in some way, then it's all been worth it. If I never did anything again for the rest of my career, that moment would have all been worth it.

The Chosen Season 4 premieres Sept. 1 at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.