'Sound of Freedom' Star Jim Caviezel Opened up About His Religion
"I wanted to make movies that had a redeemable quality. That’s why I was called into this business. I gave my career to Jesus."
May 14 2024, Published 11:19 a.m. ET
In the complex tapestry of Hollywood, where personal beliefs often intersect with public personas, few actors have navigated their careers with as much unabashed openness about their faith as Jim Caviezel.
Best known for his riveting portrayal of Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's 2004 epic drama The Passion of the Christ, Jim's career has been defined by his roles on screen and by his devout adherence to his Catholic faith off screen.
What is Jim Caviezel's religion?
In The Passion of the Christ, Jim depicted the final hours of Jesus Christ's life, including his murder and resurrection. While Jim's blue eyes give away that he isn't a traditional Hebrew man, Jim does consider himself a devout Catholic. Additionally, Jim points to Pope John Paul II as his most significant influence.
In an interview, Jim shared about playing Jesus Christ in The Passion of Christ. He said, "All of a sudden, I wasn’t popular anymore, and not because I did anything wrong. I mean, I just played Jesus. So, did this rejection affect me personally? Well, we all have our own cross to bear. But hey, in the end, none of us will live in this world forever. Not even those Hollywood producers. At some point, everyone has to answer for what they’ve done in their lives."
In 2023, Jim also starred in Sound of Freedom, a movie based on a true story that shows retired federal agents working to save children from human trafficking. During an interview with Fox News that Jim did while promoting Sound of Freedom, he talked about his thoughts on modern-day Christianity and his purpose in acting.
Jim shared, "The problem is that modern day Christianity has become so weak and useless. I mean, modern day Christians are more afraid of the devil than they are of God. God could destroy the devil without a glance, but he looks to us to make a decision."
Jim credits God for his acting career.
In an interview with TBN, Jim shared that God found him in a movie theater and made him feel loved and at peace. During this movie theater experience, Jim explained that he heard God tell him to become an actor. He shared about how he wanted to create movies in Hollywood that focused on faith.
Jim said, "I wanted to make movies that had a redeemable quality. That’s why I was called into this business. I gave my career to Jesus." But, his acting career isn't the only way Jim chooses to represent Christ. In his most recent event, Jim is speaking at the Celebrating Life luncheon, which will be hosted at the Waco Convention Center in Texas.
Every chance he gets in interviews and in his work, Jim never misses an opportunity to talk about his belief in Jesus Christ. He also shared with Fox News, "The purpose God gave me in this business, I wanted to bring his light," he explained. "And it doesn't mean I'm always his light into an industry. And I wanted to do that, but it doesn't mean that I'm not going to play the devil in movies. Just there's got to be some sort of moral redemption."
