The Chosen has made history by becoming the most crowd-funded film (series) ever. Behind the history of the Christian-based series are the cast members who play different roles. Some of the characters are Jonathan Roumie (role of Jesus), Shahar Isaac (role of Simon), and Elizabeth Tabish (role of Mary Magdalene).
Despite centering on the life of Jesus and his ministry, The Chosen cast members belong to different religious backgrounds such as Judaism and Christianity among others. Others are deeply rooted in Catholicism, while others believe in God but do not practice any religion in particular.
As far as we know, there is so much to be told about the characters of The Chosen, their roles in the series, and their religions. Here is what you should know.
All About The Chosen Cast, Their Religion, and Other Works
Shahar Isaac (Simon)
Shahar Isaac brings the character of Simon Peter in The Chosen to life. His role is that of one of the 12 disciples of Jesus and this would be his first major role as an actor.
Before then, he played small roles in series such as Madam Secretary (2018), Person of Interest (2011), and Price For Freedom (2017). He has also appeared in numerous stage plays.
If you follow The Chosen, you should be aware of his accent which is not very English (in a typical American setting). This is because he is an Israeli-American. He was born in Israel before he later moved to the US and claimed fame following the release of The Chosen.
Concerning his religion, Isaac is believed to be Jewish and a possible native Hebrew. A Redditor reports watching a behind-the-scenes show where it is mentioned that the actor is Jewish.
Apart from that, it is common knowledge that Israel is a nation with over 73% Jewish people. This is followed by other religions such as Islam and Christianity.
In another aspect of his life, he is a guitarist and a passionate photographer.
Jonathan Roumie (Jesus)
Have you seen Jonathan Roumie in other movies or series before The Chosen or The Chosen was your first? Whatever your answer may be, the American actor (born to an Egyptian father and Irish mother) has been in the movie industry since the early 2000s.
Before looking at his other roles, let us see him as Jesus in The Chosen. His role is that of the Christian Messiah known as Jesus of Nazareth.
To say the least, he has the biggest role in the series since the story centers on his (Jesus) life, his ministry, and of course the word of God.
As in the case of Simon Peter in the series, Roumie as Jesus has an accent foreign to English. According to him, he incorporates an Egyptian accent (from his Egyptian father) and a Palestine accent (from his sister-in-law).
Roumie’s Jesus’ role in The Chosen is not the first time he wears Christ’s shoes. He played Jesus for the first time in Faustina: Messenger of Divine Mercy in 2019. It is a touring multi-media project about the life of St. Faustina.
Also, in 2014, he played Jesus in the short film Once We Were Slaves.
This then leads us to his other roles in other movies and series. Roumie has appeared in 2001’s Be My Brother and Prime in 2005. One of his most famous roles is John Wilkes Booth in Saving Lincoln in 2013.
In his personal and religious life, Roumie is a practicing Christian and Catholic. He serves as a ministry leader and he is on the board of Catholics in Media Associates.
Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene)
Tabish in The Chosen series is Mary Magdalene. Her role is that of a woman inflicted by demons and saved by Jesus. In the film, she is also seen as Lillith as well as a prostitute that Jesus saves.
One important thing about Tabish’s role as Magdalene is the fact that she breaks in as an important female figure. The story (even as it is in the Bible) does not have many female characters but Mary breaks that barrier and also shows the depth of Christ’s love.
Like her role in The Chosen, Tabish struggled through life. She suffered severe depression and was on the brink of quitting acting before she landed the Mary of Magdala role.
She was born and raised a Catholic but her faith withered along the line. However, she later found a place back to Jesus, following the influence of The Chosen.
Before that, she was involved mostly in commercials that could barely pay her rent and forced her to move in with her mother.
Paras Patel (Matthew)
In the crowd-funded The Chosen, Paras plays Matthew, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. His story brings in much of the reality of the Bible while also linking it to a little bit of fiction.
Matthew is a lonely man who is also autistic and a tax collector. His job brings shame to his parents and his father disowns him. Then he finds love in Jesus and his journey toward redemption starts.
Away from his Matthew role, he is an acting coach. He has equally played roles in Nashville (2012), The DUFF (2015), Honor Council (2017), and For The People (2018).
Noah James (Andrew)
In The Chosen, Noah James’ role is that of Andrew. His role is that of one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. In the series, he is the son of Jonah, the brother of Simon, and also Philip’s friend.
Andrew is also a man of faith and a follower of John the Baptized.
In his life away from the series, he is an actor and director known for Shameless (2011) and Game Shakers (2015).
James is from a secular background and didn’t know much about Jesus Christ until he became a part of The Chosen. According to him, the series has given a better understanding of Jesus and his disciples.
Janis Dardaris (Zohara)
Dardaris is a multi-award-winning actress who played Zohara in The Chosen. She is one of the key actors in the series and the wife of Nicodemus.
In the series, Zohara does not like the new life of her husband. At first, she didn’t even know that he had found and believed in Jesus.
Janis is not only an actress in a Christian religion-related movie but is also a believer in the Christian faith. The actress attended Christian schools her whole life.
This contributes to one of the reasons that she became a part of the series. According to her, she is excited to tell a Bible story. More exciting is that the story does not just focus on Jesus but tells his story from the eyes of the people around him, including her character, Zohara.
There is more about her life away from her religion. In her career, she is known for playing Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense (1999), Grace in Cruzando (2009), and Judge Marilyn in Power (2014).
Lara Silva (Eden)
Otherwise known as Lara Covino, Silva is an actress with an extensive career in numerous movies and series. Some of her renowned roles are Luz Queen of the South (2016), Deputy Becky Dobson in Blue Ridge (2020), and Stephanie Hawkins in The Black Awakening (2021).
In The Chosen, her character is that of Eden, Simon Peter’s wife. As her husband, she also became a faithful follower of Jesus even as a Jew. Eden is a compassionate and hospitable woman.
She is also a supportive wife to her husband. She is one of the reasons that Simon met Jesus the day he did. It was with her urging that he went to the water where he met Jesus.
Upon her husband sharing with her his encounter, she is again supportive and was also eager to learn more about Jesus. Through Eden, Jesus performed some of his earliest miracles when he healed her (Eden) mother.
Concerning Lara Silva’s religion, she is a Christian. The Brazillian-born actress has the Bible verse “Pro 16:9” on her Instagram bio page.
Shaan Sharma (Shmuel)
Shaan Sharma does not identify with any particular religion as he considers humanity as an actual religion. However, he admits to believing that there is a God as spiritual energy and he prays to him every night before going to bed.
Even at that, he recites the Gayatri Mantra of Hindu religion with his children.
Looking away from that and to his career, Sharma played Shmuel in The Chosen.
Shmuel is not on Jesus’ side in the series as several other characters we have seen so far on this list. Instead, he is a pharisee who opposed Jesus in the Gospels.
His character is slightly fictitious since the actual opposition Pharisee in the Bible remains unnamed. Interestingly, his place in the series also gives more in-depth into humanity and relates it to Jesus.
For instance, Jesus met him at his lowest but rather than condemning him, Jesus showed him love and compassion.
Away from The Chosen, Shaan Sharma has been a versatile actor with an extensive career in movies and series. He has been featured in Jenna Elfman, J.K. Simmons, Eli Baker, and Ava Deluca-Verley in Growing Up Fisher (2014) as Cabbie, Criminal Minds (2005) as Brian Jones, and Mr. Mercedes (2017) as Dr. Sanjay Seth.
Nick Shakoour (Zebedee)
Nick Shakoour has an interesting life as an actor and producer. He has played roles in Care Bears: Unlock the Magic (2019), Buddy Thunderstruck (2017), Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition (2016), and State of Affairs (2014).
Interestingly, he has an interesting life surrounding The Chosen. Let’s start with his religion before looking at other aspects of his life in the series.
Shakoor was raised a Christian but doubted God’s existence. Then, he found himself playing Zebedee, the father of John and James. He is a man of God in the series and somehow, he found God through the role and has spoken openly about the faith.
Also, he has revealed that he has had new experiences since his encounter with God.
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George H. Xanthis (John)
Xanthis is an Australian-born actor and producer with roles in Syd2030 (2012), Open Slather (2015), and Deep Water (2016). In The Chosen, he plays John the Apostle, also known as John the Beloved.
Xanthis was raised in a Greek Orthodox home as a native Australian. According to him, he has been guilty of being culturally Christian sometimes.
Yet, The Chosen has helped him dig deeper into God, the Bible, and his faith. He has also sought advice from his family priest.
Relating to his role in The Chosen, Xanthis plays John the Beloved. John is one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus, the brother of James, and the son of Zebedee.
He has a good heart and is one of Jesus’ most loved people. Hence, he is known as the beloved.
Erick Avari (Nicodemus)
He is an Indian-American actor with roles in Stargate (1994), The Mummy (1999), and Days of Our Lives (2009).
As Nicodemus in The Chosen, he is the husband of Zohara (played by Janis Dardaris). He is a man of faith who met Jesus at night and had the famous “Born Again” conversation.
While Nicodemus’ role is minor, he is a major part of the story as his place is significant.
In his personal and religious life, Avari is not a Christian. Instead, he was born into a Parsi Zoroastrian family.
Brandon Potter (Quintus)
Unlike many other characters in The Chosen, Quintus is a fictional character. This means that his story is not in the Bible.
His character is loyal to Rome and is an antagonist of Jesus. He also had a relationship with Matthew since the Apostle (Matthew) used to report to him (Quintus) as a tax collector.
While he dislikes Jesus and often threatens to arrest him, he is intrigued by Jesus over time. Yet, he became impatient as his servant developed compassion for Jesus in Season 3.
In season 4 of the series, he seeks to have Jesus killed.
Looking into Potter’s life away from The Chosen, he is an American actor, director, and scriptwriter.
The actor has played roles in One Piece (1999), Dragon Ball Z (1990-1993), and Attack on Titan (2013-2022)
Kirk B. R. Woller (Gaius)
Kirk is a well-established actor with a career in series and films since the 1980s. Some popular films and series that have added to his fame include Prison Break, Big Momma’s House, The X-Files (1993), and The Resurrection of Gavin Stone (2017).
Whatever the case, Woller plays Gaius, a Roman soldier. He was at first Mathew’s boss and the men formed a friendship.
Later, he starts to believe in the preaching of Jesus and even tells his wife about him. His role is that of a man who takes an interest in seeking healing for his servant (also his illegitimate son).
While his role in The Chosen has turned heads towards him, it is easily believed that he is a Christian. However, this has not been ascertained.
Giavani Cairo (Thaddeus)
Giavani Cairo is Jude Thaddeus in The Chosen. He is also known as Jude the Apostle in the series and is one of the 12 men called by Jesus.
Jude had a career as a farmer before being called an apostle and was also often believed to be Jesus’ cousin.
Cairo’s character has helped him to become a better person, view people from a different light, and also deepen his faith.
Before The Chosen which is major to his fame, he appeared in Patch (2020), Perspectives (2019), Doom Patrol (2019), McCarthy (2018), and Calvari (2017).
Jordan Walker Ross (Little James)
Ross is one of the characters of The Chosen and he plays Little James. He is one of the 12 disciples of Jesus (not to be confused with James the son of Zebedee).
His character is an interesting one as his true nature is incorporated into the story. Ross has severe scoliosis and minor cerebral palsy which cause him to limp among other noticeable disabilities.
Well, when he auditioned for a role in the series, the director and creator had his character modeled to fit those features.
The good thing is, that his role in the series gives a deeper understanding of humans’ inner struggles, insecurities, and self-acceptance.
In his life away from the series, he openly speaks about his struggles and journey.
This struggle includes him not getting some roles because of his condition. Regardless, he has had roles in Tin Can Shinny (2003) and Beyond the Farthest Star (2015).
Yasmine Al-Bustami (Ramah)
Yasmine Al-Bustami is an American actress is Palestinian-Jordanian and Filipino descent. She plays Ramah in The Chosen. Even though her character is not originally in the Bible, she is a woman of faith in the series.
She follows Jesus through his ministry and is also enthusiastic about learning. Her character also strengthens the character of Thomas.
This character is one of the famous roles she interpreted but there is more to her life as an actress. She played roles such as Monique Deveraux in The Originals and as Special Agent Lucy Tara in NCIS: Hawai’i.
Concerning her religion, there have been different reports. Some sources claim that she is Muslim while others link her to Christianity. Whatever the case, her name is most popular among people who practice Islam.
Vanessa Benavente (Mary)
Actress Vanessa Benavente portrays the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The series journeys the audience into her life and her being the mother of a savior.
The series buttresses more on her story and relationship with other people as compared to her description in the Bible. For instance, she openly speaks to some disciples about her experience as the mother of Jesus.
Well, speaking about some of these experiences has made The Chosen to be called out for blasphemy. This calling out is based on the scenes where Mary spoke about as though she had guilt (when she asked Ramah “How do you think I felt”). Also, the accusation points out that Mary questioned at a point if Jesus was indeed the son of God.
Even though that and playing the famous role of Mary, reports have it that the actress is not a Christian.
Yoshi Barrigas (Philip)
After getting his break in Hollywood in 2015, Barrigas appeared in films and series such as To the Happy Couple (2012), Criminal Minds (2018), and Six (2017).
In The Chosen, he plays the character of Philip, one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus. He was a former student of John the Baptist.
After he made a mark in the series, he announced on his Instagram page on May 4, 202 that he would be exiting the series. The reasons given were based on personal and professional reasons.
Barrigas was not exposed to the Gospel until he met Justin Beiber and the singer invited him (Barrigas) to Church. The actor spent many months of his life attending Church and later got a role in The Chosen.
At the time of this writing, he still pays attention to the Gospel.
Austin Reed Alleman (Nathanael)
Alleman is an actor and musician known as Nathanael (Nathaniel) in The Chosen. His role is that of one of the 12 Apostles.
His role in the series is minor and slightly fictionalized. While the Bible does not have a career specification for him, the series tells his story as an architect.
Before his Nathaniel role in The Chosen, Alleman had other minor roles in shorts and series. Some of these include Ars Moriendi (2019), Mr. Robot (2015), Sunder (2018), Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015) and The Maze Runner (2014).
Alaa Safi (Simon Z.)
Safi was born Alaa Oumouzoune in France to Morrocan parents. He is an actor, writer, and director. He has played roles in Dr. Strange (2016), The Mauritanian (2021), and Chinese Zodiac (2012).
In The Chosen, he plays Simon the Canaanean, also known as Simon the Zealot or Simon Z.
In the faith-based historical adaption of the life of Christ, Simon Z. is a minor character but one of the 12 apostles.
Luke Dimyan (Judas Iscariot)
Judas Iscariot is played by Luke Dimyan in The Chosen. He is also a minor character and of the who is also one of Jesus’ apostles.
Apart from that, he is also portrayed as a skillful businessman with a great ability to persuade. Through this career, he finds Jesus and is in awe of his teachings.
Despite his love for money, his love for Jesus’ teachings grew, thereby making him want to leave his business mentor to follow Jesus.
Judas is generally of money lover in the series and when he follows Jesus, he hopes to help with the financial aspects of the ministry.
Judas is a flawed man who unfortunately steals from the disciples’ proceeds.
Luke does not only have Judas’ role to his credit. He has had roles in Chubby Bunny (2019), Common Room (2019), Better Things (2016), Life or Death Debates (2019), The L Bomb (2018), Roomies! (2018), and Planet California (2018).
Ivan Jasso (Yussif)
Jasso is an actor known for his roles in The Boy and the Beast (2015), Echo 3 (2014), and Stacy Has a Thing for Black Guys (2019). In The Chosen, he played Yussif.
His role is that of a pharisee who serves with Shmuel.
Amber Shana Williams (Tamar)
Tamar (also in the Bible) is an Ethiopian woman who witnessed Jesus healing a leper. This would lead her to take her paralytic friend to be healed by Jesus at the house of Zebedee.
She becomes Jesus’ follower and travels with him to different places with his disciples, Mary Magdalene, and Ramah.
Her role is played by Amber Shana Williams, an actress who is also famed for her roles in Who Am I? (2018), Victim Number 8 (2018), The Old Man & the Gun (2018), Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018), One in Five (2018), Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall (2013), Core (2017), Murder Made Me Famous (2015), and Run (2017).