Russell Brand and ‘Chosen’ star Jonathan Roumie discuss Jesus

Russell Brand invited Jonathan Roumie onto a recent episode of his Locals podcast to discuss portraying Jesus in hit Christian TV show The Chosen. 

Roumie said it helped Christians to have the option to place a face to their Lord and Saviour, and that TV shows like The Chosen give them “a chance to reference what it’s and who it’s that we’re putting our belief system into”.

It also helps people to see that Jesus was “an actual person”.

“One of the things … that we’d like, especially if we now have a relationship with our Creator, or we desire a relationship with our Creator, it’s only human for us to wish to put a face to who that’s,” he said. 

Roumie shared a comic story where his sister was praying in church when his face suddenly “popped into her prayers”.

He could relate to that have, although for him it’s another person’s face that he associates with Jesus. 

“And for me, obviously, I’m not pondering of myself. But you realize, if it is not Robert Powell, I get images of Renaissance paintings that come into my head, you realize, or something by Carl Bloch will just pop into my head. And he’s certainly one of my favorite artists who depicted Christ. And so, I need to have someone to consider, to assume, because He’s an actual person. Jesus was an actual person. He continues to be an actual person,” he continued.

Brand recently became a Christian and was baptised within the River Thames amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies. He said it was “time to have some Christian friends on the show” after being a Christian “for a bit while now”. 

The two have known one another for a few years, though, with Brand explaining on his the podcast that Roumie was his body double in HBO’s Ballers.

“So I’m in a position to say that Jesus was my body double,” Brand quipped.

Roumie said that his two seasons as Brand’s body double on Ballers was certainly one of “many side-gigs” that helped him when he “hustled to pay my bills”. 

He added, “Russell, you are an innovator and a truth-teller, but for those who ever desired to return the favour and be Jesus’ body-double, I got you, and it’d make a terrific story.”