Actor Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in The Chosen series, has urged fans of the show not to abandon Jesus in His hour of need.
The actor who spoke during an interview at the 2026 ChosenCon was referencing fans of the show who have expressed their inability to watch Season 6, which chronicles the trial, scourging, and crucifixion of Jesus.
“I have seen comments online by fans who have said, “I cannot watch Season 6. I just can’t take it,” said Roumie.
Growing up with a show where one follows a character like Jesus through his ministry, witnessing him perform miracles, heal the sick, raise the dead, laugh with friends and family, and chastise the Pharisees, from the first to the fifth season, creates an attachment to them, so that their sudden and every pain is felt personally by the viewer.
Roumie, however, urged fans not to abandon Jesus in His moment of need, noting that going through the difficulty of witnessing his suffering makes his resurrection even more victorious.
“Don’t abandon Jesus in His hour of need just because it is hard for you, because then you are doing what everybody else did. You are there with him in the good times, at the wedding in Cana, the changing of water into wine, then, you are going to run from the cross?
“I encourage you who are nervous or afraid, who think, ‘I can’t handle it? that you can handle it. He (Jesus) knows you can handle it. He will give you the strength to go through this emotionally because it is important you experience this with Him, because when you have the resurrection, it is so much sweeter.”
Roumie also spoke about playing a sorrowful Jesus in Season 6 of the series. For him, it is the commitment to the role, to playing it as authentically as possible, that eventually “brings you to a point where you are no longer pretending, rather you are participating in his passion.”
The actor also emphasised that prayer played a major role in his portrayal of a sorrowful and crucified Christ. He literally prayed to be able to experience just a fraction of Christ’s pain during the darkest hours of his life. His prayer was answered. Two injuries on-set led to a torn ACL in the shoulder he was meant to carry the cross on, and cervical issues that he is currently treating.
“I said, “Okay, you got my message. Thank you, I think”. So, when I am carrying the cross, I was aware of it (the pain) the whole time, and it lasted throughout the filming. When you commit to serving the Lord in such an obvious way for the story, he allowed me to participate in. And I wouldn’t have it any other way, because then, it’s real. Then, I can act less and be more. And offer the pain, the suffering, and all of my physical experiences for others, for my own soul, and for his greater glory.”
When asked what it felt like being associated with Jesus by a whole generation, the actor said he felt humbled by the opportunity, noting it’s probably the most important thing he’ll ever do as an artiste.
“It’s a role I will have so much humility about. It’s not something I take for granted. And knowing everything will point to how doing this has allowed me to walk deeper with the Lord, and to portray Him to people who have never met Him before.”
The toughest and longest of the series to shoot (took 60 days of filming), episodes 1 – 6 of The Chosen Season 6 will debut on Prime Video between September and December 2026, while the season finale will premiere in theatres between March and May 2027.
