50-year-old American actor Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus Christ in popular film “Passion Of The Christ,” has found himself amidst a controversy post-production, God TV reports.
Jim Caviezel opened up about the backlash he has faced in Hollywood after starring in the film during an interview with Polish journalist and film critic Lukasz Adamski.
Caviezel told Adamski, “All of a sudden I stopped being one of five most popular actors in the studio, and I hadn’t done anything wrong. I just played Jesus.”
According to God TV, playing Jesus in Passion Of The Christ was not just another movie production for Caviezel. He pointed out that he played Jesus, at the age of thirty-three, which was similar to the age that Jesus was crucified at. Caviezel noted that this was not a coincidence, nor was the fact that they both hold the same initials, J.C.
“Don’t you tell me it was a coincidence!” he said, according to the Christian media network. “There are no coincidences. I keep hearing about ‘accidents’ and ‘strokes of luck.’ Secularization affects the entire world, including the USA. Only atheists believe in coincidence.”
Caviezel also discussed the rejection he has experienced amongst those in Hollywood, and how he has looked to eternity to remind him of what really matters. He also points out that everyone will have their cross to bear, and one day Jesus will be the judgement of all people. He holds steadfast in this belief, that it’s not his place to judge those that have wronged him.
“Was I personally affected by this rejection? Well, everyone has their cross to bear,” he said. “The world changes … but I will not be in this world forever. Neither will the producers from Hollywood. At some point, everyone will have to answer for what they have done.”
Caviezel continued, “there are no coincidences for God,” he said. “Even when God resurrects the dead, they will say it happened by accident.”
As an actor who has been in Hollywood for years, he made sure to point out that his faith has not been swayed, even though the climate points towards that. Even after being blacklisted for acting in a Christian film, he still holds his faith stronger than his work.
“I’ve never forgotten that the name of Jesus is above all else,” he said. “It is also the most controversial name of all times. Love is controversial and He impersonates love. Jesus was telling the Romans about love and they killed him because of that. ‘Who is that man to tell me what kind of person I’m supposed to be?’ – they asked arrogantly. He was betrayed by his own people and abandoned by everyone. My duty was not only to show it all on the screen. My real duty is to live in accordance with the gospel every day and to give witness to the truth.”
Mel Gibson, director of “Passion of the Christ,” is set to direct “The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection,” this upcoming fall. The sequel is to follow the life of the Gospels after Jesus’ resurrection.
Last November, Mel Gibson discussed the upcoming production, saying, “[The Resurrection is] more than a single event, it’s an amazing event. And to underpin that with the things around it is really the story, to enlighten what that means. It’s not just about the event; it’s not just some chronological telling of just that event. That could be boring, and you think, ‘Oh, we read that.’… But what are the other things around it that happened?”
The sequel is expected to hit record sales, as the first one grossed $612 million worldwide from a $30 million budget, making it the most successful independent film ever.
Jim Caviezel, who has faced heavy backlash over his performance, also voiced that he is interested in working with Mel Gibson, and “The Passion of the Christ” again, proving his faith his more important than his work.
