‘Forever Grateful’: THE CHOSEN Cast Reflects on Show’s Impact

Published: March 28, 2025

The Chosen Season 5 Cast — LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 22: (L-R) Shahar Isaac, Alaa Safi, Noah James, Jonathan Roumie Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, and George H. Xanthis attend the Global Premiere of season 4 of "The Chosen" at The Empire Cinema in Leicester Square on January 22, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images)

By India McCarty

As the fifth season of THE CHOSEN premieres, the show’s cast has one thing on their mind: gratitude.

“It’s such an iconic season,” Vanessa Benavente, who plays Mary, told Movieguide® at the premiere, adding that THE CHOSEN “gives us such great historical context.”

She explained, “You get it in a deeper level, and I think it makes you fall in love with these characters even more.”

Many in the cast shared their appreciation for the show, from their co-stars and showrunner Dallas Jenkins to the material itself.

“I’ve met incredible people who have taught me how to be a better human being,” Shahar Isaac (Simon Peter) shared, pointing to Jenkins specifically.

He shared, “[Jenkins] leads by example…It can’t not rub off on you that you want to be like him.”

Isaac also shouted out the “incredible and amazing cast,” adding, “I’m like a sponge. I’m trying to get as much as I can from these beautiful human beings.”

“What has grown is my gratitude,” Noah James, who plays Andrew, said. “I’m just so grateful for the show. I’m grateful for the people in it, the people behind it, the people we get to play. I am forever grateful for this.”

Paul Ben Victor (Herod) also shared his gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of THE CHOSEN.

“[The role is] a gift, it’s a great gift,” he explained. “I’m just thrilled to get the material…it’s like, as an actor, as an artist, it’s like somebody handed you a piece of Mozart that nobody’s seen before and you get to be the first guy to do it.”

Jenkins, THE CHOSEN’s creator, marveled at the growth of the show, from its tiny Season 1 production to the popularity THE CHOSEN has today all over the world.

“Isn’t it fun to see how the show has grown with the story?” he said. “It’s been a really beautiful process.”

The cast of THE CHOSEN have dropped some hints about what fans can expect from the upcoming episodes, with Paras Patel (Matthew) telling PEOPLE, “I would describe this season in five letters: Chaos.”

“There’s just a lot happening,” he continued. “Season five kind of elevates the emotion a little bit, and you really see the disciples and followers just trying to navigate what is actually happening.”

Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus, told TV Insider that he is “grateful” for the role, calling it “one of the most impactful and incredible roles an actor can ever play. It’s one of the most complex I think anybody could ever play. So I feel very, very fortunate.”

He also shared some details about what’s going on in Season 5, particularly when it comes to Jesus’ relationships with the disciples.

“Our conversations in Season 5, mostly, are centered around Jesus trying to impress upon the somewhat hapless disciples the gravity of what is to come in the next several days [seen] throughout the season, and them wrestling with not actually quite getting it,” Roumie explained. “He’s really trying to speak very plainly, and it’s just not registering. And it doesn’t, as we know from Scripture, quite register until the Resurrection.”

Part 2 of Season 5 of THE CHOSEN will premiere on April 3, while Part 3 comes on April 10.