How THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST Challenged Jim Caviezel
By Movieguide® Contributor
Jim Cavizel shared how his movies SOUND OF FREEDOM and THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST challenged and changed his life.
“Both films gave me the chance to play individuals who stood for only good and who were willing to make extreme sacrifices to try to help others, literally rescuing them,” Caviezel told Jetset Magazine. “It creates a humbling effect to carry the magnitude of these roles and I hope that I might have the courage in my life to make the right decisions, too, when tested.”
The actor shared how one moment on set for THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST solidified his faith.
“While shooting THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, not only was I struck by lightning, but I also dislocated my shoulder,” he explained. “So here I am, being hoisted up to hang on the cross. I’ve got to remove the sling and they’re stretching my arms, so I say, ‘Ok God, this is where I need a hug to stay up here because this hurts like crazy!’ He definitely did lift me up because there was no way my shoulder would have held up. I was a true believer before but was a confirmed one after that grueling day.”
Director Mel Gibson warned Caviezel that playing Jesus would change how Hollywood saw him.
“Mel, this is what I believe,” he said at the time. “We all have a cross to carry. I have to carry my own cross. If we don’t carry our crosses, we are going to be crushed under the weight of it. So let’s go and do it.”
With the movie came notoriety. “You end up becoming more protective of your family, your time, and that also colors your future endeavors because you’ve just starred in the most important biography ever…how do you top that?” he explained.
“I do think some people in the film community had a hard time deciding how to use me after THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST,” the actor added. “But fortunately for me, afterwards I was able to make projects like DÉJÀ VU with Tony Scott and Denzel Washington and PERSON OF INTEREST which allowed audiences to remember that prior to THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, they enjoyed me in THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and THE THIN RED LINE, roles that were embraced early in my career.”
As he looks to the future, Cavizel plans to continue making movies with redemptive stories.
“The light is much brighter in the darkest of places,” he said previously, explaining why he chooses hope-giving roles. “In those darkest of places, I want to be the center of it. I was drawn to that.”
“I’m looking forward to making more films that tell stories that bring characters to some sense of redemption,” he revealed. “At this phase in my career, I want to make sure the writing is strong and the creative team is top-notch so that I continue to grow, too.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
Caviezel spoke to Fox News Digital about modern day Christianity and said, “The problem is that modern day Christianity has become so weak and useless. I mean, modern day Christians are more afraid of the devil than they are of God. God could destroy the devil without a glance, but he looks to us to make a decision.”
He added, “So, you have moral depravity. I mean, moral decay everywhere, falling apart. Laws don’t mean anything anymore. We don’t have a First Amendment…There’s no such thing as free speech anymore. You’re absolutely destroyed everywhere, and the media throws out everybody’s a racist.”
Caviezel stated that his main purpose for SOUND OF FREEDOM isn’t to entertain audiences but to spread a message.
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