Jim Caviezel says he was close to declining the role of Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ” until an experience he interpreted as a visit from Jesus changed his mind.
Speaking on Sean Hannity’s podcast, Caviezel recalled waking early one morning with his eyes closed and sensing a presence at the foot of his bed. He said the figure told him that playing Jesus was not a requirement of his Catholic faith. Caviezel’s response, he remembered, was: “Good, I won’t. Get somebody else.”
He said the figure seemed saddened by his refusal and replied, “I don’t have anybody else.” When Caviezel asked why he had been chosen, the answer, he recalled, was that others would not ask the same question. The exchange eventually persuaded him to accept the part.
“Immediately, I was like, okay, this is part of the plan. I’m in,” he said.
Caviezel played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s 2004 film “The Passion of the Christ,” which depicts the final hours of Jesus’ life and his crucifixion. The performance became one of the defining roles of his career, though he has said filming was physically punishing.
He recalled injuring his shoulder, suffering hypothermia and being struck by lightning during production. The hypothermia, he said, “nearly killed me.” He added that his blue appearance near the end of the film was real, not makeup.
Caviezel is also set to appear in the action thriller “Ghost Soldier” and in “Zero A.D.: The Birth of Christ,” where he plays King Herod. In his conversation with Hannity, he also spoke about a near-death experience, his work with Gibson and the spiritual struggles he believes have influenced his life and career.
