Hi, it's David.

We're off for the holidays, but we'll be back with a new episode in two weeks.

In the meantime, we're bringing you a conversation I had around Christmas time last year with

the actor Jonathan Rumi, who plays Jesus on the popular TV series The Chosen.

Since we talked, the show aired its fifth season.

He and I talked about what it's like to play Jesus on TV

and to try to live up to his fans' expectations. Enjoy the conversation and happy holidays.

From the New York Times, this is the interview. I'm David Marquesi. It's common, maybe even natural, for audiences to blur the lines between actors and their famous roles,

to assume that a beloved on-screen doctor might know something about medicine,

or that an action hero is a tough guy off-screen too.

But Jonathan Rumi is dealing with an unusually charged version of this dynamic in his role as Jesus Christ.

And yes, this is our version of Christmas season programming.

Since 2017, Rumi has been the star of the global hit series The Chosen.

The series takes a prestige TV approach to the story of Jesus, full of sharp dialogue,

interpersonal drama, unexpected humor, and high production values.

That slickly appealing modern style, centered on Rumi's warm and relatable portrayal,

has helped the show to become a massive success.

It's been watched by more than 250 million people,

and will return for its fifth season under

Creator Dallas Jenkins next year. That success has also helped turn Rumi, a devout Catholic,

into a kind of public faith leader. At public events for the chosen, he swamped by fans looking to,

as it were, touch the hem of his garment. He gets asked to speak at

...