The actors of “The Chosen” speak exclusively for ALETEIA

Elizabeth Tabish, Noah James and Amber Williams tell in Madrid their experience filming the new version of the gospels that has broken schemes around the world

At the end of October, the capital of Spain came to a standstill when three of the many famous actors who are part of that precious story that is The Chosen.

Elizabeth Tabish (who plays Mary Magdalene), Noah James (who plays the disciple Andrés) and Amber Williams (who plays Tamar) shared a good time with the specialized press about the success of the series. A luxury of interpreters who, in addition to youth, have light in their eyes.

Right now The Chosen (translated into 56 languages), which narrates the life of Jesus from the point of view of those who lived with him, and faithful to the Gospel – far beyond the common characters and places we all know – can now be enjoyed from three important areopagus.

One of them is the platform against+, managed by the distributor A Contracorriente Films, for those who choose to enjoy it online. Those who prefer to enjoy it in DVD and Blu-ray format have the product available since November 29, and its theatrical release is on Fridays.

Already on December 2, it broadcast episodes 1 and 2 of the first season, which was titled The Chosen: I have called you by name. On December 9, it exhibits the 3, 4 and 5 (The Chosen: The stone on which it is built) and on December 16 it will launch 6, 7 and 8 (The Chosen: Indescribable Compassion).

Jose Luis Panero

In this respect of the promotion of the second season nothing is known yet. What is known is that the third season has already been released in the USA and in one day of exhibition it has burst the box office by raising 8 million dollars. We also remember that The Chosen It will consist of seven seasons in total with more than 50 chapters.

– How was your experience of the Holy Hour in Las Rozas on Monday, October 24, promoted by the Hakuna movement?

Noah James: It was really the high point of our trip to Spain. There were a lot of young people, they were charming, generous, they welcomed us singing… It really was like an ideal stage entrance.

Elizabeth Tabish: I think that everyone has to have this experience, the community is very loving.

– Why did you get involved in the project of the series ‘The Chosen’?

ET: I was about to stop acting, because even though I was doing commercials I wasn’t successful, I didn’t earn much money and I lived with my mother… My dream was to be an actress or die. And when my representation agency told me about this issue, I read the script and I felt that it was written for me, because it was everything I had wanted in any project. My character is ideal, emotionally complicated, but it was a vehicle where I could express what I felt at that moment. In other words, this project changed me and saved my life.

Noah James: This job has demanded much more of us as actors than any other. But the gift has been so beautiful, it has been like a blessing. I’m so thankful that I put my heart, sweat and tears into it… That’s the beauty of acting, that is, being able to create characters that are a dream.

Amber Williams: They (Noah James and Elizabeth Tabish) worked on the first few episodes and I joined a few later. I was blessed to see the quality and cinematic experience of each of them and I wanted to be a part of all of that. So I prepared a casting for the character of the well woman but in the end I ended up being Tamar. The experience was incredible and it has made me grow so much in the season since I started working…

– What does ‘The Chosen’ add to other film stories about the story of Jesus?

AW: Look at Jesus from a different point of view. Because we see his life through those around him: the disciples or other contemporaries. And they are all so unique that the look towards Him is always new. We also see a Jesus with another light, more human, closer. In fact, we see him carving wood, brushing his teeth, making jokes, laughing… he is a Jesus with whom one can easily identify. And that’s why I think so many people are enjoying ‘The Chosen’.

– What movie about Christ had you seen before the start of the series? What was the character that you liked and how did you deal with yours?

ET: I remember seeing Jesus of Nazareth (Franco Zeffirelli, 1977) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Norman Jewison, 1973), which was the one that touched my heart. Y The Chosen bring those two worlds together. Because, on the one hand, there is a way of telling the story in the traditional way, and the jubilation, the drama and the emotion of the musical are also here. And as for the inspiration, I focused on the script, which turned out to be very original and we all tried to put our lives into it.

– What have you learned from this project during the filming process from 2019 to today?

NJ: Very much. As an actor outrageous. The most important thing was to find the rhythm of the series, as a result of the long work days. Sometimes we have shot a scene that has lasted 10 hours, but on screen it takes 3 minutes. For me the biggest challenge was to stay fresh and not lose energy after so many hours on set. Outside of the religious world -I am Jewish- it was a great opportunity to learn the teachings of Christ and share them among all of us who make the series. So ‘The Chosen’ opened my eyes to something I was unaware of, for example, through parables. While it is true that my first experience in the series was related to The Sermon on the Mount, which for me is impressive.

AW: What comes to me, and from what I have learned, is to be patient with myself, as a human being and as an artist. It has helped me feel Grace, commitment and honesty with my teammates to play my character well. Then came the connection with the assigned role. And all this made my confidence grow as an actress and to be able to embody such a special character from 2,000 years ago. On the other hand, the director dallas jenkins, has been very generous with us, he loves to fully explore what works, and what doesn’t, in our work. It is also a project to which it was not known if it was going to be able to continue, since it started through a crowdfunding initiative… To all this was added that in the second season there was COVID, we had to quarantine , viewers could see it for free… There were times when we couldn’t foresee what was going to happen. It has truly been a gift to make the series, even a miracle. And a miracle that happened. I also wanted to point out how essential it is to build a community, after all our fans have been the ones who have financed the project, which can reach many countries and consequently opens up to many cultures. In short: a wonderful experience.

– What would have happened if ‘The Chosen’ had not been born on the platforms? Do you think it would have been as successful?

NJ: It is clear that part of the success arose during COVID: people were locked up and it was not known for sure what was going to happen in the world. And it was at that moment that a large part of society found a sense of hope and love to include in their lives through ‘The Chosen’. And that exploded the popularity of the series. Among other reasons, for its healing message.

AW: I think the movie is like your favorite song: it’s so amazing that you feel like sharing it right away, which we did with our family members as well. “You have to see me!” I told my brothers. This all happened before the series was in movie theaters. We also have to thank the strong and important support in mobile applications, since ‘The Chosen’ is a humble work, but it tells the story of Christ in the most authentic way.

Film website: https://thechosen.es/