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 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 faith-based events, and in the online world, he has a partnership with the prayer app Hallow,

where listeners can hear him read scripture and lead meditative reflections.

As Rumi is well aware, his is a complicated and just plain unlikely situation for an actor to be in,

but it's also, he believes, part of a greater plan.

And for me, as someone who is sincerely curious about faith, and even if I'm being honest,

a little envious of those

who have it, his belief is something I wanted to understand. Here's my conversation with

Jonathan Rumi.

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