Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus in the popular TV series “The Chosen,” did not hold back in his keynote address at the 50th March for Life in Washington, D.C. Friday
“God is real, and he is completely in love with each and every one of you,” Roumie, a devout Catholic, said. “I’m not the real Jesus. Let’s just get that out of the way.”
“Real Jesus,” he said as he pointed to the sky, then pointed at himself, “TV Jesus.”
The series distributed by Angel Studies became the No. 1 crowdfunded entertainment project in history and now has almost 500 million views.
Roumie gave a sermonlike speech, just days after “The Chosen” crashed the Fathom Events ticket site as fans rushed to purchase movie tickets for season 3’s finale.
“You have chosen to journey to our nation’s capital today to not only mourn the 64 million children lost through abortion for the last 50 years but to champion those yet to be born,” Roumie said.
The march was the first post-Roe demonstration since the Supreme Court’s historic Dobbs decision that sent abortion back to the states. Roumie acknowledged it was his first time making a political speech.
“I know how difficult it can be to think differently, to swim against the current, to choose life in a culture that celebrates death,” Roumie said.
“You know standing here saying these things now is neither the obvious career choice nor an easy decision for me, because I’ve never set foot in this arena before — publicly,” he said.
“But ultimately, I had no choice. This guy,” he added, pointing up to the sky in reference to God, “made me do it.”
The crowd of thousands of pro-lifers applauded as he continued to share his testimony.
“A few years ago, I made a commitment to follow the promptings of the Spirit. I stand by it. That’s why I’m here today,” he said.
WATCH THE FULL SPEECH BELOW VIA EWTN:
The “artist in the entertainment industry” took a shot at the sharp rise in “darkness of the imagery used in film, television, and music.”
“The landscape has increasingly become sinister and, in some cases, even demonic in tone, more so than in previous years, sometimes subliminal and oftentimes overt,” he said.
Roumie went after Hollywood and the mainstream media at large.
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“I’m referring to the media, which is even more ominous, and I don’t need to name names. You know it when you see it,” he said. “Media has become a portal to behavior and attitudes kids want to emulate to reject God. Reject the light. Reject ultimately all those aspects of community which give life.”
The Jesus actor criticized popular culture for removing God over the last few decades but left the attendees on a hopeful night.
“They say we live in a post-Christian society. I reject that. You can reject that,” Roumie told the crowd. “Change the culture by impacting the culture.”
Caleb Parke is the SMG managing editor. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and connect with him at calebparke.com.
