Jim Caviezel was wary of taking on the demanding role of Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s movie because he thought it would almost certainly result in his being fired by Hollywood.
Once he realized his initials were J, he gave it some more thought.
C.
Coincidentally, and he was 33 years old, he chose to proceed despite the dangers.
Jim encountered many difficulties while filming, such as losing 45 pounds from malnutrition and exhaustion, being struck by lightning twice (once unintentionally during scourging), dislocating his shoulder when the cross collapsed with him still on it, and eventually succumbing to pneumonia and hypothermia from prolonged exposure in only a loincloth.
Out of the film’s two months of production, the dreadful crucifixion scene alone took five weeks.
In the well-known movie “The Passion of the Christ,” Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus Christ, was so emotionally and physically worn out by his role that he required two open heart surgeries after the movie was finished.
Despite his exhaustion, he humbly committed to his performance: “All I want is for them to see Jesus,” he said.
That’ll result in conversions.
That’s what happened.
Many members of the cast and crew said they witnessed enigmatic forces—of mercy, compassion, and grace—at work throughout the filming process.
While Luca Lionello, who played Judas, initially identified as an atheist before filming but later converted to Christianity and had his children baptized, Pedro Sarubbi, who played Barabbas, felt as though Jesus Christ was looking directly into his eyes.
After working on this ground-breaking project, even some of the technical staff on site underwent spiritual conversions, with one Muslim technician becoming a Christian.
The Passion of the Christ, which has earned $370.08 million at the domestic box office and is the highest-grossing religious movie ever as well as the most significant R-rated movie in history, continues to be a cinematic classic.
The film had an enormous cultural impact that was felt all over the world, as evidenced by its astounding $611 million global total. Even though Mel Gibson famously paid for The Passion himself, without any help from the studio, it was a smart move because the $30 million investment quickly returned more than 20 times its value.
Some producers saw mysterious white people on the set during filming who they had never seen before, but when they later viewed the footage, they couldn’t find them. This strange encounter added to the mystery and legacy of the movie, which endures to this day.
Having been profoundly impacted by his life-altering experience as the Son of God, Jim Caviezel freely shares his faith in Jesus Christ. His faith has been strengthened and validated by this powerful presentation, enabling him to grow in his devotion to and loyalty to the Savior.
