Hollywood actor Jonathan Roumie, widely known for his portrayal of Jesus in the hit series "The Chosen," has finally set foot in the Philippines, much to the delight of his devoted fans. 

This visit marks a significant milestone for Roumie, who has long anticipated connecting with Filipinos who have embraced the series with open arms.

Roumie spoke to ABS-CBN News and shared his excitement about being in the Philippines. "Oh man. We've been waiting for this day. We've had a strong presence in the Philippines. It's been a long time. So to get to be here in person to meet everybody is really a dream come true," he said. 

Photo: Handout

Fans will get to see Roomie in the flesh at the Teal carpet on November 22 at SM Megamall Cinema 4 for the much-anticipated Christmas special: “Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night.” 

This retelling of the birth of Jesus, as seen through the eyes of Mary and Joseph, beautifully weaves the stories of The Messengers and The Shepherd into an all-new remastered feature in time for the holiday season. 

Roumie expressed how blessed he is to be in this position now. His journey to becoming Jesus on screen was not without its challenges. He recounted his early struggles in Los Angeles, saying, "I was living in Los Angeles for about 8 years and pursuing acting full time. I struggled for 8 years. I had a few little jobs here and there but nothing substantive. I got to this moment in my life where I was completely broke. I was out of food and the only thing I had was really to just surrender my career and my life to God in a way that I hadn't done before."

This surrender proved to be a turning point. "Even as a Christian, as a Catholic Christian, I'd always had faith but I never quite offered up my career in the way that I realized I had to in that moment. And when I did that very day I experienced a financial miracle that just didn't really make sense on paper. But I knew it was a sign for me to just submit and just hand everything over to Him. And three months later I booked 'The Chosen' and nothing's been the same ever since," Roumie shared.

Looking ahead, Roumie revealed exciting plans for "The Chosen." 

"We're going to be releasing sometime around April, Easter, season 5. And we just wrapped this summer a Christmas special we're releasing in the Philippines. Tickets are available now. That's going to be a really wonderful opportunity to see a combination of the story of 'The Chosen', the origins of the Christ story combined with music and worship in a way that's I think going to be received really well here in the Philippines. There's a wonderful Filipino worship band that's in the special as well, and I think people are really going to love it," he said.

Portraying Jesus comes with profound responsibility, a challenge Roumie approaches with deep spirituality. "Everything for me starts with prayer. Before I consider taking a job, when I get the job, my literal prayer in the moment is that when playing Jesus that the Lord allows that people not see my face, Jonathan's face, but see His face. Not to hear Jonathan's voice, but to hear the Lord's voice speaking through me in the context of the show," he explained.

Roumie also shared some humorous and humbling experiences with fans. "I try to gently remind people that I’m just human like they are and I’m not the real Jesus obviously. I think on a practical level people know I'm not actually Jesus, but I think those who have seen and experienced the show and moments from the show that are super powerful and super healing for so many, they kind of want to have that. It's sort of like a transference of that feeling and that experience and when they meet me in person maybe subconsciously they want that to actually be true, but they know it's not true, so people have asked me for prayers and blessings and to lay hands on someone," he said.

He recounted a particularly memorable incident: "One person even started to tell me as he was walking out of the confessional booth what he had just confessed. I said, no, no, no, leave it in there. I'm not a priest. I play the ultimate high priest, but I'm not an actual priest, so just leave it there. I'm sure he gave you the right things to do, but it's profoundly humbling that people feel that level of openness with me and commune with me at such a deep spiritual level."

To his Filipino fans, Roumie offered a heartfelt message: "Mabuhay! We love the Philippines and we love the Filipino fans, you’ve been such a great support for us. We're so excited to be launching here finally, officially, and we really hope that you enjoy everything that's to come."

When asked if this visit would be his last, Roumie reassured, "Most definitely not. This won’t be the last time we visit the Philippines."

Roumie invites everyone to watch Christmas with "The Chosen: Holy Night" will have a limited-time theatrical run in the Philippines starting December 11, exclusively at SM Cinemas. 

It will also feature a live video message from "The Chosen" creator and director Dallas Jenkins, encouraging reflection on the deeper meaning of Christmas, along with captivating performances from renowned artists, including the legendary Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo. Other musical performances in the featured screening will include The Feast Worship, adding a uniquely Filipino touch to the celebration.

Fans can expect not only to watch the Christmas special but also to experience the spirit of the season through community, music, inspiration — and, of course, to take some “selfies with Jesus” at the mall. 

A special live performance from Virlanie Voices, from Virlanie Foundation will also be part of the live fan event program. Virlanie Foundation, a non-profit and non-sectarian children’s foundation helps disadvantaged children reach their full potential by providing opportunities for their healing and development through a multi-disciplinary approach. 

You can watch "The Chosen" series and more via the app and website - watch.thechosen.tv

The Chosen's Jonathan Roumie is coming to Manila in November